By Felicia J. Persaud
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thursday. October 31, 2024: In a nation shaped by the ongoing struggle for racial equality, it is strange to see any person of color — especially immigrants and African Americans — express support for someone who has repeatedly made racist, xenophobic remarks and engaged in discriminatory actions. However, recent polls and a New York Times article revealed just that: Black and Latino voters, including some women, are planning to cast their ballots for Donald Trump, the former president and now a convicted felon. According to recent polls, 15% of black men and 12% of black women said they would support Trump in the 2024 election.
Two women featured in the Times article admitted they were offended by some of Trump’s rhetoric but still believed in his ability to lead. This raises a fundamental question: Can you really value yourself by supporting someone whose words and actions degrade your identity and community? Are frustrations with Democrats and the current candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, so deep that some are willing to align themselves with a man whose divisive rhetoric echoes the fascism of Mussolini and Hitler?
One voter, Cristal Bailey, a 52-year-old black woman from California, told the Times that she supports Trump despite his offensive comments about black people, believing he cares about “real people and their problems.” Similarly, Shirley Trevino, a 49-year-old Latina from Texas, was previously offended by Trump’s behavior but now believes he is “the best candidate.”
It’s surprising that voters like Bailey and Trevino can overlook years of racially charged rhetoric aimed at insulting their communities. From Trump’s history of racial discrimination in apartment rentals in the 1970s, to his infamous full-page ad calling for the death penalty for the falsely accused Central Park Five — Trump’s racism goes back decades. His hatchet plot against President Obama, launched in 2008, and his inflammatory 2016 campaign remarks about Mexican immigrants being “rapists” only extended his damaging legacy.
As president, Trump continued this trajectory: He implemented a Muslim immigration ban, reportedly referred to majority-black nations as “hole” countries, separated mostly Latino families at the border, and refused to fully condemn white supremacists after the deadly rally in Charlottesville. . – famously calling those marching for Confederate statues “very fine people.” He has routinely defended his protection of suburban America after rolling back Obama-era segregation tracking rules.
Trump’s rhetoric has never been a series of isolated incidents, but a central aspect of his political strategy — designed to divide and conquer. From claiming that Haitian immigrants are eating pets, to labeling immigrants the “most violent people on Earth” and the “animals” who are “taking over” America, Trump’s racist and xenophobic comments have repeatedly stoked fear and hatred.
So how can any immigrant or person of color support Trump? His policies have consistently harmed the very groups that now consider voting for him. Trump’s support is a direct contradiction to the struggles of immigrants and people of color in this country for the simple right to exist here. It’s a painful reality that requires cognitive dissonance — forcing people to overlook the fact that Trump’s presidency has emboldened white nationalism and systemic racism.
The uncomfortable truth is that Trump’s campaign thrives on fueling racial and ethnic division. That’s all he has. Even prominent Republicans like Paul Ryan have condemned Trump’s comments as “textbook racism.” For immigrants and people of color, voting for Trump isn’t just a political choice — it’s an endorsement of a man who has repeatedly devalued their existence.
What is at stake here is not just political gain, but the very integrity of the communities Trump has attacked. The question remains: can you truly love yourself and your community while supporting someone who has built his rise to power on hatred and division? As you head to the polling station, that’s the only question you should ask.
To quote Trump himself, you might need to get your head examined if you decide to vote for him.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Felicia J. Persaud is the publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, a daily news paper focused on positive news about the Black Caribbean and Latin American immigrant communities.
