Donald Trump, racism and the hidden subtext of the election

October 24, 2012 1:52 PM
BY ZERLINA MAXWELL

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Apparently, Donald Trump, a man very concerned with whether President Obama, a Harvard-educated law professor, is just another dumb brown person riding the affirmative action ticket, wants to give $5 million dollars to charity if the President releases his college transcripts.

This is what racism looks like. Please save the, “Oh you are a typical liberal always playing the race card” response and take a moment to hear me out. First, racism is not a card. It’s a reality for many black and brown people in 2012. If you are not a person of color, it’s important you don’t find yourself quickly discounting the pervasive existence of racism in 2012, without actually speaking with a person of color. Assuming things are just better because we can drink at the same water fountain isn’t sufficient.

Second, the legitimacy of the first black President has been constantly questioned since he was elected. Is he really one of us? Where is proof he’s really not a foreigner? Where is the proof he isn’t an affirmative action baby? What happens if we take away his teleprompter? Surely, an affirmative action baby wouldn’t be able to put a string of words together to form a coherent sentence without help, right?

These are questions that were not asked about the first 43 Presidents and by in large, they are motivated by Obama's race. If you question the racial motivation behind these questions about the first black President’s legitimacy to hold office and you’re trying in good faith to understand how this could be deemed as racist, ask a person of color what he or she thinks. It is a privilege to not see racism, and the first step in evolving to see a more accurate racial picture of the world is identifying that privilege, recognizing it and working to accept the concerns people of color seriously.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/the_rumble/2012/10/donald-trump-racism-and-the-hidden-subtext-of-the-election