“Hear
me clearly, America is not a racist country. I have personally
experienced ‘the pain of discrimination’ - being pulled
over for no reason and followed around in stores.”
This
contradictory statement was made by Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina
in 2021. Not surprisingly, fierce reactions ensued immediately, with
both sides of the political spectrum aggressively weighing in on
social media. Hashtags such as #UncleTim, which were quickly removed
from Twitter, and other intensely abrasive terms were hurled toward
the senator from the left side of the political spectrum. The
response from the political right was complimentary and endearingly
laudatory.
While
there were a number of things to take issue with Scott’s
rebuttal, it was the comment that “America is not a racist
country” that opened a Pandora’s box of commentary.
To
be sure, Tim Scott’s life is distinctive. In his rebuttal
speech to President Joe Biden’s first join address to Congress,
he spoke about his upbringing and how he was raised in poverty by a
single mother. Moreover, he is a darling son of the Tea Party wing of
the Republican Party. He defeated the sons of the legendary,
multiple-term, hard core segregationist senator Strom Thurmond and
the popular, former governor Carroll Campbell. He is revered by
Donald Trump, and won election in what is the staunchest Republican
state in the south, arguably in the nation.
The
biggest problem is not Scott, even though his rhetoric is
occasionally laced with intellectual dishonesty, but rather the
frantic attempt by Republicans to convince others that they are not
racist by employing conservative Black people like Scott, including
right-wing pundits Star, Parker, Jason Whitlock, Candace Owens,
Shelby Steele, Diamond and Silk, Doreen Borelli, Sheriff David Clark
and Coleman Hughes to name a few. In essence, they provide cover for
and espouse largely offensive commentary that many right-wing White
conservatives often do not dare to say in public. In other words,
they tell racists what they want to hear as opposed to what they need
to hear.
America
is the greatest nation in the world. If you work hard enough, you can
achieve anything. There are no barriers to success. The old days of
discrimination are gone. Equal opportunity is available to all
Americans. I am living proof that anyone can make it. There is no
reason for anyone to say that equal opportunity does not exist for
everyone and so on. Please!
This
is not to say all Black conservatives demonize other Black people or
misrepresent reality for profit. Republican strategist Raynard
Jackson and the late Colin Powell are examples of Black individuals
who resided on the political right of the spectrum yet had no problem
calling out what they saw as the shortcomings of the conservative
movement regarding its disconnect with large segments of the Black
electorate.
As
a Black person born and raised slightly above abject poverty in
hyper-segregated South Carolina, this region has always been hostile
toward governmental assistance regarding upward mobility, especially
Black upward mobility, Scott is (or certainly should) be aware of the
devastating impact that poverty, sophisticated or subtle
discrimination, and lack of access to mainstream society can have on
the victims of such social inequities and inequalities. Economic and
structural racism are undeniable factors in the lives of many poor
people of color.
The
truth is that racism does exist in America. Most sane, rational and
honest Americans know this, regardless of their race or ethnic
background. The question is not whether America is a racist nation,
but whether we need to utilize legislation, government programs, and
other forms of protection to target racism.
The
fact is that Tim Scott and other Black conservatives, especially
those over 45 years of age, know this all too well. But instead of
acknowledging such brutal facts, they resort to espousing and
promoting a dangerously misguided form of “bootstrap politics”
that too often places the responsibility for change on those who are
being disregarded and marginalized. The truth is one must have boots
to be able to strap them. Such old-fashioned, “buck up, forge
forward, rugged individualism” language is filled with nothing
but empty platitudes. It’s a distressing and disturbing act to
witness and see these far-right Black conservatives resorting to
“blame the victim” tactics.
No
reasonable person can deny that systemic and systematic racism are
potently repulsive forces in American life. They are evident in our
health, educational, environmental, judicial, and political systems.
There is far too much concrete evidence to indicate otherwise. Deep
down, more than likely, Tim Scott and other Black conservatives (as
well as their White conservative cohorts) know this to be the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
