By: Aswad Walker
Defender
https://defendernetwork.com/
‘Ban’ of Black History Month?
Pete Hegseth, head of the Department of Defense, banned the observance of Black History Month (BHM) to show his alignment with Trump’s anti-DEI push. Before Hegseth’s move, the U.S. Air Force banned the teaching of the Tuskegee Airmen. After national outrage, the Air Force reversed its decision. But the fact that it was even considered white-ing out the Tuskegee Airmen’s contributions to the history of this nation speaks volumes. Hegseth’s and the Air Force’s actions remind us why Dr. Greg Carr refuses to say Black history is American history. Why? Because American history is oppression, racism, and Black erasure. Black History done in the U.S. is what we’ve done to protect and uplift ourselves. Has it aided the U.S.? Absolutely. But most of our (history-making) actions have been for self-preservation. Serving in the military was, on one level, fighting for the U.S. Still, it was even more so about fighting for victory against U.S. racism, redlining, lynching, theft, educational inequalities, healthcare apartheid police brutality, etc.
So, we don’t need other’s permission to celebrate BHM, including shouting out Beyoncé’s Grammy win for Best Country & Western Album.
Say what?
According to multiple posts on “them innernets,” Black people are being called out by our Brown brothers and sisters for not immediately coming to their aid. Why the call-out? Trump-led ICE raids nationwide are seeing ICE officers bum-rush workplaces, schools, and people’s homes to arrest, perp-walk, lock up, and then deport thousands. First, the idea that Black people have remained silent while this act of white nationalist inhumane cruelty is being perpetrated against our “hermanos y hermanas” is BS. Just days ago, congressmen Sylvester Turner and Al Green held a “rainbow coalition” of concerned Black, Latinx and Asian Houston-area citizens joined together to fight against this White House-led cruelty. Second, if Black people did decide to sit this one out, don’t come for us. That “rainbow coalition” of “allies” sure as hell left us hanging when we voted last November to protect us all from the madness we see happening now. But, you know, Blackfolk. We always respond when we see people’s humanity being threatened even if it’s the humanity of those who voted against protecting us and put the ICE raid king back in office in the first place.
Silence of the lames
Blackfolk for Trump have been eerily silent amid 47’s first weeks in office madness. And can you blame them? The Trump administration’s level of anti-Blackness is stunning even to those who saw this coming. He attempted to cut off already approved tax dollars (our money) earmarked for various programs (SNAP, Head Start, college scholarships, veterans’ healthcare, etc.) to ensure no money was being spent to further DEI initiatives (DEI being defined by him as “anything Black”). That funding freeze was only halted because of a judge’s court order fueled by the panicked screams of white people who found out that DEI touches everybody (veterans, seniors, neurodivergent folk, the disabled, and mostly white women). So, googobs of whitefolk who voted for Trump felt the sting of his anti-Black policy moves and screamed bloody murder. But Trump’s jock-ridding knee-grows haven’t uttered a mumbling word. Their silence is almost as lame as their slavish commitment to living in White-adjacent-ville… at least until one of Trump’s billionaire buddy bankers forecloses on them due to an illegal subprime loan.
