There are tons of clichés about Blackness and being Black. Most of these are based on self-affirmation. Notice; I did not say self-aggrandizement. I stated self-affirmation. In a world that constantly tries to make you feel ugly, stupid, ignorant, amoral, immoral, less than, second class, superfluous, expendable, invisible, irrelevant, poor, hated, disrespected, insignificant, weak, powerless, helpless; yet, at the same time fears you so much that its police will shoot you down without provocation because your existence made an officer feel afraid for their life, one needs a ton of clichés just to shore up the mental let alone the physical.

In the midst of this pandemic, Black people were murdered by the police. Very few, if any of those officers will be held accountable. They shoot us in the back and claim they are afraid of us while we are attempting to save our lives by running in the opposite direction. They kill children. Trayvon Martin was seventeen. Even the federal government said it was unconstitutional to execute children. Why was Martin’s killer found not guilty? How can the Justice Department say Michael Brown and Tamir Rice did not have their rights violated when they had their live annihilated? The killed a woman while she was yet sleeping. It makes me think about that prayer I learned as a child. “If I should die before I wake. I pray the Lord my soul to take.”

Senator Kamala Harris was elected Vice President. In all honesty, I believe this is why the Republican Party is so outraged. It makes me think about President Obama. After his first two years, Republicans did not want to let him govern. It is as if they said, you can live in that house, but you cannot exercise the power of that office simply because you are Black. Likewise, Biden’s biggest sin was selecting a Black woman to be his running mate. You know what racist Whites use to call other White people like Joe Biden. Excuse me. Did I make a mistake in saying “use to call?” Biden wants to appoint a Black Secretary of Defense. I can hear them now: First you had Truman integrate the military. Then you had that Colin Powell become chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Now this! No wonder the current administration does not want to count me in the census. As of January 20, 2021, there will be no Black women in the U.S. Senate. That will not stand for long. Therefore, while we wait, do not forget that you have a Black woman presiding over the Senate.

Covid-19 is killing people at an alarming rate in general and Black people in particular. Now that vaccines are becoming available, there is the question as to whether a significant number of Black people will actually take the vaccine. Many Black people feel caught between a rock and an extremely hard place. Strangely enough, Black people are placed in a similar situation when it comes time to call the police. At times like these I search my mind for a cliché. “Say it loud. I’m Black and I’m proud.” I once had an Asian friend who asked me if Black people really mean that given all the negativity associated with being Black in the United States. Well, there is a lot of positive things about being Black also. You just have to be able to read between the lines of the extremely fine print at the end of each document. I look at t.v. commercials. I recognize the moves. I listen to popular conversations and I recognize the phraseology. I know that we were present at the creation although we are not listed in the credits. Yes, I notice all of this and realize D’Angelo said it best: “I can tell they’re looking at us.” Imitation is the surest form of flattery.

We lost Breonna Taylor. Yet, Oprah owns OWN. Barack cannot run again, but now we have Kamala. We lost John Lewis. On the other hand, Stacey Abrams is leading the state of Georgia into the twenty-first century. Benjamin Crump has too many clients, but I glad he is there. Rev. Sharpton delivers too many eulogies, but I cling to his every word. Once again, I reminded that when Biden delivers his first State of the Union Address, Vice President Kamala Harris will be seated next to Speaker Pelosi. In the final analysis, a quiet smile ascends to my face as I wipe a single tear from my cheek. Black is still beautiful.

Anthony Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of numerous book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014 Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science. In 2015, he published The American Political Narrative which is a succinct yet poignant narrative about the development of the American political system and what is needed to maintain it. In 2016, he published a book of poetry entitled “Love Agnostic | from 9/11 to Charleston”

We do not always believe what is true. Yet, this essay is not about good or bad and right or wrong. This essay is about belief. Sometimes the truth is hard to take. Therefore, sometimes, we chose to believe something else as a survival mechanism. At first sight, the word “belief” has a religious connotation. For example, one of the biggest questions in life, is “Do you believe in God?” The Bible says that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for; and the evidence of things not seen.?” Consequently, can we chalk faith up as an element of belief. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “…we hold these truths to be self-evident.” The words to a popular song entertain the notion of “What a fool believes.” It goes on to say that “a wise man has the power to reason away…” Many years ago, a co-worker at a factory job where I once worked told me a story of how he saw his then girlfriend entering a motel room with another man. He told me that he loved her so much that if she had told him that it was not her, he would have believed it.

The current situation with the current presidential incumbent inspired me to write this piece. Does he really believe he won the election? Is he that delusional? If he is that delusional, he needs professional help. He also needs to resign the presidency or become a prime candidate for the invoking of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. On the other hand, if he is not delusional, he is a high stakes con man. Reports say that he has raised two hundred million dollars since the election. The pitch is that it is needed for legal fees to fight the rigged election. In reality, the bulk of the money will go to fund a SuperPAC with the purpose of making the current incumbent a kingmaker going into the 2022 mid-term elections. There is also the intent turn the Republican Party into a family business. I must be careful here given the fact that we are bordering on a discussion of mental illness. The term crazy seems somewhat derogatory when talking about people with mental illness. Nevertheless, many of us are tempted to call the current President crazy. On the other hand, if he truly believes he won the election, he is suffering from mental illness. I have known individuals who were find one moment, but not so fine the next. I have seen graduate students go down that road. I have experienced it personally with a significant other when I was an undergraduate. The current obsession with conspiracy theories leads one to “believe” that the current President could have a case of schizophrenia. However, we choose to look at this situation, it is not a good look for the incumbent or the country. It is also not fair to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They won the election and are entitled to all the honor that comes along with their victory. Although the current President rose to political prominence on the lie that Barack Obama was not born in the United States, Obama invited him to the White House. Joe Biden invited his Vice President to the residence of the Vice President. Biden and Harris are being cheated out of this honor that has been given to every Administration Elect since the forging of the modern presidency. Something here is very wrong. Something here is just not right.

