This past weekend, The Grio featured an editorial by ColorOfChange Executive Director Rashad Robinson. Focusing on the words of Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann, Robinson highlights the prevalence of race baiting in modern-day politics and the connection between coded rhetorical racism and voter suppression. His article underscores our responsibility to hold politicians accountable when their language and policies suppress the voices of people of color:
"Racial rhetoric, coded or not, sends a message to bigoted voters that these politicians agree with them. There are some people in the U.S. that see American diversity as a threat to “their” country; what are truly attempts to create a more just, equitable society are instead perceived as a threat to such peoples’ values...When a politician makes an inflammatory statement about the president, another politician, or simply a group of voters and is not taken to task, it validates that statement and implies that it holds truth. When we neglect to call this rhetoric out for what it is and hold our leaders accountable, we implicitly agree with the intolerance being peddled and the harmful impact it has on our communities. The most effective way to defeat the influence of race-baiting is to do it together."
Read the full article here and share widely.
Subscribe to our feed
Get the blog by email