White People: Black People Aren’t Your Enemies

I honestly don’t understand why republicans run and elect such awful men and women?

I am 59 and know, worked with, and lived by wonderful white men and women who could be good candidates. There are millions of good electable white people in the country like them but the gop goes to Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham, Marjorie Taylor-Green, Matt Gaetz, J.D. Vance, Mitch McConnell, Tommy Tuberville, Sarah Sanders, Lauren Boebert, etc.

Why does that party go so low to elect folk like them? We always hear about democrats not appealing to rural white voters, soccer moms, and blue-collar white men.. But we rarely hear why republicans don’t appeal to regular Black and brown folk by running a reasonable candidate that appeals to us.

Folk insult us saying we’re on the “democratic plantation” as if that insult holds water when the other side refuse to acknowledge plantations even existed even though they still get married at them.

Many voters don’t realize a significant portion of Black voters in the 1960’s voted republican and proudly so. (Check those Nixon results). There was an attempt to get Black voters by republicans because there are tenants of conservatism that has always appealed to Black folk.

We hear story after story of how democrats lost white voters after civils rights, but we seldom hear how republicans lost Black voters at the same time.

And as our population grows and Latino/Hispanic grows, the choice republicans made is proving to be fatal -as predicted for 60 years.

I don’t know any Black person who hates white people, yet if you check Fox News and any social media account of a significant number of white people, especially Twitter, Tiktok, and Facebook, one would think we “all” hate white people.

That’s simply not true nor has it ever been.

We’ve always only wanted equity and equality, never revenge. We grew up loving white heroes in movies and television, laughing at white comedians, and we love white singers, bands, and artists.

We have joined in white culture to celebrate and honor white achievers.. willingly.

My parents loved the Beach Boys, Dolly, Elton, Average White Band and KC and the Sunshine Band, Cher, Paul Newman, Barbra Streisand, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore, Linda Carter, The Bee Gees, Ken Stabler, and Sal Bando.

My grandparents loved Lawrence Welk, Hee Haw, Telly Savalas, Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Julie Andrews, Carroll O’Connor, Clint Eastwood, and the Brat Pack.

Your heroes were our heroes. Again, we’ve never hated white people.

Most of our teachers were white — especially white women, and if you lived in the city like me, many of our classmates as well.

Republicans abandoned us, not the other way around. We’re still here and we’re still voting. And we’re living amongst you just going about our lives trying to find that American dream.

And when they even think of appealing to us, they use incompetent clowns like Herschel Walker or Tim Scott, and the rappers who in the 1990’s they said would destroy America.

They push lies at us using B-side rappers like Meek Mill, Killer Mike, Kanye, and 50 Cent.

TIP for the GOP: Black people don’t take voting advice from rappers, Candace Owens, Nicki Minaj, or any semi-celebrity you trot out to show how not racist you are.

We don’t listen to them, and you have 60 years of evidence for proof.

We’ve never been America’s enemy, we’ve never wanted everything to be free, and we’ve never wanted to overthrow the government.

We don’t want to enslave you, despite so many movies, books, and white supremacists who push that silly misguided narrative.

We are a unique people who said after 350 years of the worst and longest sustained chattel slavery — We are free, and we will live beside you in freedom.

I don’t know anything more inspirational and aspirational than that.

Nothing more American.

The template Black people set in achieving freedom and working for equality has been copied the world over yet rarely celebrated here, even in the month set aside for reflection and honor. In fact, we have to fight off attacks on us online and in real life because people seem to not be able to tolerate our joy and happiness.

We’re not your enemies, white people. Not even you, republicans.

But we’re not your lackeys to be used to harm our community, either.

Because we will always stand against harm to our sisters and brothers. Just like you do, and just like all other communities do. It is an admirable trait in us just like it is in you and others.

Maybe one day you’ll learn the difference.

And maybe one day you’ll see us not as competitors or wanna be conquerors, but as fellow citizens trying our best to live a good life, provide and care for our families, and enjoy our friends, school mates, neighbors, and co-workers.