“I AM not a racist.”
These words would naturally be attributed to those who have championed the cause of black people and the downtrodden majority of the world, but hold your horses, this is US President Donald John Trump speaking!
There is a method to Trump’s madness.
He heralds a new breed of political thinking that many of his kind have over the years managed to hide from the unsuspecting world which strangely looks up to the US for political templates.
The US tells the world, when it suits them, that it adheres to the spirit of equality and tolerance but in Trump, we have a leader who does not hide his disdain for those principles.
He disregards them in a vile manner that manifests itself in the continued violation of the rights of black people and their killings in broad daylight in the US.
This has forged a symbol of the racism that he perpetuates with the glee and zeal of a deranged man in a world that is yearning for co-operation in all aspects of development.
This is what he has been doing in his disastrous reign thus far; shamelessly exporting his racist tendencies to a world that is progressing from that archaic mentality.
Last week he was back in the news, as usual making headlines for the wrong reasons after he launched a blistering attack on blacks.
All sanity and diplomacy were lost as Trump once again stoked flames of a past that has refused to die, especially for blacks.
We are talking here about slavery and its trauma to the present day.
The US’ foundation stands firm, tall and lingering, courtesy of the sweat and blood of the blacks Uncle Sam indiscriminately plucked from Africa to use and abuse as free and cheap labour.
That is a history that Trump should have taken note of before making disparaging remarks about blacks.
Still smarting from his embarrassing and widely condemned remarks where he referred to Haiti, El Salvador and nations in Africa as ‘sh**hole countries’ during a White House meeting last week, Trump sought to deflect attention from rebukes by the UN, the AU and the rest of the progressive world.
He was asked by a reporter on Sunday while going to his golf club in Florida: “What do you say to people who say you’re a racist?”
Trump said: “No, no, I’m not a racist. I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed, that I can tell you.”
But this is typical Trump.
He is a man who never shies from airing his views, bigotted as they always are.
Often he is wayward and erratic but blunt at the same time.
The Guardian offers some insights into Trump’s racism-laden life:
“Trump has faced claims of racism throughout his adult life. He insisted Obama was not born in the US and demanded that his predecessor release his birth certificate.
In 1973, the Trump family business was sued by the Department of Justice for refusing to rent apartments to African Americans.
The suit was settled ‘without an admission of guilt’.
In 1989, he took out ads in newspapers demanding the death penalty after five black teenagers were arrested over the rape of a woman in Central Park. They were innocent. In 2015 he launched his campaign for the presidency by calling Mexicans ‘rapists’; he also suggested a judge of Mexican descent would not treat him fairly.
As president, Trump referred to white supremacists as ‘very fine people’ and criticised black NFL players protesting against racial injustice. His first pardon was of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who targeted Latino people. He has no African Americans on his senior staff.”
Trump’s inflammatory remarks present a fresh headache to Africa as far as relations between the continent and the US are concerned.
Therein lies the question: Is the continent united in condemning Trump’s attack?
If there is unanimity that the continent has been hit where it hurts the most, that Trump has touched a raw nerve, then expectations are that the AU will issue a joint statement in rebuking those unfortunate utterances.
We should hear Africa, as one people, speaking with one voice against the continued abuse by global superpowers.
We should see the continent standing up to those powers who have wantonly disregarded Africa’s sovereignty.
The reaction should speak about the continent’s interests which day-in day-out continue to be denigrated by these so-called superpowers.
The time is now for Africa to speak with one voice and show the world that it can no longer be bullied by those who deem themselves paragons of virtue.
On the other hand is the issue of the US’ interests in Africa.
This is where China, Russia and the EU come into the picture.
They are not a threat to the US’ interests, Trump is.
They should simply capitalise on Trump’s recklessness and invest in the continent on equal terms.
Let those with ears listen.