Insanity has been defined as continuing to do something in the same manner but expect different results. Insanity has also been defined as holding two irreconcilable thoughts in your mind simultaneously and believing in both of them. In my Black Politics class, I analyze the America’s Civil War along this latter description. The enslaved Africans were seen as human and beast all at the same time. America’s Civil War was America’s breakdown. Fortunately, freedom emerged on the right side of history. The campaign to overturn the 2020 presidential election is a mark of insanity even if it is a con job. Historian will not be kind to the individuals who are perpetrating this folly on us all. The current incumbent has already been saddled with the description as the worst President in American history. These eschatological antics only serve to solidify such a dubious distinction.

Belief is a powerful function of the mind and soul. Belief can help or it can hinder. Belief can be logical, yet not lead to the truth. While in graduate school I stayed with a family member who allowed me to live rent free in their somewhat finished attic. It was nice, but too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. When I would inquire about more heat in the winter, I was met with the logic that hot air rises. Her argument was that heat from the rooms below would rise to the attic and thus provide affordable warmth. She was correct that hot air rises. But her logic did not lead to the truth in this situation. I believe Abraham Lincoln was the Sixteenth President of the United States. Some people believe Abraham Lincoln freed the enslaved Africans. The current occupier of the White House loves to boast that no President, aside from Lincoln, has more to help Black people in America than he has. I do not believe that to be the case. Knowledge, based on facts, can nullify a faulty belief. I do not just believe Biden and Harris won the election; I know they won. I am not quite sure how to diagnose Republican Senators who will not acknowledge the results of 2020.

Certain Chinese who participated in the Boxer Rebellion had a belief that their form of martial arts made them invulnerable. Certain White people in America have this belief that they are inherently superior to Black people. Some go so far as to believe that what they believe is ordained of God. They can quote scripture which they say gives proof that Whites were meant to rule over Blacks. This is why the Presidency of Barack Obama created such a rift in this belief system. The White backlash gave us the current President who has all kinds of beliefs not grounded in reality. Dr. King regularly stated that “the arc of the universe is long but bends toward justice.” Did he know this, or did he simply believe this statement? All I know is that he persuaded me to believe it. Such a belief gives you strength to carry on. Consider the following excerpt from the poem “Run Free” in the movie Slam:

AND I, BELIEVE!
I believe like a holy roller
Singing sweaty preaching Go Tell It On The Mountain
While speaking in twenty different tongues and diving
in ten thousand feet of baptismal water
without a life preserver
I believe like my bullet-ridden brother
out there somewhere RIGHT NOW
Gurgling blood through his LAST BREATH
Spitting out a red bright prayer
So new, so sweet, so baby fresh
So full of truth he thinks he can save his life!

Anthony Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of numerous book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014 Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science. In 2015, he published The American Political Narrative which is a succinct yet poignant narrative about the development of the American political system and what is needed to maintain it. In 2016, he published a book of poetry entitled “Love Agnostic | from 9/11 to Charleston”

There was a time in American politics when the Democratic Party was the only game in town as far as the South is concerned. From the end of Reconstruction up until the mid-nine-teen sixties, the South was a one-party region controlled by Democrats. From the mid-nineteen sixties until November 2020, the Republicans controlled the South. Joe Biden’s breakthrough in Georgia added to the prospect of a Blue Texas has somewhat dented the Republican stranglehold on the South. This relates to regional politics with a functioning two-party system. My past thirty-two years teaching at Buffalo State College have always included topic about America’s two-party system. Most recent political events have brought me to the conclusion that the United States now only has one functioning political party. The party is the Democratic Party. Republicans no longer have a party. There are Republicans, but there is no Republican Party.

The dissipation of the Republican Party began with 1994 mid-term elections when Republicans lead by Newt Gingrich won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. There are two phrases that linger from that particular time period. One of the phrases is “Contract with America.” The other phrase is “Angry White Male.” The Contract with America was a signal that only Republicans should govern. This attitude led to a government shutdown. Gingrich wanted to govern from the House of Representatives. The Contract with America was the only legislative proposals that could be considered.

Another milestone in was what unfolded surrounding the election of the nation’s first Black President. Birtherism flared it ugly head around this time. Would any Black person have been saddled with this nonsense or was Barack Obama, with international bona fide, seemed more appropriate? Mitch McConnell made the statement that his life’s work would be to make Obama a one term President. During the campaign, Sarah Palin breathed life into the modern-day Trump supporter. Using strident rhetoric, her rallies became more extreme in their hatred for Obama. The Palin rhetoric gave birth to the Tea Party. The Tea Party formed the Freedom Caucus. After Obama was elected to the Presidency, Republicans simply refused to cooperate with the President. Two major pieces of legislation had no Republican support. These were the stimulus plan and the Affordable Health Care Act. There was also a government shutdown during Obama’s time in office. Republicans came to known as the Party of “No.” In essence, what do Republicans stand for: end reproductive rights for women, suppress Black and Latino votes, and more and more tax cuts for the wealthy. This platform would eventually become a natural fit for Donald Trump.

The Republican Party stole two Supreme Court vacancies. The first came about when Obama was denied his Supreme Court pick with ten months left in his term. The second came about when Republicans rush through Trump’s third Supreme Court nomination one month out from the 2020 Presidential Election. The straw that has broken the camel’s back is still going on as of this writing. Republicans are refusing to acknowledge Joe Biden’s clear and decisive election victory. They are still talking about Trump’s second term. Once again, this attitude which seems to suggest that only Republicans can govern is quite pervasive. But Republicans do not govern. They employ deregulation. They promote laissez-faire. Where is this more evident than President Trump’s golfing habits near the end of his tenure as President? Trump is refusing to concede or cooperate with Biden in order to preserve the peaceful transition of power. He is ignoring Biden the same way he ignored warnings of the encroaching pandemic way back in January 2020. Biden is being denied important funding and information in the form of intelligence briefings. Only a handful of Republicans have congratulated Biden on his victory. Trump is still insanely claiming that he won the election.

