WASHINGTON (AP) – The attack of President Donald Trump on diversity, stock and inclusion programs has led to military and government agencies – together with a few private companies – to return observations of diversity and celebrations of Black History Month, which to return to February turn.
Brandon Scott pushes back against that trend. The mayor of Baltimore was the subject of racist attacks online last year after a large bridge collapsed near his city. Online commentators have labeled Scott, which is black, a “dei Mayor” and suggested that his race was linked to the fatal accident.
Scott saw the attacks on him as part of a broader recoil against black Americans and other historically detached groups in leadership. He said he heard echoes of those attacks last week when Trump blamed the diversity of the deadly collision with the fatal collision at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, the president acknowledged that the crash was still being investigated when he was on his Claims was insisted, but then said he knew the dei knew that the dei was the fault because he had ‘common sense’.
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“The division of the left on dei policy undermines decades of progress in the direction of real equality,” said spokesperson Harrison Fields of the White House in a statement. “The Trump government rejects this backward thinking and will pursue an agenda that everyone instructs the chance to reach the American dream.”
Scott, 40, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he wants Black History Month a chance to establish the record directly on the dei policy that he regards as performing American values.
Here are fragments from that conversation:
Why – according to you – are Trump and Republicans who blame Dei for government errors and do they work to eliminate them from government agencies?
Scott: “When we had a terrible tragedy here in Baltimore – we had a container ship in a bridge and the bridge was completely crushed – we lost six lives. The fact that you immediately, immediately, had some of these extreme right-wing racists who say it is my fault-“it is the fault, diversity, fairness and inclusion of the dei mayor.” Well, let’s break out how ridiculous that is. First, the bridge was built before I was born. Two, if you look at when that bridge was built here in Maryland, I can assure you that very few people who look like me and very few people who were not white men worked on building that bridge. Three, the ship that caused it is not from this country, let alone operated by a black person. “
“We know what they mean when they say it to women. We know what it means when they say it to people from the LGBTQ+ community. “
“What these people who unfortunately think think that unless you are a straight white man from a certain background – because I want my poor white brothers and sisters to understand that they are not talking about them either, unless you are from a certain background , rich historical families with right white Christian men, then you should never be in a position of power and that your thoughts and opinions don’t matter. And that is the most sad part of all this. ‘
What do you think of Trump’s the fault of a recent plane and helicopter crash on dei?
Scott: “If you are in a moment of tragedy of that size, leaders must lead things and tell things as they are, not the way we want them to be, not to hear from us as a certain part of the country, not for one agenda. Leaders are leading at that time. And it’s a shame that we discuss Dei when it comes to a terrible tragedy that caused dozens of people to lose their lives. “
How should supporters of diversity and black history respond to attacks on black history?
Scott: “You have to fight in all ways with any breathing in your body until there is no breath anymore, no more blood in your body.”
“That is why I decided to do a ‘certainly deserved’ campaign while we go through the Black History Month, because we have to be bigger and blacker and louder than ever. We cannot allow that darkness to come and catch up with our light, because darkness cannot catch up, only light can overcome darkness. Do not run away, do not hide, do not shrink at the moment, do not be who you are and push back in every way you can. “
What does the ‘certainly deserved’ campaign look like?
Scott: “Usually, every black history month, I normally have a video and then we go through the month to emphasize people. We are going to bring this to the next level this year and really emphasize his people, of course starting here in Baltimore, with An important role when it comes to black history in this country.
“And we will continue for those people throughout the month with every way of communication mode we have. We show the people who are now wondering: “Will the government still celebrate the black history month?”, “Will everyone just run and hide because they are not going to do it at a national level?” No, we are going to do it, and we will be proud of doing. “