Stop Blaming The Black Vote For Trump Winning

As a woman of color, I am floored by this year’s election results. No one gave Donald Trump any credit.

We laughed out loud when Trump announced he was running for president and then he won the republican nomination. The laughter paused for a minute and then proceeded because we all thought there was no way in hell the American citizens would make Trump president. Well, it’s no longer a laughing matter.

I want to pack up all my stuff and move to another country. However, the reality is that I’m not going anywhere. Like a bad marriage, America is my home during the good (Obama) and bad times (Regan, Bush, Bush and now Trump).

In the coming days, the media is going to try to rationalize why Hillary Clinton lost and the blame always seems to fall onto the Black vote when a democrat loses.

I’m tired of hearing that the Black vote or lack thereof is to blame. Why is the Black vote always deemed the superhero of elections? Politicians act like we don’t exist and continue to do nothing while those sworn to protect us are shooting our young men like target practice. Yet, come election time they are in our churches and our neighborhoods showing how down they are for our cause until Election Day.

However, in the great words of Master P, Trump becoming president is not our fault.

So many people posted that if Trump wins they are leaving the United States but let’s be real. No one is fleeing the country. So what do we do now?

After crying and mourning the loss of Obama, I’m not really sure what to do. These next four years are about to be real scary for people of color.

Is Trump going to reinstate slavery? Will he try to deport Black people back to Africa when we are technically from the south, as in Louisiana?

And forget being a person of color for a moment. As a woman, we now have a president who openly has sexually harassed women and is unapologetic. Are we about to kiss reproductive rights and equal pay out the door too?

Today is day one of what will be a very long four years. Anything is possible with Trump running our country.

Now, who’s laughing?

Cover photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore