By Arya Hanumara/President/Social Effects Head/Co-Editor In Chief
Our nation is constantly changing. We started off 2020 with a Global Pandemic, followed by one of the largest acts of activism in history. Whether one’s stance on the Black Lives Matter movement is in support or in opposition, respect must be an end goal. Furthermore, it is of the utmost duty of the President of The United States to respect all people, regardless of their race or ethnicity, as the President has the role of America’s most coveted public servant. Throughout the Trump administration, our current President Donald J. Trump has made it clear that America is a country built on a strong foundation of pride and nationalism, although he has also emphasized the core race of our country's “creators.” We are a country built on slavery and continued years of racism, classism, sexism, and even religious discrimination. It is difficult to acknowledge all sides of an argument that goes against traditional American morals and rights such as respect, and hard work.
Our constitution’s first phrase, “We the People,” emphasizes inclusivity, and stresses our common roots. We are all people, regardless of our race, religion, and ethnicity, and we all deserve our natural rights. For years, protests have become commonplace throughout our country, ranging from marches focused on gun control to kneeling during the National Anthem. Especially for the Black community, these years of peaceful protests have not been effective, prompting the need to do anything to get their voices heard. It is obvious that our President is in no way in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. When it comes to him being blatantly racist, however, it is evident that there is a larger issue at hand. Here are times our nation’s current President has been tangled in racist acts and remarks:
1973: Trump refused to rent apartments to Black people, eventually prompting the Nixon Administration to sue him.
This action prompted a highly controversial court case, The United States of America versus Fred C. Trump, Donald Trump, and Trump Management Inc. The case was in response to Trump’s direct violation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, claiming that it is illegal to, “[refuse] to sell or rent… or otherwise [make] unavailable, or [deny] any dwelling to any person on account of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” Trump finally resolved the lawsuit with a simple consent decree, settling the dispute between the two parties.
1980s- 1990s: Trump Casinos were accused of hiding black staff when Trump visited.
When Trump branched out from residential real estate to the casino industry, employees noticed the blatant racism he instilled in the workplace. John O’Donnell, former president of the Trump Plaza Casino told sources that Trump hated “Black guys counting[his] money. The only kind of people, [he wanted] to count [his] money [were] short guys that [wore] yarmulkes every day.” Additionally, Trump’s casino was fined $200,000 for the transferring of black dealers from various tables to “aid” racist customers and improve their experience at the establishment. Not only does this continuously aid in Trump’s pattern of racist actions and remarks, but it also hints towards the bias he has against all minorities, not just the black community. In 1993, Trump said that “Native American casinos shouldn’t be allowed because [Native Americans] don't look like Indians to [him].” In the 2000s Trump ran a series of ads attacking Native American casinos and stating that they were guilty of various crimes with no evidence to support his claims.
1989: The “Central Park 5”
In 1989, Trump took out a full-page advertisement listing the need for a death penalty for a group of 5 Black teens. He wanted to place a “bounty on their heads, and plague them with a lifetime of death threats.” Eventually, Trump was sued by the Justice Department for discrimination. The inspiration for this advertisement was the alleged rape and attack of a jogger in Central Park. Finally, the teens were cleared when the attacker confessed in 2002.
2004: A black contestant was fired from Trump’s show, “The Apprentice,” for being “over-educated.”
Former Apprentice Season Two contestant Kevin Allen has an undergraduate degree from Wharton, an MBA from Emory, and was in the process of obtaining a law degree from The University Of Chicago during the filming period. Even with an education of a similar manner, other contestants that were white remained on the show, although they were later fired for valid reasons.
2010: Trump argued in support of segregating all Muslims in Lower Manhattan
The idea of segregation of various religions and ethnicities hints towards devasting periods of history such as the time before the civil rights movement and the entirety of the holocaust. In 2o16, Trump regularly retweeted information and material from neo-Natzis and white supremacists during his campaign. Trump has the ideas of historical grievances and great losses at hand, such as the Holocaust, and various genocides, in addition to methods and cruel intentions backing up his train of thought. The religious discrimination of Muslims is backed up by Trump’s call for a “ban on all Muslims entering the U.S” in 2015. In 2017, in a violent Nazi rally, Trump said that there were, “...some very fine people on both sides.” Do we really want a president that will sentence people to ghettos because of their religion?
2011: Birtherism
Trump claimed that President Obama was Kenyan, using nothing but his skin color as evidence. Trump also targeted former First Lady Michelle Obama, stating that she “resembled a Gorilla.” The association of African American people with apes has been a controversial but prevalent idea throughout history. Trump has also stated that Obama has “no class or sophistication.” To this date, Donald Trump has not apologized or renounced any of his claims.
2015: All Mexican immigrants were accused by Donald Trump of being “rapists” who “bring crime and drugs” to the United States.
Most of Trump’s campaign was centered around defamation and discrimination against Mexican immigrants, whether they are legally or illegally in the United States. In 2016, Trump forced a Mexican judge to excuse himself for nothing other than his race. Throughout history, the exploitation and targeting of one particular race, ethnicity, or religion has been a leading factor in the success of a campaign. For years, Adolf Hitler centered his totalitarian beliefs around degrading all Jews to rile up most of Europe, creating a positive image of himself and glorifying Germany. In India and Pakistan, corrupt politicians continuously speak out against Hinduism and Islam to gain votes and unite various beliefs. Trump is the latest piece fitting into the slow-moving, but powerful, puzzle of an American Dictatorship.
2017-2018: Racist Remarks against Haiti and Nigeria
In 2017, Trump stated that the people of Haiti “all have AIDS,” in addition to claiming that people from Nigeria would never “go back to their huts” after seeing America. Then, in 2018 Trump called all African countries, and Haiti, “sh*tholes.”
2019: Tweets against Congresswomen
In 2019, Trump stated that four very powerful congresswomen, all people of color, needed to “go back to where they came from.” Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (District of N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (District of Minnesota), Rashida Tlaib (District of Michigan.) and Ayanna Pressley (District Massachusetts) were the victims of this attack.
2020: Response to Protests
In a direct response to the Black Lives Matter movement, Trump called black protesters “thugs” directly after calling the white protestors “very good people.” Later, Trump threatened to direct the military to shoot the Black protestors on the street.
The current President of The United States of America, Donald J. Trump, has had an extensive history in regards to racism. With these examples of his negative intentions comes the unbearable anxiety of having such a stubborn leader in charge. It is our duty, as citizens of the United States of America, to continue to speak out against these injustices and show that the true power resides in the people.
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