Recent events have given more clarity to what the rallying cry “Make America Great Again” really means.
The fallout of the deadly capital coup attempt on January 6 has confirmed what the truly “woke” folks knew all along – the desire to make this free nation “great” had nothing to do with a nostalgic return to a happy moment of utopia. Rather the disorganizers wanted to go back to a point in time when the idea of democracy was skewed and all men were not considered equal.
Despite the affirmations of various election officials and the rulings of several judges that there was no evidence of fraud that would warrant overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election, these pro-Trump insurgents decided to literally take matters into their own hands by forcing their way into one of this country’s most cherished buildings. Based on their attire (fur and horns), their accessories (guns and handcuffs) and their attitudes (snarly and bullheaded), these folks were determined to “take their country back” by any means necessary.
Though the violators were overwhelmingly white, it is of interest that there was a sprinkling of African American faces in the crowd. Unlike the Black Lives Matter protestors who were met with pepper spray and rubber bullets at the nation’s capitol in June 2020, the blacks who were among the Trump supporters last week entered the building with much more ease. Considering that the outgoing president has a history of spewing language and rhetoric that is vile and demeaning towards women, people with disabilities and ethnic and racial minorities, it is amazing that the handful of blacks in the crowd felt driven to support such a dishonorable legacy.
Although Trump has declared that he is the “least racist person that you’ve encountered,” his track record suggests otherwise. Without taking up too much space, let’s just say that his derogatory acts predate his presidency, going back to as early as 1973. The shortcomings of any previous presidents or even the incoming president are nothing compared to the deficits the delusional reality television star has exhibited during his time in the presidential spotlight.
And so, knowing all of this, we can’t help but to wonder what notion, thought or emotion provoked any black person to help storm the nation’s capitol to take back a country that their white counterparts want to control exclusively. In a MAGA world, black folks are not running the show. Most black people know this, but did these others miss the memo?
In the event that another coup is in the works and any black Americans are weighing the pros and cons of participating, let us help you:
- If your ancestors arrived in the United States in the 16th, 17th or 18th century against their will and under the guise of having to work for no wages, you should probably sit this one out.
- If anyone in your family tree had to wait until 1965 to enjoy their full right to vote, then you may want to stay behind.
- If you feel that by joining the group, you are showing your riotous buddies that you are “different” from “the other blacks,” you need to spend that day at the library reading a book about civil justice and social action.
- If you are angry, but don’t know who or what has you so upset and really don’t have a clear idea of how your trumped-up buddies plan to fix this “problem,” please take several seats and stay home.
Cheers to better days ahead. May we all stay safe and stay woke.
– Sojourner Justice
