LATELY, DONALD TRUMP has been making appeals to black voters.
His argument to African-Americans is that the Democratic Party relies on black voters, but has failed to improve their economic and social plight over the decades. He says that the needs of blacks often go unanswered, even as they remain loyal to the Democrats.
During his run for president, Trump has again and again proven he knows little about domestic policy. He has been silent about how to improve the nation’s race relations.
But truculent Trump is on to something when he points out that blacks give more than they get from Democrats. There is an element of truth to his assertion that as blacks have become a loyal voting bloc for Democrats, they have often been ignored.
Trump is essentially blaming Democrats for the social misery being experienced by blacks. In hyperbolic language Trump charges that violence plagues the black community because of party neglect. He emphasizes the high rate of unemployment among African-Americans, particularly young black men. He seeks to cajole blacks into the Republican tent by stating how racism and discrimination hold African-Americans back, refusing them entrance into the middle class.
To understand how blacks got into this predicament requires a lesson in modern political history.
Black voters began flocking to the Democratic Party in the 1960s during the Civil Rights movement. The 1965 Voting Rights Act led to massive political mobilization among blacks, especially in the South. Because Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. worked closely with President Lyndon Johnson to champion electoral justice, blacks sided with Johnson and the Democrats. African-Americans rejected the Republicans because they were viewed as an obstructionist party. The GOP was viewed as sympathetic to states’ rights and friendly to Southern segregationist attitudes.
In his excellent book published last year, Give Us the Ballot, Ari Berman, details how blacks suddenly left the Republicans, even though the party led the way in ending slavery a century earlier. But the Republican Party, Berman writes, never overcame its own racism.
Since the Nixon presidency, Republicans have essentially ignored blacks. Sometimes they have been outwardly hostile, branding African-Americans as criminals, welfare queens, intellectually inferior, and shiftless.
Abandoned by the Republicans, blacks feel the need to cling to the Democrats, where there is little competition for their vote. The result is that African-Americans lack leverage to force Democrats to directly address their most pressing issues.
Trump has displayed his despicable racism in so many ways already. He brings out the worst racial sentiments among Americans by negative appeals to ethnicity and difference. He laments a country that is increasingly diverse.
But Trump may be right in stating that black voters must find a way to more forcefully lobby both parties to advance specific polices that will improve their conditions. When Trump ask what do blacks “have to lose” by voting for him in November, he makes an important point that should prompt African-Americans to consider whether their political capacity is compromised.
Under no circumstances should blacks vote for Trump in November. His disdain for blacks is palpable. But African-Americans should take the measure of their own low political effectiveness and blind allegiance to Democrats.
Blacks must develop a pragmatic political perspective that is less driven by party affiliation. They must adopt a brand of practical politics that relies on clear-eyed bargaining and negotiation. They must be more focused on achieving tangible policy results over engaging in unproductive relationships. They may even have to develop a separate, independent political party.
During the 2012 presidential contest, blacks voted at a higher percentage than whites for the first time in American history. Those votes went overwhelmingly to the Democratic Party.
But were blacks rewarded for their performance?
Democratic Party leadership should repay high black electoral performance with objective and substantive rewards. But blacks must also develop more sophisticated voting habits, methods of civic engagement and a powerful domestic and foreign policy agenda. Only then will African-American voters better ensure that political leaders address their substantive needs.
Kevin Peterson, a democracy activist, is founder of the New Democracy Coalition
CommonWealth Voices is sponsored by The Boston Foundation.
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Donald Trump’s Outreach to the Black Community
1. INTRODUCTION:
The black community and our “blind faith” and loyal support for the Democratic Party . . .
There are daily reminders of decades long history of (in your face) betrayal from the Democratic Party. Gun violence epidemic, failing schools, unemployment, poverty, and the like . . .
The democrats blame the Republican Party because it gives more than 100 percent of its effort to address “those things important to its political base.”
Blacks don’t support the Republican Party so there has been no point for the Republican Party’s politics to represent the black community’s needs.
In addition, as is it’s the Republican Party’s right, it has used any available political tool to counter the “block of votes” the black community guaranteed the Democratic Party each election.
2. DONALD TRUMP VISIT:
Donald Trump has taken steps to address the needs of the black community.
The Democratic Party and the black political leaders who control the black community “block of votes” are upset. They realize Mr. Trump is a threat to the monopoly they have operated for decades at the expense of the lives of black boys and girls who are victims of our current precarious situation.
But the problem for the black community is (have always been) the democrats’ extremely “race-neutral” policies that are “less threatening” to the establishment but fails to ameliorate our long-standing economic, social and political inequities.
Those in the black community unwilling to interact with Donald Trump are making a “huge” mistake. The only thing important this election is the “black vote.”
The black community has “never before” had this opportunity — to put someone in the “White House” that has “an angry man’s attitude” about our situation and (unlike President Barack Obama) is willing to enact “race specific” policy to address the black community’s needs.
The black community is Mr. Trump’s only logical road to the White House.
3. MR. TRUMP”S REQUEST
Mr. Trump made it clear to the black community that he needs our help.
He has apologized for the Republican Party’s past mistake of accepting the democrats’ decades of influence over the black community.
4. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Donald Trump’s campaign represents “racial unity” for America.
Those supporting Mr. Trump have the common bond of “poverty.”