There is a very important run-off happening in the state of Georgia on January 5, 2021. This Senate runoff will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Everyone knows if the Republicans maintain control of the Senate and McConnell stays as Majority Leader, nothing will be accomplished. Biden will need Democratic control of both Chambers of Congress in order to get things done beyond Executive Orders. The party which once branded itself as the Party of No is now “Nothing!” There is no Republican Party. America has become a one-party state!

Anthony Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of numerous book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014 Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science. In 2015, he published The American Political Narrative which is a succinct yet poignant narrative about the development of the American political system and what is needed to maintain it. In 2016, he published a book of poetry entitled “Love Agnostic | from 9/11 to Charleston”

Notwithstanding the history of this nation and the fact that a majority of the earliest Presidents enslaved Africans as their personal property, the most disgusting Presidency of my lifetime is coming to a close. Donald J. Trump has embodied all the attributes of “the ugly American.” He displays arrogance. He is extremely self-centered to the exclusion of anyone else. There is no empathy. There is no sympathy. He is racist. He is narcissistic. Every one true word out of his mouth is met with two lies maybe three. He lies so freely. In the last televised debate, he lied so profusely, fact checkers had to work overtime. Everyone knows he lies. Even his most ardent supporters know he lies. When asked why they continue to support someone who is such a liar, they just shrug their shoulders and laugh it off. Whenever he says something extremely detrimental or dangerous in a speech, his spin doctors just say he was playing or having some fun. I do not call it fun based on the situation that he has caused for the governor of Michigan and her family. The FBI uncovered a plot to kidnap, place on trial, and perhaps execute the governor. Trump still have more criticism of Governor Whitmer than he has of the men who were arrested for the plot. As a matter of fact, I have not heard him criticize those men at all.

Trump says that he has done more for African Americans than any President aside from Abraham Lincoln. Someone needs to ask him to explain exactly what he means. What did Lincoln do for Blacks in America. I believe that Trump is alluding to the myth that “Lincoln freed the slaves.” Even if that were true, Trump is saying that no other President has done more for Black people than he has in more than one hundred and fifty years. It takes a might arrogant and a mighty ignorant man to make such a statement. This dual combination of arrogance and ignorance is magnified by the fact that this person just happens to be the President of the United States of America. I recall when that use to mean something. I am betting on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to begin to restore the dignity of the Office.

During the first couple of years of the Trump presidency, I recall media pundits dreading what would happen if Trump has to face a real crisis. For example, former President Obama reminds us that Trump inherited an excellent economy from the Obama Administration. If Trump had come into office after George W. Bush, we would have sunk into the second great depression. Of course, Trump simply and constantly begs the question by saying that he inherited a bad economy from Obama. As a matter of fact, he says only negative things about the Obama Presidency. As the White Supremacist in Chief, he cannot accept or get over the fact that a Black man became President of the United States. Therefore, he has to sully and attempt to discredit everything that Obama accomplished. The Trump Presidency has only been about enriching the wealthy and destroying the legacy of the first Black President. That is all that Trump has done.

Well, the pundits could see that Trump was inept at governing. And sure, enough a crisis came in the form of a global pandemic. Everyone knows that this Administration has failed and continues to fail in an extraordinary manner. The whole nation is more at risk due to the Trump Administration. Nine-Eleven (911) happened on Bush’s watch. Thousands died in the attacks. Can you imagine Bush authorizing additional planes to crash into other buildings in New York, Washington, D.C., and other cities across America? Such a response on the part of Bush describes Trump’s response to the coronavirus. Additional descriptions come to mind also. We can call the Trump Administration the “ostrich” presidency. We can also refer to this Presidency as the “Rip Van Winkle” Presidency. All I know is that January 20, 2021 cannot come soon enough.

President Donald J. Trump is barnstorming the country holding three rallies a day in these final days leading up to the election. He knows he cannot win the popular vote. His win in 2016 was by accident. In 2020 his campaign is trying to make an accident happen again. He is trying to game the Electoral College in order to stay in power. Those rallies that he is holding are Covid-19 super spreader events. Why do people put their lives in jeopardy by attending these death wish rallies go beyond my ability to explain things. They do not wear masks. They yell, cough, and sneeze on one another. This is what they call freedom. I have another name for these rallies. I call them President Donald J. Trump’s farewell tour.

Anthony Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of numerous book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014 Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science. In 2015, he published The American Political Narrative which is a succinct yet poignant narrative about the development of the American political system and what is needed to maintain it. In 2016, he published a book of poetry entitled “Love Agnostic | from 9/11 to Charleston”

Navy Seals and other Special Forces Units were Barack Obama’s mode of choice for bolstering America’s foreign policy aims. Donald Trump loves using the White vigilante-oriented militias for vailed threats in support of his personal authoritarian aspirations. There are many examples of this throughout the time of his presidency. However, aside from his latest call for White supremacists’ groups to “stand down but stand by,” regarding the November Presidential election, when Trump made the call to liberate Michigan from stringent coronavirus rules, hundreds of well-armed White males descended on the Michigan state capital in order to protest such things as mandatory masks wearing. This claim of wearing a mask violating one’s civil liberties is laughable when considering Black people and their struggle for rights and freedom.

Civil liberties and The Bill of Rights are of particular interest to Black politics and Black people in the United States. When first introduced, these first ten Amendments to the Constitution did not have a racial component as far as pertaining to Black political participation. The driving impetus was to curtail the power of the national government. This summer of protest and activism resides squarely in the First Amendment right to peacefully assemble, freedom of speech, and the right to partition the government for a redress of grievances. Unfortunately, the current administration wants to place the most negative interpretation on the protests. Terms such as rioters, looters, and anarchists are used in order to make it justifiable for police and other state actors to violently put down the demonstrators. Attorney General William Barr has even gone so far as to label the participants as “insurrectionists.” This term carries a great deal of legal weight for the purpose of denying First Amendment protections.

