Friend,
“Racism is so universal in this country, so widespread, and deep-seated, that it is invisible because it is so normal.” — Shirley Chisholm
I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot lately. Since Trump’s campaign of racial stereotypes and promises of building the wall, to his actual policies of militarizing ICE and separating children from their families, he has been hellbent on attacking immigrants and communities of color since Day 1.
Now, as president, he’s insulting four powerful Congresswomen of color, attacking civil rights champion Rep. Elijah Cummings, and labeling Baltimore, a majority-Black city, as “disgusting,” a “rat and rodent-infested mess,” and a “dangerous and filthy place. It’s clear as day that Trump is deliberately targeting people of color.
And when I called him out on Twitter, thousands of people came to Trump’s defense. They accused me and other Democrats of “playing the race card.” They didn’t think that insulting a majority-Black district with vile dog whistles counted as racism. They didn’t see the pattern between him calling Mexicans “murderers and rapists” and telling leaders of color to go back where they came from. It’s clear that Trump has normalized racist hate speech.
But this shouldn’t be normal, friend. Elected officials, Republican or Democrat, shouldn’t stay silent in the face of such bigotry. We shouldn’t allow the president, the most powerful person in the world, to belittle and insult entire groups of people. We shouldn’t give crowds a free pass to chant “lock her up” or “send her back.” We cannot allow ourselves to become complacent as racism hits us in the face every single day.
The best way to fight racism in our government is by voting OUT the people who use and exploit it in the first place. We can only do that if we elect more Democrats, especially women and people of color, all across the country to fight back against the ugly flames of racism and work to create inclusionary policies for all.
As a Black woman in Congress, I know how high the stakes are. I know the pain discriminatory policies and hate speech cause — all because of my skin color. Well enough is enough.
I’m committed to electing progressive women of color in 2019 and beyond. If you’re fed up with this administration’s blatant racism and dangerous agenda, chip in $5 now to help me elect a new wave of leaders ready to bring about real change for our communities.
I believe in the good of this country. I believe in the good of the American people. I believe we are better than Trump’s ugly racism aimed to divide us. When we stand together, our voices united, we are more powerful than this small-minded bigotry.
In solidarity,
Barbara Lee
