By: Terry Allen
Big Mama used to say, “Baby, there are two kinds of truth—you think you know it, and you see it.” We just saw it.
In the middle of the night on Truth Social, Donald Trump reposted a video that included deeply racist imagery depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. The post was deleted after intense backlash, but not before it traveled around the world, reminding every one of us that harmful tropes don’t disappear just because we hope they do.
Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democratic elected official from Georgia, didn’t mince words — calling the behavior “like a Klansman in the middle of the night,” cutting straight to how historical symbols of hate echo into today’s politics.
That’s not an accident. That’s not “just a meme.” That’s a historical trope from a past that tried to justify brutality by dehumanizing people of color, repackaged and put in front of millions of eyes. If you didn’t know this language still exists in the bloodstream of American public life, now you know.
Big Mama also taught me that real awareness means asking the harder question: “What are you going to do with what you now know?” Because awareness without action is just another kind of complacency.
And while some are still spreading division, others are using visibility to build connection. Look at Bad Bunny — using his platform not to denigrate, but to resonate. In his Super Bowl performance, he didn’t translate his art for acceptance; he brought his culture unapologetically to the global stage, reinforcing that representation isn’t just visibility — it’s influence. That’s how narratives shift. It’s not about making room for everyone; it’s about acknowledging that everyone already belongs. His movement of reggaeton into mainstream consciousness didn’t soften identity — it amplified it, and the world responded.
Big Mama said truth doesn’t just expose darkness — it shows the path forward. So here’s the real question, the one that matters after the shock wears off: Now that you know, what are you going to do to change the narrative?
Big Mama said knowing is one thing — choosing better is everything.
Terry Allen is an NABJ award-winning Journalist, DEI expert, PR professional, and founder of the charity – Vice President at Focus-PR, Founder of City Men Cook, and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS.org