The First Amendment also contains the idea of freedom of religion. Religion has historically been a critical component in the African American quest for freedom and equality. The minister and the church have been on the forefront of the liberation struggle. It is no accident that many Black political activists have also been ministers. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. is perhaps the best known. King’s father was a minister. The Rev. Jesse Jackson also ran for President twice. He ran in 1984 and again in 1988. His well-known refrain is, “I am somebody.” Lately, Rev. Al Sharpton has been on the forefront by delivering eulogies for those slain by the police. Muslim ministers, though outside of the traditional Black Church connotation, have also been cooperative the quest for freedom and equality. Minister Louis Farrakhan is most noted for his oratory and leading the Million Man March in 1995. I was a participant in the Million Man March. I was also a participant in the 30th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Shortly after that march, the Rev. Benjamin Chavis was chosen to head the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Also keep in mind that Malcolm X was the spokesperson for Minister Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam.

The Second Amendment has had a curious relationship with Black people in the United States. Some scholars argue that the Second Amendment was initially created with enslaved Africans in mind based on the fear of “slave” revolts or insurrections. This is why AG Bill Barr’s characterization of Black Lives Matter protestors as insurrectionists is very problematic. The Black Panther Party, which was founded in 1966, was a major proponent of Second Amendment rights. They practiced open carry long before our current understanding of open carry which mostly associated with White far right extremist militias. There is in 2020 a major racial divide over the Second Amendment. The Democratic Party, which is largely supported by African Americans, favor gun restrictions. Republicans, on the other hand, oppose gun restrictions.

The Fifth Amendment is largely identified with the criminal justice arena with the famous “I plead the Fifth.” Yet, another aspect of the Amendment upheld the institution of African enslavement due to the fact that the enslaved Africans were considered to be property. On the basis of the Fifth Amendment, the Emancipation Proclamation was, among other things, unconstitutional. The Fifth Amendment protect property from state confiscation with the due process of law. Eight Amendment consideration center around the death penalty. African Americans are disproportionately subject to execution or executed. This was a ruling in the case, McClesky v. Kemp 1987. Nevertheless, the Court ruled that this was not sufficient enough reason to render the death penalty unconstitutional. When Donald Trump was held up in Walter Reed Medical Center receiving treatments for covid-19, should the rallying cry have been to liberate “The Donald?”

Anthony Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of numerous book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014 Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science. In 2015, he published The American Political Narrative which is a succinct yet poignant narrative about the development of the American political system and what is needed to maintain it. In 2016, he published a book of poetry entitled “Love Agnostic | from 9/11 to Charleston”

No doubt, when Daniel Cameron was first selected as Attorney General of the state of Kentucky, many Black people were proud. Some were, perhaps, even amazed. Those hopes and those dreams have recently evaporated. Unlike Trump’s assessment of the coronavirus, that sense of pride has just vanished with the Grand Jury Decision in the Breonna Taylor case. This is somewhat reminiscent of the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Missouri. In that case, the White Attorney General was known for his cozy relationship with the police. Not much was expected. People knew that the Attorney General knew how to present the evidence in such a way as to ensure no indictment of any police officer. Daniel Cameron is Black. Simply stated, Black people hoped for better. The phrase Uncle Tom is used by Black People to describe a Black person who epitomizes self-hatred to the point of mimicking White attitudes toward other Black People A shortened version of Uncle Tom is simply to refer to the person in question as a, “Negro.” Other prominent Black individuals who belong to this discussion include Clarence Thomas, Ward Connerly, and the cadre of Blacks who follow Donald Trump.

Black in America experience a peculiar oppression. Not only are we and our ancestors subject object to all types of discrimination, but many of our ancestors were also brutally enslaved. This commonality makes the following adage quite complex: Black people in America are not monolithic. There are very diverse opinions which emanate from the Black community. However, when those opinions and actions begin to align with White oppression, the names come out. How is it possible for a Black person to adopt White oppressive attitudes and actions against other Black people? Malcolm X talked about this when he gave the parable about the Blacks working in the Field Black and the “House Negro:”

So, you have two types of Negro. The old type and the new type. Most of you know the old type. When you read about him in history during slavery he was called "Uncle Tom." He was the house Negro. And during slavery you had two Negroes. You had the house Negro and the field Negro.

The house Negro usually lived close to his master. He dressed like his master. He wore his master's second-hand clothes. He ate food that his master left on the table. And he lived in his master's house--probably in the basement or the attic--but he still lived in the master's house.

So, whenever that house Negro identified himself, he always identified himself in the same sense that his master identified himself. When his master said, "We have good food," the house Negro would say, "Yes, we have plenty of good food." "We" have plenty of good food. When the master said that "we have a fine home here," the house Negro said, "Yes, we have a fine home here." When the master would be sick, the house Negro identified himself so much with his master he'd say, "What's the matter boss, we sick?" His master's pain was his pain. And it hurt him more for his master to be sick than for him to be sick himself. When the house started burning down, that type of Negro would fight harder to put the master's house out than the master himself would.

But then you had another Negro out in the field. The house Negro was in the minority. The masses--the field Negroes were the masses. They were in the majority. When the master got sick, they prayed that he'd die. [Laughter] If his house caught on fire, they'd pray for a wind to come along and fan the breeze. (from The Race Problem, 1963 speech in East Lansing, Michigan)

Dr. Carter G. Woodson also addressed this phenomenon in his book, The Miseducation of the Negro: “If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one.”

