“America is not a racist country.” Those six words made by U.S. Senator Tim Scott triggered a firestorm of bigoted backlash from the woke class of liberal social media trolls and television pundits. While I agree with Senator Scott’s statement, you do not have to take my word for it: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris both agree with Senator Tim Scott and believe that America is not a racist country, because it isn’t.
Last Thursday, Kamala Harris said, “No. I don’t think America is a racist country” and in a TV interview, Joe Biden said “No, I don’t think the American people are racist.” I guess he had to say that given his long record of bigoted comments and racist policies.
You want to know why there continues to be a legal immigration backlog of foreigners trying to become legal citizens of the United States of America? I can assure you it is not because they think this is an oppressive, racist country where they will never get ahead, live a better life, and have more opportunities. People are waiting in line to and spending years going through the process of becoming a United States citizen because it the greatest country on earth.
There is no doubt that in our nation’s short existence as a democracy we have had serious issues dealing with race and class like every other modern country. America in and of itself is not racist. Our founding documents clearly say that the United States of America would be founded on the principal of all men and women being created equal and that Americans would have a set of inalienable rights.
As we continue to create a more perfect union, we have made significant and meaningful progress through the courts and through legislation. Yes, we had slavery, but that was not a uniquely American practice. What was uniquely American was the destructive, raging Civil War which preserved our nation and eradicated the practice of slavery in America.
I believe in American exceptionalism. America and Americans are exceptional. Look at the achievements we have made as Blacks in America during and after slavery. We are global entrepreneurs, millionaires and billionaires, inventors, designers, media moguls, small business owners, doctors, and have thriving HBCUs with endowments. This could not happen in a racist country.
America elected a Black man to serve two terms as President and a Black woman to serve as Vice President. Blacks have served on the U.S. Supreme Court, White House cabinets, both chambers of Congress starting in 1870, built mega churches, won Academy awards, Gold medals, became professional athletes, authors, musicians, and scientists, created entire genres of music and built great wealth — not just for themselves but for the communities around us.
These and so many more accomplishments could not happen to and for Black Americans if our nation was systemically racist. We do not need a lecture on race and culture from blackface-wearing Joy Behar to persuade us otherwise.
After Senator Scott’s GOP response, the phrase “Uncle Tim” was trending on Twitter for hours before they took action to remove it. Democrats have the nerve to preach about tolerance and yet this is how they act when they get upset with a Black man who dares to think for himself.
The sad thing is that it happens all the time for Black conservatives. If you are a Black Republican, we face tremendous backlash from the so-called tolerant and accepting liberal left. I have received hate mail, disgusting voicemails, emails, social media messages and more just because they do not like my race.
Senator Scott was recently attacked in a Washington Post political hit piece that sought to undermine his family’s personal story of triumph. His family went from picking cotton and owning land in segregated South Carolina to his accession in politics in one lifetime. Tim Scott became the first Republican Black American South Carolina State Representative in more than 100 years, first Black American Republican elected to Congress from South Carolina in 114 years and the first Black American to be a U.S. Senator from South Carolina.
Senator Scott has led on school choice, HBCU funding, Opportunity Zones, access to capital, workforce development, criminal justice reform, and police reform (until a White Democrat Senator called it ”token” legislation and the Senate Democrats filibustered it, ensuring that the JUSTICE Act would not be law last year after the death of George Floyd). He is fighting for us in the Senate, and the left is attacking him for it.
Liberals can and must do better.
If we want to unify, heal, and work together we need to have people on both sides of the political aisle caring and working to ensure our interests are on the table.
Paris Dennard is the National Spokesperson and Director of Black Media Affairs for the Republican National Committee (RNC). Follow him on Twitter: @PARISDENNARD.