John McWhorter teaches linguistics, American studies, philosophy and music history at Columbia University and is the author of “Words on the Move.” The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.
President Trump hasn’t just let his inaugural speech comment about “carnage” in America — as in violence in poor black communities, which is what he meant — stand as a random potshot designed to rile up his base. This week, he tweeted that if Chicago can’t get control of its murder rate — 268 people shot so far just this month, 47 killed — then he may bring in federal assistance.
One thing I’m not is a Trump fan. One thing I am, though, is urgently concerned with the fate of poor black communities. In that, Trump’s intention here brings to mind a conversation I had with Brown University economist Glenn Loury on the videochat series Bloggingheads.
Last year, he and I speculated that if Trump made an offer to black America to directly address the problems of poor black communities, then no matter how constructive his offer was, the black punditocracy’s “smart” take would be to reject Trump’s offer because he is Republican and seems less than pure of racist sentiments in his private person.
Sadly, this prediction has been borne out. The theme is logical contradictions. Read the full commentary here.
When Trump has called attention to the state of poor black communities, focusing on the level of violence their residents must live with daily, the concerned thinker has typically classified it as an insult to black people. Yet these are the same people who, on a different day, assail America for turning a blind eye to the problems of poor black Americans.
Trump’s plan could be an overly punitive hot mess, in which case we shall resist. But suppose it isn’t? We can’t shut our ears to any idea just because Trump lacks manners.
Old-time civil rights leaders didn’t have the luxury of requiring the presidents they dealt with to act as maximally free of racist sentiment as possible, and yet they got a lot done.
It’s time for us to walk in their footsteps in a realer way than just holding panels on Martin Luther King Day. If Trump has some plans to lessen the “carnage,” let’s hear him out. After all, even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Read the full commentary at cnn.com. .
