(Warning: Probably Triggering Content material)
Over the weekend, former President Barack Obama lastly addressed the actually disturbing and very racist video that was shared earlier this month by President Donald Trump on his social media platform Fact Social.
As we’ve been reporting, the now-deleted clip confirmed Barack and former First Girl Michelle Obama‘s faces superimposed onto animated apes dancing to the track The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Sure, actually.
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The footage appeared on the tail finish of an extended video pushing unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud within the 2020 election. It was posted on February 5 and rapidly sparked outrage throughout the political spectrum. Many critics known as it racist and dehumanizing. The White Home would later declare {that a} staffer “erroneously” made the publish and that it was taken down, although nobody has publicly been recognized or disciplined.
Effectively, now Barack is talking out. In an interview Saturday with political commentator Brian Tyler CohenObama spoke concerning the controversy for the primary time. He didn’t point out Trump by identify, however his message was clear:
“It’s vital to acknowledge that almost all of the American folks discover this habits deeply troubling. It’s true that it will get consideration, that it’s a distraction, however as I’m touring across the nation … you meet folks (and) they nonetheless imagine in decency, courtesy, kindness. And there’s this kind of clown present that’s taking place in social media and on tv.”
There was no anger in his tone. Simply one thing heavier — a form of unhappiness.
The previous president then went on to mirror extra broadly on what he sees as a breakdown in political norms and fundamental human respect:
“And what’s true is that there doesn’t appear to be any disgrace about this amongst individuals who used to really feel such as you needed to have some kind of decorum and the sense of propriety and respect for the workplace. That’s been misplaced.”
Misplaced. That phrase lingers.
Watch Obama talk about it (under):
As we’ve been reporting, when pressed by reporters about it, Trump refused to apologize for sharing the racist video. He claimed he hadn’t seen the ending and characterised it as a spoof of The Lion King. He insisted he didn’t make a mistake, suggesting that if anybody had seen the offensive imagery sooner, “they’d have had the sense to take it down.”
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White Home press secretary Caroline Leavitt additionally defended the publish, dismissing backlash as “faux outrage” and describing the clip as an web meme portraying Trump because the “King of the Jungle” and Democrats as characters from the Disney basic.
However for a lot of Individuals, this wasn’t innocent meme tradition. The historical past of evaluating Black folks to apes is lengthy, ugly, and rooted in racism that predates each of those presidencies. And that context issues!
Fortunately, Obama’s response didn’t escalate the drama. He didn’t throw insults. He didn’t even say Trump’s identify! As a substitute, he selected to speak about dignity, decency, and the form of nation he nonetheless believes most Individuals need to reside in. What about U?
To study extra about civil rights points, try https://www.splcenter.org/.
(Picture through MEGA/IF)