When someone shows you who they are, you should believe them. Maya Angelou said that, and I think was talking about Donald Trump.
There’s no bigger example of Trump’s racism the 2004 season finale of The Apprentice. (Yes, this is ancient history.) Trump cast Omarosa Manigault as a villain and then chose Bill Rancic over Kwame Jackson.
Before the choice is made, Kwame Jackson is asked to work on a final project with a team of people. Omarosa is cast as a partner. She is rebellious, and in retrospect, it seems like she sabotaged Kwame’s project at the behest of the writers and producers to make the show interesting.
When Kwame Jackson is at the board table for the final time, he defends his work and complains about Omarosa’s behavior. Trump says — You should have kicked her off your team and fired her.
Jackson was like — I didn’t know the rules. I didn’t know that I could do that.
Trump is like — Well, that sucks for you. You’re fired. Rancic wins.
(Or something like that. I’m close. Pull the tape.)
That exchange in itself isn’t overtly racist. However, Trump and his writers paid Omarosa to act like a villain and saboteur and then penalized Kwame for not knowing the rules and parameters of the game.
Those shifting goal posts and unclear levels of authority are very common for women and minority leaders in corporate America. Many white men are applauded when they drop the hammer and make tough decisions. Women and minorities are often left wondering — Can I do this? Do I have the power?
(I can’t see you, but I would ask you to raise your hand if someone has ever asked you, “Who do you think you are?”)
So I’m not saying Bill Rancic didn’t deserve to win. I’m just saying that long before Trump was a racist presidential candidate, he was a racist fake-boss on TV. And he’s probably a racist boss in real life.
He showed us who he was, and we should believe him.
#teamkwame4evah
Oh come on!
THAT is your “proof” that he is racist? Sorry Laurie – but you are way off.