Like President Johnson, Mr. Trump needs to use “poverty” to overcome a preceding president’s popularity.
Mr. Trump has as his political base “poor whites.” His effort now is focused on “winning” the support of “poor blacks.”
5. RACIAL UNITY FOR AMERICA
Mr. Trump has “ONE JOB” at this point if he wants to be president . . .
Mr. Trump must make the black community understand that a “VOTE” for Trump is a realistic opportunity for racial equality, school choice, jobs, and the end of gun violence.
Mr. Trump’s political base of poor whites and the black community must now understand the importance of “moving past” those things that have separated black and white communities.
6. THE RICH (ESTABLISHMENT) IS SUPPORTING HILLARY CLINTON
President Lyndon B. Johnson with “race-specific” policies did more for black America than the popular president John F. Kennedy.
President Johnson’s race-specific policies worked to change the Democratic Party to the multi-racial/multi-ethnic political coalition we “blindly” support today.
Help Donald Trump change the Republican Party.
7. A CHANGE WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT — JOBS
Democrats with federal, state and local policy have narrowed the focus of economic development in black neighborhoods to business incentives, undermining any prospect of raising the standard of living for black families. Municipal budgets of inner-cities across the nation are tight and with new demands on revenue, diverting tax revenue to business incentives reduces investment in education, job training and other essential public services.
“Up-front” workforce development subsidies must be replaced with annual subsidies contingent upon goal attainment. Current democratic policy has encouraged the “take the money and run” behavior that has victimized black neighborhoods for decades.
Commitment to black neighborhoods require replacing the current programs with “forgivable” loan means that each year the loan payment is due it is converted to a “grant” to the extent that project goals are met that year. Tax abatement and credits should be structured the same way.
Mr. Trump’s plan should have businesses rewarded for staying in black communities, not just showing up. Such a proposal will be more effective because it puts the burden on workforce development projects to prove goals have been attained. These projects should now be subjected to the same annual budget scrutiny as any other program that competes for the public dollar.
The TRUMP PLAN needs strong mechanisms to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest. No longer should there be “overbidding” for high profile companies.
Program effectiveness under any proposal should be measured by how much the standard of living for black families improved (job quality).
Finally, there should be a “sunset.” Any project that is “very expensive for very little documented gain” should be allow to expire.
8. CONCLUSION
Donald Trump must make it abundantly clear, as the “centerpiece” of his domestic agenda that he wants not just legal equity for blacks; not just equality as a right and theory; but equality as a fact and equality as a result.
Mr. Trump must make a commitment to use the federal purse . . . Not in the traditional “colorblindness” approach to infrastructure rhetoric that has benefited every ethnic community but black neighborhoods. But, as leverage to correct unequal life chances that renders black life meaningless for black youth.
The democratic “colorblindness” policies that control the majority of America’s troubled inner-cities have created a poverty trap for black boys and girls, passing from one generation to the next.
The remedy requires overt policy measures from the White House designed specifically for black neighborhoods that will work to improve productivity characteristics and the attitudes of those who control the education and training, and hiring of black youth.
Donald Trump’s “outreach to black America” is a direct challenge of the Democratic Party’s “colorblindness” approach to doing things, which denies the realities of structural and systemic inequality and renders the needs of the black community invisible.
Mr. Trump must demonstrate to us that he believes the Democratic Party’s “colorblindness” approach has routinely privileged every ethnic community in America and regardless of intent has disadvantaged black neighborhoods.
The “first step” was to illuminate the needs of black America.
Now Mr. Trump must build a bridge between the ethnic differences of America. Mr. Trump must build a new stronger nation based on inclusion, equity, justice and respect for diversity.
Mr. Trump has to announce proactive solutions to address job creation, revitalization of K-12 education, making college more affordable, and the like. Mr. Trump’s proposal must strengthen family bonds, economic mobility, and full engagement as a weapon against the epidemic of black homicide, gun violence, and poverty.
Mr. Trump has to announce to the voting electorate that he wants to “build alliances to expand opportunities for unemployed blacks to enter the workforce and make an investment in their community.”
Mr. Trump must identify a plan that will enact tax cuts for small businesses, offer incentives to hire inner-city residents, and put resources in place to support starting and sustaining “Main Street” business development in black neighborhoods.
Mr. Trump must say that he “wants every black boy and girl who wants to work to be provided with a quality education that will enable them to work.” He must say his proposal is a commitment to remove blight, rebuild neighborhoods, and to ensure black families an equitable chance of home ownership.
But, no matter what Mr. Trump says or how the Democrats interpret it . . . asserting “everything is good in black America” is dishonest.
BLACK AMERICA . . . “THE ONLY WAY MR. TRUMP CAN WIN IS THE BLACK VOTE!!!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?…
Holy delusional crud. Trump for blacks? He is the bigots bigot of choice. Black voters need to register and vote and be a reliable block in the Hillary election to the Presidency. Democrats elected the first black president fought and are still fighting for civil rights. The white Republicans have denied Pres. Obama’s right to appoint another Supreme Court Justice partly because they have no fear of the black vote. Make them afraid of high black turnout. If The Republicans want to obstruct, the smart voter will remove the obstruction. Black votes count and are needed so please register to vote.
Everyone should make their own choice about party affiliation. But the same argument could be made questioning why so many racists are likely to find a home in the Republican party and that their interests would be better served if a few (more) of them ran as Democrats.