Making America Racist Again

Trump’s Make America Great Again election slogan was shaped and chosen because it did well with his crowds. It sounds kind of conservative and romantic. It was adopted despite that it has four words and eight syllables and is not a three-word three-syllable slogan like Build That Wall, U S A, Lock Her Up, Drain The Swamp, We Will Win. But neither is the recent chanting “Nobel, Nobel” three-word three-syllable. There is probably not more depth behind it.

The shallowness of the Make America Great Again did not stop people from asking “Again – you mean like when? Like when it was decimating the Natives, when there was still slavery, when women were not allowed to vote, when there were no antibiotics yet, when there was still racism on the books, when there was not gay marriage yet?” No answer.

But now we know. Trumpers dream from America being racist again. When Jews fleeing Hitler were almost completely banned. When Japanese USers were interned into camps in the US. When Blacks were only allowed to perform jazz and be poor and invisible.

This is extra-logical after Obama. His presidency spoke to the hearts of many non-White youths but also riled up a lot of racism. And US society did not deal with it. Even Obama could not. He had to play the president of all of America and therefore never stressed his Blackness. He did talk in codes, like “Equality before the Law,” “financial chances for all,” etc.

We can only guess what would have happened if he would have chosen to say the B word frequently. Like Trevor Noah does, being a general comedian but also not shunning to verbalize his African identity.

But hey, I’m not blaming the victim! The Obamas were very brave doing this and the problem lies with the Whites. We need to figure out how to kill racism, not just how to dispute it. Obviously, Desegregation busing did not take care of it. Having a Black President did not do the job either.

I got rid of some racism by: 1. Prioritizing making and keeping non-White friends and listening to them (just shut up). 2. Periodically, celebrating with other Whites our (small) anti-Racism successes and setting further goals. 3. Regularly, talking deeply about my hurts and confusions attached to race/complexion. 4. Speaking out against racism all the time. 5. Welcoming every White person to anti-Racism work.

How could we speed up ending personal and institutionalized Racism?