Recently, I have been asked by several people regarding my thoughts on why many Blacks still view President Trump as a racist in light of his administration’s policies and accomplishments that benefited the Black community, from record-low unemployment to historic criminal justice reform and increased federal funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) - of which I’m a proud graduate.
I personally don’t believe President Trump is a racist. Would a racist President take such actions to purposely better the lives of the people he is supposed to be racist towards? Absolutely not!
Although his policies positively impacted African-Americans, it is crucial to understand the Biblical lens through which many Black Democrats, including myself at one time, view politics.
In Proverbs (NKJV), there is a scripture that reads:
"The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”
Whether President Lincoln, President Reagan, President Clinton, President Bush or President Obama, the belief that “the king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD” has given strength and hope to the Black community for many decades. President Trump was no exception. While in office, President Trump had a job approval rating as high as 35% among Black voters. Because of this, many viewed it as an indication that Blacks would likely vote for him in significant numbers.
In a Washington Post-Ipsos poll, that was released in January 2020, 80% of Black Americans said they still believed President Trump was a racist even though his policies were advantageous for Blacks. In my view, the psyche of most Black Democrats about President Trump is: “The Lord is in control, and He is making this racist President bless me.” Even with President Trump’s pro-Black accomplishments, most African-Americans gave God the credit and not President Trump. This makes it possible for Black Americans to applaud President Trump’s actions and accomplishments (35% approval rating) and still NOT vote for him in significant numbers.
The Biblical themes of Divine power and Godly control are ingrained in the African-American religious experience. For example, there are sermons echoing from the pulpit with titles like “God is in Control" or “God is Able” and songs from the choir entitled “The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow” or “My God is an Awesome God.”
In fact, the Exodus story in the Bible points out the relationship between God and a nation’s leader, Pharaoh. This liberation narrative reminds us that a “king’s heart is in the LORD’s hand” ─ demonstrating His ultimate power and control.
It needs to be remembered that until Republicans and Conservatives can TRUMP the race card and improve their brand, the vast majority of Black Americans will continue to vote Democrat.
Conservatives must overcome Black perceptions that they are racist. And Frederick Douglass is the fulcrum on which Conservatives can trump the race card.
A former member of President Trump’s Coalition Advisory Board, KCarl Smith is the President and CEO of KCarl Consulting Group, empowering freedom advocates with the confidence, knowledge and skills to trump the race card. His column appears every Thursday in 1819 News. To contact KCarl or request him for a speaking engagement go to http://kcarlinc.com/bookingsandfees . The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
