As the first Black History Month under the Trump administration came to a dismal close, let’s take a look back at this week’s final face-to-palm moments in racial politics (and some key victories along the way too).
1) #OscarsNotSoWhite…Not How Trump Likes Them
Despite a year of trailblazing films covering a vast intersection of topics on race, many feared this year’s Oscars would again prove to be as white as Trump’s cabinet — that is to say, very. From my more “industry”-inclined friends, I heard many sentiments of “I swear to God if La La Land wins, I will [quit / break something / leave the entertainment industry and pursue a tech career].”
Though Envelopegate raised blood pressures, Moonlight came out on top as the first film with an all-black cast to win Best Picture. Trump’s obligatory weigh-in: “[The politics] took away from the glamor of the evening.” If by “glamour,” you mean a history of violently oppressive whiteness in the arts that has brought us the likes of Walt Disney and a Johnny Depp portrayal of Tonto, then yes, Trump, it was missing some of its usual Old Hollywood panache.
2) The DNC Not So White Either
Former labor secretary Tom Perez made history when he became the first Latino chair of the Democratic National Committee. The only drawback is that his competition, Keith Ellison (now deputy chair), was even more of a break with tradition. If you don’t know much about Ellison, think young, black, Muslim congressman from Minnesota whose politics are every bit as socialist as conservatives feared Obama’s would be. Both contestants mark a much-needed hard-leftward shift for the ailing party as it licks its wounds and prepares for battle in the 2018 midterm elections.
3) Who’s W. E. B. DeBois?
Spelling can be hard when you have a whole 140 characters to edit. In a gaffe that prompted many a sick burn in response, the Department of Education’s attempt to memorialize African American scholar W. E. B. Du Bois on Twitter backfired when Betsy DeVos failed to look up how to actually spell his name. At least she apologized — twice, since she misspelled the word “apologies” in her first go at it.
Maybe we should cut DeVos some slack. She had a rough week, what with being locker-room-bullied by Trump and attorney general Jeff Sessions into giving up her proverbial lunch money and rescinding a bill that allows trans children to use the bathroom of their choice in public schools.
4) Silence Is Orange
Celebrity criticism will invoke the Twitter wrath of President Trump, but the Kansas shooting of two Indian engineers — one of whom was killed — is apparently not enough to call up his Twitter fingers. It’s been racist crickets for nearly a week from Trump regarding the fatal hate crime. Many prayed, “Maybe he’ll mention it in his congressional address on Tuesday night?” And he did…for a total of nine seconds. Here’s a list of subjects that got more airtime than an apology to the family of Srinivas Kuchibhotla:
- Harley Davidson motorcycles
- The 1876 debut of the telephone
- A standing ovation for Melania
- The unveiling of VOICE, a new task force for those who have been (brace yourselves) victimized by immigrant crime
Was it really only a month ago that Trump referred to Frederick Douglass in the present tense? It feels like so much longer.
