Posted by on November 5, 2020 8:11 am
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Categories: µ Newsjones

Popular vote results in 2016, and now 2020, make it clear that President Donald Trump is not favored among the vast majority of Americans. However, his voter turnout sheds light on the true landscape of the American people.

The strong voter turnout for Trump, which stands at more than 68 million voters as of Thursday, October 5, proves that bigotry, white supremacy, and racial division are still alive and well in the United States.

Crystal Webster, a Black professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio who focuses on race relations, admitted she did not find Trump’s support surprising.

“For people of color who, like me, have been living in this reality for a while now, we have a more cynical outlook,” Webster said.

Over the summer, monumental protests against racial injustice swept the nation. However, Trump’s voter turnout reinforces the notion that racism bigotry will not die anytime soon in America.

According to Webster, the fact that nearly half of America supports Trump and his desire to “Make America Great Again” signals a very “alarming” problem across the country. With the rise of Trump, bigotry and white supremacy are at the forefront of his base’s beliefs.

“It feels as though we’re in the throes of experiencing backlash to racial progress,” Webster said. “I think some of this is backlash against President Obama’s election and the changing demographics of this country, and even the mobilization of progressive movements we experienced this summer with Black Lives Matter. I think Trump’s base has really mobilized around that and has taken up his call and embraced the white supremacy that he has unabashedly espoused.”

Patrisse Cullors, executive director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, released a statement echoing Webster’s words. She also expressed concern about the polarization of America even with the possibility of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden taking the White House.

“We must fight to make sure every vote is counted, because there is too much at stake for Black people and for our movement to stop fighting now,” said Cullors, who highlighted the electoral victories of Black candidates across the country. “We don’t know who won the presidential race, but we can celebrate the wins that have allowed us to put the power back into the hands of the people.”

Cullors added, “It’s going to be really hard to keep multiracial democracy together if we have this deep polarization,” Tillery said. “That’s worrisome, even though I think Biden will take power.”