In the broader scheme of national and international political economies, the construct of race and racism are, to be sure, distractions. The growing trends of poverty and inequality have had an impact on people regardless of skin color. As a friend and colleague put it, "money knows no boundaries" – and race is certainly no exception. In this sense, the current neo-liberal trend and the return of explicit racial harassment in the US are very much aligned with an old political economic stratagem devised by American aristocrats (whether it was original to them, I don't know) that dates back, at least, to the 17th century. During that time, they created laws to forbid the fraternization of whites and blacks. In the 18th century, after declaring that whites were "superior", several previously denied benefits were provided to white servants. In the 19th century, segregation was mobilized to suppress a Populist movement against the aristocracy: divide the southern masses, placate the poor whites, and keep southern labor the cheapest. This was Jim Crow. In return for marginal material benefits and psychological gifts of superior status, the aristocracy gained the complicity of the poor white working masses and empowered them with a racialized nationalism along with bodies of color to fill their trees with strange fruit.
I used to dislike the phrase "white supremacy" and thought it was a bit exaggerated for the contemporary context. I knew about the prison-industrial complex that created the schools-to-prison pipeline when I became interested in the "war on drugs" and learned about the disproportionate number of black people on the TV show 'Cops' during the '80s and '90s. Even then, oddly I didn't think the term was apt. But after doing some further research for an article, there was more. Not only were there structural inequalities in mass incarceration and police brutality/killings but discriminatory practices existed in property rights and ownership, housing, employment, judicial sentencing practices, healthcare, predatory lending and foreclosures, as well as manipulations in immigration procedures to create "illegals". If a family is unlucky, the combined effect is a devastating recipe for sustained poverty and self-destruction. Even the electoral college was an institution created to help the ruling elite and protect the interest of slave-holders. Racism was, and continues to be, woven into the fabric of US society. Minorities have long tried to adapt to this system and while a great number of minorities have struggled and suffered at great lengths, there is no doubt that many have succeeded - my immigrant parents included. In other words, we've carved out a niche despite it. While “white supremacy” today may not be violent in the physical sense of daily life, it is systematically violent in a bureaucratic way. The new school aristocrats have managed to put a different color cap on it, called it “multicultural”, “color-blind”, and equal. We no longer see race but judge you on the content of your character; a gross misappropriation of Martin Luther King Jr. White privilege, in this sense, is equivalent to non-White degradation service with a smile.
With reports of racial and prejudicial outbursts and harassments popping up across the U.S. against minorities (ethnic, religious, and sexual) and the brazenly explicit signs of “Whites Only” or “White Power”, coupled with the noticeably absent President and President-elect to publicly say anything to curb this enthusiasm, is quite telling. Both have called for a time of “unity” but neither have bothered to publicly make any kind of statement, actively ignoring what is happening on the ground. Again, minorities receive confirmation that Trump (an alleged anti-establishment advocate) and the “establishment”, of which Obama and Clinton are a part, seem not to care. We’ve been delegated to the realm of social and political capital for political parties in their pursuit of votes; the currency of election year. Otherwise, we remain neglected, invisible, and inconsequential. Many are debating and discussing how Trump could have happened, blogs are filled with it, and political pundits as well as celebrities tell us to “give Trump a chance, he’s not even in office yet”. In earnest, the emboldened emergence of his enthusiasts make it difficult to gamble on him. To say this to minorities, gives off the smell of comfortable living; it must be nice to not be verbally or physically assaulted solely based on your looks, religion, or sexual orientation. To comfortably sit there asking us to give Trump* and his white enthusiasts a chance while minorities – who are no stranger to these harassments** - suffer insult and injury with increasing frequency and severity in a tone that rings of confederate entitlement is absurd. Students from elementary to University are experiencing harsher forms of bigotry. You can say that it’s just kids joking, and it may very well be, but that shit is infuriating and cultivates another generation of angry and depressed minorities. Asking us to give Trump a chance is asking us to endure the distraction of racism, that we remain fodder for the frustration of the disgruntled white, anti-immigrant, working class while the new age aristocracy try to figure out the next phase of ripping off America and expanding capitalist globalization.
*Fine, maybe he isn’t as bad as he made himself out to be and that it was a liberal media campaign of defamation. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. But if he doesn’t choose a cabinet with a track-record of truly looking out for “All Americans” - not just whites - and if he can’t keep his people – his enthusiastic following – in check, then I don’t see why any anti-Trump American should give him a chance. He’s already selected Mike Pence as VP; that’s not a comforting start and just as disconcerting if Trump were to be impeached and Pence became president. And you’d be right to say that no presidential candidate has been able to fulfil their promises once in office. In fact, they’ve all done worse. Democrats and Republicans.
** I know there might be minorities, like Lil Wayne, who say that they've never experienced any of it. Well, I’m happy for you, it must be nice. But it happens to me and millions of other minorities all too often. In fact, I’ve experienced racial harassment in every non-Asian country I've lived in from both liberals and conservatives. And yes, black and white working class South Africans are guilty of this too. Sadly enough, it’s all pretty similar in my experience. At this point, I only wish they were a bit more creative.
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