This phenomenon is also addressed in my book, The Oral Presidency of Barack Obama. I talk about what I call the Eight Essential Themes for understanding Black Politics. One of the Themes is the “Internecine Aspects of a Racial Contradiction.” This is where we address Black on Black. Betrayal such as the kind wrought by Attorney General Daniel Cameron is akin to Black on Black crime.

Anthony Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of numerous book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014 Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science. In 2015, he published The American Political Narrative which is a succinct yet poignant narrative about the development of the American political system and what is needed to maintain it. In 2016, he published a book of poetry entitled “Love Agnostic | from 9/11 to Charleston”

Distracted Governance is no governance at all. Trump is less than sixty days from being voted out of office although he will constitutionally retain power until noon January 20, 2021. At that moment a great deal of history will be made. Joe Biden will become the oldest man to be elected President. Kamala Harris will be the highest elected woman in the history of the United States. She will also become the first woman Vice President. Moreover, she will become the first Black woman to do both. History will also be made in that this sad chapter of the American Presidency will come to a close. Donald J. Trump, the forty-fifth President of the United States, will be duly noted as the worst President the United States has ever known. More than likely, he will be known as one of the worst leaders in world history.

Under the Trump presidency the U.S. has been led from one crisis to the next; from one horror story to the next; from shameful action to the next; and from one shameful episode to the next. Trump likes to shout about law and order. Yet, this had been the most lawless President ever. We have also lurched from one scandal to the next. When the history of this President is written, it shall also be noted that he was duly impeached in his first term. Consider this long list of Trump infamy: the Muslim ban, firing of James Comey, firing of Jeff Sessions, siding with a corrupt Attorney General, falsely accusing Obama of spying on his first campaign, child separation and caging children on our southern border, subservience to Putin, aversion to NATO, the UN, World Health Organization, anything Obama related, and powerful women heads of state.

Recently, Trump has attempted to subvert the 2020 election by heap false claims of voter fraud. His administration has also physically attempted to disable the U.S. Postal Service in order to disrupt mail in voting. He has also disparaged Black Lives Matter protests by offering fear mongering to White suburban residents. What is so distasteful about this episode is that he will turn right around and claim to have done more for Blacks in America that any other President aside from Lincoln. Unfortunately, some Black voters are gullible enough to support this racist President. Most of the initiatives taken by Trump will adversely affect Black in the United States.

Trump has championed deregulation of clean air and water. He has tried to roll back health care for millions of Americans. He has halted his administration from supporting anti-racist teaching. He has encouraged automakers to not be so concerned with clean air or fuel efficiency. The only significant piece of legislation that he fostered was a massive tax cut the wealthiest Americans. Yet, White working-class individuals flock to Trump. Most recently, Trump has been shown to verbally disparage those who serve in the military and those who have died serving in the military. On the other hand, he wants all the trappings of military pageantry. He wants to be photographed with the Generals even though he claims to know more than the Generals. This is the essence of Distracted Governance. One wants all the trappings of power without any of the responsibility of power. One likes to display all the trappings of power without putting forth the work. Everything becomes a hollow image of, in this case, presidential authority. Politics is all consumed with attempting to fool the people into believing whatever lie the President believes can get him the most votes or make an unwelcomed news story go away.

Early on in the Trump presidency, a few people began to recognize the Distracted Governance of Donald Trump. These few pundits began to warn us that if this President had to face a real crisis, he would not be up to the job. No one knew at the time what that crisis would be. Most felt it would come in the form of a foreign policy crisis. For example, when you are on the road and see some texting and swerving as they drive, you known they are ripe for an accident. You just do not know when or how.

The crisis for the Trump came in the form of a virus. This virus ushered in the worst global pandemic in one hundred years. Trump was not up for the task of combating covid-19. As a result, this Fall American schools are in complete disarray as to how to reopen schools so that America can continue the necessary work of educating the children. More than six million American have contracted the virus. Worst yet, more than one hundred and eighty thousand people have died from the coronavirus. Earlier this year it was reported that more people had died from this virus than died in the Vietnam War. That was a long time ago. The death toll has continued to rise. The death toll will continue to rise. There is no need to mention the President, he is simply not here.

Anthony Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of numerous book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014 Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science. In 2015, he published The American Political Narrative which is a succinct yet poignant narrative about the development of the American political system and what is needed to maintain it. In 2016, he published a book of poetry entitled “Love Agnostic | from 9/11 to Charleston”

Twenty-Nineteen saw the commemoration of Black people’s four hundred sojourn on this land mass that has come to be known as the United States of America. With the year 2020 we are essentially one year in on Black America’s next four hundred years living on this land mass. Will the United States of America still exist four hundred years from now? America’s rival superpower, the Soviet Union, collapsed. In one of the Soviet Union’s surviving fragments, Russia, Vladimir Putin was just awarded another sixteen years in power. The question remains as to whether, Donald Trump, Putin’s protégé will try the same here in America. Nevertheless, is it not amazing that the first year of the next four hundred years is greeted by an overtly racist American President. After four hundred years, is this the best that American can produce? Is this what America wants to produce?

Each successive generation of Black people in America becomes the historical witnesses to the previous generation’s index of misery. In four hundred years, Black Americans will look back on this time period and say, “I do not know how Black people took it back then?” The question arises as to “took what?” The following names will provide a reminder: George Floyd, Rodney King, Sandra Bland, Bryana Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and Elijah McClain. Elijah McClain was simply walking home from a corner store when a 911 caller alerted the police of a suspicious looking person (shades of Trayon Martin). After he was died from injuries received in police custody, the officers involved in his arrest return to the scene and began mocking the incident. It is as if those officers were killing Black people for sport.

Black people were enslaved from 1619 until 1865. That makes formal enslavement a two hundred- and forty-six-year ordeal. The next four hundred years will take us to the year 2419. By the year 2111, Black people will have lived to be free from enslavement longer than they were enslaved. Within the next four hundred years Black people will also surpass the decades of American form of apartheid. Will the year 2419 mark four hundred years of accumulated wealth in the Black community? Will these sociological and statistical chasms between Blacks and Whites subside? What names of significance will emerge significant historical figures? For example, we know the names of Michelle Obama, Coretta Scott King, Harriet Tubman, Oprah Winfrey, Maxine Waters, Malcolm X, Barack Obama, James Baldwin, W.E.B. DuBois, Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Kobe Bryant, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Lewis. Looking at these names that occurred within the first four hundred years makes it exciting to contemplate the next quad-centennial.

Uppermost on the to-do list of the next four hundred years is the replacement of the discursive narrative that has plagued Black people for centuries. That discursive narrative is what caused the 911 caller to alert the police to Elijah McClain. That discursive narrative is what compelled George Zimmerman to hunt down TrayvonMartin. That discursive narrative is what led to a no knock warrant and the death of Bryana Taylor. Donald Trump only reinforces this discursive narrative when labels George Floyd protestors as looters and thugs. This discursive narrative is what leads many Americans to this very date to focus on the recent “riots” and not on the current movement or justice. To overhaul this overarching narrative will take a massive and sustained effort on the part of every living and soon to be living Black American. There must be a major shift for the positive assumption of the content of our character to supplant negativity wrongly associated with the color of our skin.

Within the next four hundred years, will there be another Black President. Just as we can assess the policies and presidencies of Washington, Lincoln, Hoover, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson, Reagan, and Bush; it will be nice for future scholars to assess the policies and presidencies of several Black Presidents. Democratic Presidential candidate and former Vice President, Joe Biden says that he will appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court when elected President. In addition to several Black Presidents to assess, we several Black Supreme Court Justices to assess our ability to assess current Black Justices is just too easy. Thurgood Marshall was a hero to Black People. Clarence Thomas is a burden and detriment. We need more governors and Senators also. Currently there are three Black U.S. Senators. There are two Democrats and one Republican. One of those Senators could become the first woman Vice President and subsequently the first woman President. On this note, what will become of the Democrats and Republicans? As of this writing, Black Americans vote Democratic to the tune of about ninety five percent. This has not always been the case. Black Americans began political life in lockstep with the Republican Party. Will a new party emerge to take the place of the Republican Party? Will Black people ever abandon the Democratic Party? I surmise that our system of government under the Constitution will endure longer than the contemporary party structure.

When the Three-Fifths Clause of the Constitution become over four years old in 2167, what will be the socioeconomic status of Black Americans. Even mid-way of the next four hundred years will be able to say, “Do you remember when the police use to kill Black people for sport?” Yet, by the year 2419 what will be the pressing political issues of the day. I cannot predict the future for Black people, but like Wesley Snipes, I can always bet on the content of their character.

Anthony Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of numerous book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014 Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science. In 2015, he published The American Political Narrative which is a succinct yet poignant narrative about the development of the American political system and what is needed to maintain it. In 2016, he published a book of poetry entitled “Love Agnostic | from 9/11 to Charleston”

The conservative versus liberal animus is not a modern invention. It has a longstanding history extending back to the time when Jesus walked the earth. Today, many would view it herisy to suggest that Jesus was a liberal. Before you castigate me for my suggestion, let's objectively explore the legitimacy of such a claim.

Conservatism in its purest sense can be defined as a commitment to traditional values and ideas with opposition to change or innovation. In this politically charged environment and in recent decades it has been used to reference the holding of political views that favor free enterprise, private ownership, and socially conservative ideas. The commitment to socially conservative ideals has particularly garnered the unyielding fielty of evangelicals, who consequently have become a formidable political force. It could be argued that in so doing, evangelicals who craftily wield they political might have abandoned the utility and effectiveness of their most venerable weaponry - faith and prayer. Sadly, many condemn those who choose to abstain from conservative political activism as part of the problem and label them as accomplices to the "liberal takeover" of this country. However, a discussion about the necessity of political activism in the Christian walk is beyond the scope of this article.

Before moving forward in the exposition, we must also define liberalism. In a rush to misjudgment, the term liberal is interpreted by many conservatives to mean pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality or socialist. These references often evoke a hostility that clouds the rational interpretation of liberal as promoting liberty, it's root word. For centuries, "liberal" had pre-political meanings, such as generous, tolerant, or suitable to one of noble or superior status. It promoted ideas of freedom, equality and justice. It wasn't until 1769 when William Robertson published a book, "The History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V," that “liberal” began to be commonly used in a political way. It's political definition seems to predominate and yet remains poorly defined as a political ideal, apart from simply being contrary to conservatism. However, prior to Robertson's publication, the concept of liberalism or liberty was not new.

Liberalism is broadly referenced in New Testament teachings. From the acts of the new church in bringing all their possessions to the church so they are equally shared among all (what today would be deemed a socialist or communist concept) to the repeated references to the fecklessness of Mosaic law and its fulfillment or subsummation by the law of Christ, New Testament endorsements of liberalism are abundant. Central tenets of liberalism extend beyond expulsion of rigid traditional teachings to more ethereal concepts such as equality, fairness and justice, especially as a protection of the poor from the machinations of the rich and powerful. These too are abundantly evident throughout the New Testament.

Liberalism is also referenced repeatedly in the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 14 and 15, God instructs his people to give liberally to the Levites, strangers, widows, the poor and even the slaves. He demands that at the end of every seven years, that debts be forgiven to encourage Israelites to remember when they were ince bondservants in Egypt. Such welfarism and generosity today is viewed by many as socialism, ignoring that Proverbs 11:25 reminds us that the liberal soul shall be enriched.

Isaiah 32:8 uses "liberal" synonymously with noble, "But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand." In the preceding verses he distinctly references how the poor are mistreated by those less liberal, referenced therein as "vile" people. It is ironic how the scripture references those who are not liberal as vile but modern Christians do the opposite. It is not happenstance that such irony exists. This very scripture references the irony of the vile person being previously called liberal or the churlish [mean-spirited and impolite] person being considered bountiful (vs. 5). These perversities persists to date but must be righted. Sadly, a perusal of social media posts exposes social and political conservatives as among the most churlish of advocates. The atrocities shouted at people who are considering making what is perceived by many as abominable choices at the abortion clinics seem contradictory to the passion Jesus had for the lost. The concept of hate the sin but love the sinner has all but been abandoned or forgotten in exchange for a more aggressive political takeover by conservatives and evangelicals. Tolerance, mercy and forgiveness seem to ironically be the message of those who are villianized as (or for) being liberal.

While, the Old and New Testaments indeed repeatedly instructs charitable liberalism, we can see that Jesus' teachings also challenged those who were unyieldingly wed to traditional values and ideas - the Pharisees, Saducees and Scribes. These were Jesus' contemporary conservatives. They strictly adhered to and demanded that all people of Jewish decent adhere to Mosaic law. Under Roman leadership, Saducees possessed most of the political and economic power in Jewish culture. They assimilated into Greek culture (e.g., Helenization) and would use any means necessary to maintain the status quo of their positions and peace amongst the Romans. While the Pharisees were completely obstinate to Helenization, they remained strictly adherent to the Written and Oral Torah. In fact, they even expounded on it, making their own rules, in an effort to seem even holier in the eyes of man. For example, Jewish Law required one day of fasting per year, on the Day of Atonement. However, by the time of Jesus' arrival, that frequency had become as often as twice weekly. They believed that if they more fervently exercised their religious or conservative traditions that God would come and deliver them from the evil Romans. Hence, when they recognized that Jesus and his disciples didn't fast, they challenged him on it (Mark 2:18). Conservatives today have similarly inappropriately extrapolated God's laws to create a litmus test for Christianity. They say, "how can anyone consider himself a Christian and yet support those who promote abortion?" Some go even further to suggest if one supports "choice" they defacto support abortion. For these adamant conservatives there is no rationalization, whether spiritual, political, ethical or legal, for how one can be against abortion and still be for a woman's right to choose. Of course the bible instructs us to not kill and states that hands that spill innocent blood are an abomination to God. We can all rightly and logically conclude that God is against abortion. However, political support for pro-life policies (or any man-made policies) is never advocated in scritpure and certainly is not established as a mandate for the devoted follower of Christ. Nonetheless, it has become the defining position for one who considers himself a conservative.

Much of Jesus' conflicts on earth were instigated by the conservatism (e.g., strict adherence to tradition) of the Pharisees, Saducees and Scribes. Whether it was cutting down wheat or healing the sick on the Sabbath, or having the audacity to forgive a man sick of the palsy, these conservatives would seek to impune Jesus for his liberalism. In a practical sense, it is easy to understand why they would do so. Religious tradition had persisted for hundreds of years before Jesus came on the scene. These traditions have lead the Jewish people through centuries of oppression. Then, under the governance of the Roman Empire, the Jewish people were economically exploited and subjected to many Pagan views and practices. This made them subject to various religious impositions. The Pharisees seemed well justified in their skepticism. I imagine, they felt much like conservatives do today - that their customs and religious traditions are threatened of extinction by the inculcation of liberal thought and practices in American society. The notion that people should be allowed to determine for themselves and their own families whether they would serve God or violate his commandment seems to be absurdity. Moreover, it has become wholly unacceptable to shun or condemn one who chooses an ungodly lifestyle. Such an act would result in swift indictment by the political correctness police. Certainly, the liberals have gone too far! This sentiment was shared by the Pharisees when they saw Jesus eating and consortng with publicans and sinners (Mark 2:15-17).

In Jewish culture having a meal together was more than feeding for nourishment. It was an important opportunity for intimate fellowship and exchange. This particularly became a sacred event, especually after the Temple was destroyed and the family table essentially became the temple. It was utterly sacrilegious for a Jew to break bread, which historically had been used to symbolize or commemorate covenant, with sinners. Moreover, Jesus' disciples would do it even without washing their hands. Who would dare entire the temple and perform such sacred acts without washing first? In their conservative mindset, the Pharisees were well justified in their disdain for this behavior.

Along comes Jesus with his liberal views, practices and teachings. He's working on the Sabbath, participating sacred activities with sinners and in the process upsetting the religious status quo. Not only that, he's threatening their political clout. He dared have the audacity to stand in the synagogue and profess his liberal manifesto, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised," (Luke 4:18). Well, as could be expected, the conservatives got upset at his sayings and threw him out of the city (vs. 29). Economic liberal teachings of Jesus are found in Luke 14, "But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:" (vs. 13). Some would even consider his economic leanings socialist when he instructed the rich man who desired to enter the kingdom of God to sell all that he has and give it to the poor (Luke 18:18-23). Eventually, his liberal teachings, which were viewed as contrary to the traditional law, caused him to be delivered to Pilate for crucifixion at the demand of the conservative Pharisees and Saducees. However, his precepts were carried out & shared by his apostles and disciples who in various scriptures introduced teachings that seemed contrary to the traditional law. Rather, they represented the spirit of the law.

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3:17, sums it up nicely in saying, "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." A dispensation of grace is afforded to all that believe in the redemptive power of Christ. We are no longer slaves to the law but are set free by the spirit of the law, in Christ Jesus. The transformation that occurs when a soul is submitted to God occurs individually at the level of the heart, not at the ballot box or within a legislative body. This is the liberalism that Jesus died for and desires to see enacted in his body until he returns. This liberalism will always be opposed by conservatism because they derive from enemical sources. The laws and traditions of conservatism arose from a need for the carnal man to recognize or become conscious of sin (Romans 5:13, Romans 4:15). But, after Jesus himself fulfilled the law, our charge became the fulfillment of the spirit of the law. In so doing we walk in the liberty, nobility, equality and justice - the liberalism that Jesus came to bring.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:1-8).

Dr. Mark Williams is a board-certified otolaryngologist and founder of the Voice Care Center of Nashville. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine's Physician-Scientist Training Program with a combined Medical Doctorate and Doctorate of Philosophy in Pharmacology & Cell Biophysics (M.D., Ph.D.). Dr. Mark, as he's affectionately called, is an award-winning Gospel music recording artist and public speaker. He frequently conducts workshops on worship, voice care and the use of the voice in worship. A prolific writer, he is able to keenly decipher complicated biblical truths and present them in an easy-to-understand manner. His unique training and talent allows him to seamlessly merge music, medicine and ministry.

Batman supervillain, The Joker, is a fitting metaphor for Donald Trump and his entire presidency. Many readers who might be familiar with the long list of movie portrayals of The Joker can glean from a mental montage of scenes from those movies an exemplary critique of Donald Trump as President. Such portrayals of The Joker range from Cesar Romero’s television presentations to big screen portrayals by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger. Donald Trump’s autocratic bent has produced a made for t.v. sociopath whose administration is the most corrupt, cruel, dishonest, and incompetent administration in the history of the presidency. Although any portrayal of The Joker will serve as a metaphor for Donald Trump as President, it is Joaquin Phoenix’s 2019 JOKER that inspires me the most to think about Donald Trump. Those final few minutes of the movie when all chaos and bedlam describe the Trump presidency in a most accurate manner. In the movie finale, Joker thrives on chaos. One must also note that even though things were falling apart, Joker still has a following. This small yet loyal following has been capsulized in the magnificent lunatic microphone musings of the Trump Administration’s press secretaries ranging from Sean Spicer and Sarah Sanders Huckabee all the way to Kayleigh McEnaney.

Several psychologists have diagnosed Trump as having a personality disorder, if not disorders. For the lay person it is hard to keep up with conceptual possibilities of exactly what is a dominate expression or characteristic. Is he an ego maniac or a psychotic narcissist? Which of the following is the most appropriate description: sociopath, psychopath, or anti-social? What is the term that explains someone who lacks empathy and is also a racist? How does one describe a person lies in every other sentence? Senator Bernie Sanders refers to Donald Trump as a pathological liar. Secretary Clinton referred to Trump as Putin’s puppet. President Barack Obama alluded to Trump as a “carnival barker.” As of this writing, many are looking at Donald Trump through the prism of his niece’s book. Mary Trump refers to Donald Trump as the most dangerous man in America.

The nature of Joker Trump’s chaos is manifold. One: Long before the 2020 duel pandemics of covid-19 and George Floyd racial reckoning, Trump was leading American foreign policy into an isolationist zone that criticized friends and embraced enemies. Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Accords. He often hints at pulling out of NATO. It also appeared that he was not interested in the G-7 unless Russia could make the organization G-8. He proclaimed his love for the North Korean dictator. He pulled U.S. forces out of Syria thus abandoning Kurdish allies in the fight against ISIS. Trump would love to band all Muslim travel to the United States. This Administration is suspect of immigration in general and people of color immigration in particular.

Trump’s response to the coronavirus has been woefully inadequate. With the viral pandemic as with most other things that the President addresses, there is this constant“wag the dog” approach to governing which is not to govern at all. The current President likes to adorn all the trappings of office and relegate the substance of governing to subordinates who have to kiss his ring. In search of a second term, he has no record on which to run. The death toll from the pandemic is headed north to 200,000. Keep in mind that this number only covers about four months. Former Education Secretary Arnie Duncan stated that there is not death toll high enough to get Trump to lead on the issue. Instead of working diligently to arrest the plague, Trump seeks to pull the United States out of the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, he systematically undermining the Center for Disease Control (CDC). He is also attacking one of the nation’s leading epidemiologist. Going from the summer into the fall, he seeks to place America’s children in harm’s way by haphazardly pressing for schools to reopen without safeguards. We saw the cruelty that was heaped upon immigrant children with the family separation policy. Now he wants to turn this cruelty on American children in order to create an illusion of normality that he believes could help his reelection prospects.

Begging the question is a term used in logic which states that the truth of an argument is inherent in its utterance. Trump keeps fact checkers extremely busy. He only uses superlatives to describe his actions even when the casual observer can plainly see that he is lying. He says that he is the least racist person in America. Yet, he cannot criticize White supremacists. He defends monuments to the confederacy while saying Black Lives Matter murals constitute hate. He also defends the Confederate flag. Pundits would not be surprised to see a confederate flag flying from the White House. These are clearly the actions of the least racist man in the United States. He also makes the statement that his Administration has done more for Black Americans than any other presidency aside from Lincoln. To add insult to injury, he claims that Black people love him. He makes the same claim about Latinos. He would probably make similar claims about Arabs, Asians, and Native Americans. Such grandiose claims demonstrate another detrimental characteristic of the Trump Administration. This comes direct from Christian scriptures: “straining gnats and swallowing camels.” Republicans held committee after committee hearings during the Obama Administration over the incident at Benghazi in Libya. However, they are essentially silent in regards to the Trump knowledge but inaction over Putin placing bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan. As a matter of fact, Republicans are still digesting the camel they swallowed during the Joker impeachment.

Anthony Neal earned his Ph.D. in political science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). Dr. Neal is an associate professor at State University College, Buffalo. The author of numerous book reviews and journal articles, he has had his work published in the Western Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, and Black Issues in Higher Education. In 2014 Dr. Neal received the university’s Faculty Appreciation Award, was named Instructor of the Year by the university’s United Student Government, and Professor of the Year by the Student Political Society in the Department of Political Science. In 2015, he published The American PoliticalNarrative which is a succinct yet poignant narrative about the development of the American political system and what is needed to maintain it. In 2016, he published a book of poetry entitled “Love Agnostic | from 9/11 to Charleston”