Member-only story
The White Side of Black History Month
Donald Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer recently revealed their utter lack of familiarity with the whole idea of “Black History Month.” As has been widely reported, at a carefully staged putative “listening session” surrounded by the few sycophantic and fawning black people who dot his otherwise near lily white administration, Trump did not seem to appreciate that the great, late Frederick Douglass — the 19th century black abolitionist, consummate orator, ambassador to Haiti, Marshal of D.C., counselor to presidents, fierce womens’ rights advocate, statesman par excellence, and escaped slave — was in actual fact very late, having died some 122 years ago.
So sayeth President Trump:
“…Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is getting recognized more and more, I notice.”
To those, like Trump, who are unfamiliar with “black history,” this could mean that old Fred is sitting in the White House ante-room patiently waiting for an audience with the rookie president.
But Trump wasn’t done yet, of course. He wanted to demonstrate to his legions of white and not so man legions of black followers his deep knowledge — if not appreciation — for black peoples’ “big impact” upon American (read white) history. He mentioned Harriet Tubman…
