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Unfortunately, anti-Blackness isn’t a factor that can essentially stop an individual from being elected or reelected into workplace. And even now within the twenty first century, politicians are capable of check the political waters after being caught up in a public scandal the place their racism isn’t simply speculated on, it’s been confirmed.
Meet Los Angeles Metropolis Council member Kevin de León.
Final October, Kevin de León and three different members of the town council, all of whom are Latino, had been uncovered in a secret recording whereas participating in an egregiously racist and anti-Black dialogue throughout which Metropolis Council President Nury Martinez referred to as one other council member’s Black little one a “little monkey” and stated he deserves a “beatdown” to tame his allegedly wild habits whereas de León likened that very same little one to an “accent” being paraded round like a “Goyard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag.” He, after all, apologized for his a part of the dialogue, however then two months later, de León was caught on digicam violently attacking a Black activist.
Whereas the opposite three members who engaged within the racist dialogue have resigned from their posts or didn’t get reelected, Kevin de León hopes LA voters overlook about that and vote to let the anti-Black Democrat keep on the council.
From Politico:
The taped backroom dialog — rife with disparaging and racist language — uncovered deep fissures within the metropolis alongside ethnic and ideological strains, and piled on contemporary embarrassment to a Metropolis Council already decimated by ethics scandals. As the one participant nonetheless in workplace, De León has been probably the most seen emblem of an unpleasant chapter within the metropolis’s historical past.
Now, he’s relying on voters to carry him again from the political wilderness.
“When lots of people that I referred to as my associates and allies turned away from me, my constituents had my again,” De León stated in an interview. “I understood in a deeper manner the connection that I had with my neighborhood and the way that motivates and drives me. That’s why I’m nonetheless right here. And that’s why I’m operating.”
Whereas Kevin de León, as soon as once more, apologized for his participation in anti-Black bigotry, he’s doubling down on his insistence that Black folks have an excessive amount of political energy in his metropolis.
“The context of our dialog was about redistricting and making certain equal illustration,” he stated. “It’s a must to look no additional than the maps that had been drawn. Are they absolutely reflective of the demographics of the town? Not likely.”
Latinos are the biggest ethnic group in Los Angeles, making up practically 48 % of the inhabitants, whereas Black residents comprise 8 %. There are presently 5 Latino members on the 15-member council (4 when the recording was made) and three Black members.
So, principally, Kevin de León is out right here counting the Black folks he has to work with and saying Black supremacy (don’t snigger) is changing into a factor. It’s value mentioning, by the best way, that advocating for diluting Black voting energy is one thing de León has in widespread with white Republicans—however I’m positive that’s only a coincidence. Sorry, however when you end up attacking a marginalized racial group on behalf of one other marginalized racial group whereas ignoring the non-marginalized racial group that in the end controls all of it, you’re typically only a non-white lackey serving to to carry out white supremacy.
On the finish of the day, if the dialogue was all about equity and, I suppose, Black privilege (I stated don’t snigger), then he and the others wouldn’t have gleefully engaged in disparaging Black folks normally. It simply actually looks as if they don’t like Black folks and that’s the precise subject.
However, once more, sadly, being anti-Black doesn’t preclude one from being electable. We noticed this when a North Carolina sheriff, Jody Greene, was reelected even after he initially resigned following his personal racist scandal during which he was caught on tape saying he’s “sick of those Black bastards,” amongst different blatantly anti-Black feedback relating to the Black legislation enforcement officers he labored with. Greene isn’t simply an election official, he’s an elected official who holds a excessive place in legislation enforcement.
At the least this time the racist elected official who is perhaps reelected is simply a metropolis council member. Apparently, that’s the place the bar is now.
Apparently, whether or not we’re speaking about whites or Latinos, Democrats or Republicans—America is at all times America.
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