Recently, former President Donald Trump made one of his most idiotic comments yet by saying Vice President Kamala Harris conveniently “turned Black” for political purposes.
“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage,” Trump said during a live interview at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black. And now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know. Is she Indian or is she Black?”
Maina Mwaura
Later, he took to social media to double down on his claims: “Crazy Kamala is saying she’s Indian, not Black. This is a big deal. Stone cold phony. She uses everybody, including her racial identity.”
Harris is biracial — as are 10.2% of the American population — with both Jamaican and Indian heritage.
Black journalists in attendance for the interview gasped in disbelief when Trump said Harris happened to “turn Black.”
Before you dismiss this as something only Trump says, hear my story. I have had many evangelicals make similar statements toward me.
As someone who has an African name given to me by my African father who is from Kenya, I once was defined as ethnic by an influential leader. What that leader didn’t know was that, although my father is Kenyan, my mother was born and raised in the Deep South. I can remember thinking, “How ignorant!”
“This leader’s remark came across as if he were saying, ‘You don’t act like some of the Black people I know of.’”
This leader’s remark came across as if he were saying, “You don’t act like some of the Black people I know of.”
When people make such claims, they are purely defining the person by what they see and overlooking their story. Anytime we define someone by their race, we stereotype them.
I didn’t have the guts to hold him accountable for his racist remark that day but today I will not be silent.
When people like the leader who mislabeled me and high-profile people like Trump say such things, they make it clear they believe the person of color is code switching and don’t think very highly of their race.
We must act “white” which is perceived as the best standard to achieve.
They make it clear they perceive whiteness as superior to other racial identities. Therefore, the person of color must become white or act white and talk white. They also say the person who is not acting their color is fraudulent and thus cannot be trusted.
Trump knew what he was doing: trying to carve out a small percentage of Black voters who agree with his statement, which would cause them to vote for him. He also made his statement to show his supporters who are racist that he hears them.
This was yet another racist dog whistle by the former president. By putting the vice president in her place, he played the racial superiority card and told his audience he is above her.
“Jesus checks this kind of behavior as a sin.”
I am amazed, once again, that people who call themselves followers of Jesus would follow someone who sees himself as better than others the way Trump does. I can’t believe they would want this person as their leader when Scripture clearly speaks against this type of behavior. Jesus checks this kind of behavior as a sin.
Last weekend I took my entire family to Orlando, Fla., for my daughter to see where I grew up. As we visited the Greek Orthodox church my dad wound up becoming part of, I told my daughter the story of her grandfather, who has since passed away. I couldn’t help but think how much the church we were sitting in was a safe place for him, along with how he felt comfortable having me serve next to him as an altar boy.
My dad made the decision to become a part of Saint George Greek Orthodox Church because they took him in as a young immigrant coming to America. By contrast, what must a new immigrant coming to America today think when they hear a former president describe his opponent as not being what she obviously looks like and is.
No matter who you decide to vote for in November, understand that what Trump is spouting in his racist rhetoric is the worst of what America has to offer. His words should be condemned by all people — especially people who claim to worship a brown Savior.
Maina Mwaura is a freelance writer who lives in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a graduate of Liberty University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.