Author: Douglass Morris II

It’s been over 50 years since the Fair Housing Act of 1968 was passed under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. The law was meant to prohibit discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing. Today, however, the rate at which conventional mortgage loans are being denied to members of the African-American and Latinx communities is significantly higher than that of the white community. According to Chicago Tribune, the homeownership gap between blacks and whites is wider now than it was during the Jim Crow era.

Just a few years ago, the Federal Reserve and Department of Justice reviewed over 31 million records— analyzing loan applicants’ income, loan amount, and neighborhood— in an attempt to identify any disparities in lending. They found that modern-day redlining against minorities is prevalent in at least 60 metropolitan areas across the country. African-Americans struggle most in Southern cities, such as Atlanta, GA and Mobile, AL, while Latinos struggle most in Iowa City, IA.

This is characteristic of banks in the early 1900s. Maps were drawn with certain areas shaded red, denoting “dangerous” areas for bank lending due to the high frequency of African-Americans and European immigrants living in those areas. Now, this behavior persists, only more subtly. “The analysis…showed black applicants were turned away at significantly higher rates than whites in 48 cities, Latinos in 25, Asians in nine, and Native Americans in three.” In Washington D.C., it was found that all four groups are at a disadvantage in this regard compared to whites. Until the law is enforced as it should be, blacks and other minorities will be limited by both financial and governmental institutions.

Just over one decade ago, history was made in the United States when our first black president, Barack Obama, was inaugurated following the 2008 election. Now, there are more women and minorities vying for the Democratic party nomination for the upcoming 2020 presidential election than ever. The likelihood of any of these diverse candidates winning, though, is questionable. In fact, I highly doubt that this country will see another president that is not a white male any time soon. This is not to say, however, that minorities and women should not seek to hold political office. On the contrary, representation of minorities in politics is more important now than ever, as we face an ever-more connected global society. Still, in order for the Democratic party to have a chance to recapture the Executive branch, they need to separate themselves from identity politics. These identity politics, while intended to promote inclusion, can actually leave some voters who are not wedded to the party or are not as liberal feeling isolated or animus. It is these votes, though, that Democrats need in order to win a Presidential election.

It is important to note that we are currently in need of a presidential candidate that demonstrates a compromise between the increasingly extreme political parties. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates agrees that our present federal government is stifled, unable to perform the simplest tasks. He maintains that the reasons for this, other than the obvious fact that neither party can reach an agreement with the other, are “governmental ineptitude, arrogance and corruption, and self-serving politicians more concerned with getting reelected than with the nation’s future.”

If the Democratic party wants any chance of recapturing the White House, they will need to put forward a candidate that fits the traditional “American look” in order to gain Republican votes. This is unfortunate news for more than half of the Democratic candidates.

In the past few months, incidents of blackface have become a hot topic in the media. Just last week, former Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel resigned after photos of him in blackface dressed as a Hurricane Katrina victim from Halloween 2005 began circulating. Ertel was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, who, when running for the gubernatorial position, stated that voters shouldn’t “monkey this up” by supporting his black opponent, Andrew Gillum. Another example of this kind of overt racism is Virginia’s governor, Ralph Northam, who is being pushed by his constituents to resign for his section in the 1984 yearbook of Eastern Virginia Medical School. It contains a picture of a man in blackface standing next to a man dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member. In another instance, NBC television host Megyn Kelly drew controversy last Fall after defending blackface Halloween costumes. She justifies the practice by comparing it to the people who place axes in their heads, suggesting that they are equally jarring.

In addition to their appalling behavior, the public figures in question attempted to defend themselves. Just one day after publicly apologizing for his actions, Northam reported that he was not in fact the man standing in the picture next to the Ku Klux Klan individual. Kelly sought to reform her initial statement, maintaining that if someone were to dress as Diana Ross and present blackface, she would view that act as a way of “honoring and respecting” Ross’s beauty. Even more disconcerting is the fact that the only times we have heard these public figures apologize for their decisions of the past were to save their reputations or careers. Ertel— who, despite his resignation, still faces a large mass of offended and enraged citizens— claims he is “a better man than [he] was 14 years ago.” Governor Northam asserts that his poor ethical conduct is not reflective of who he is today or what he stands for.

Notice the trend. Not only were the apologies meant to save face, they also attempted to affirm that the person at fault has since grown from the situation. Individuals on national platforms must recognize the weight of their actions. We can no longer readily accept any and every meek apology that is recited to us day after day. These figures who have gained massive followings must be held accountable for their actions, and we should not be so quick to forgive them.