(Editor's Note: The following opinion column does not constitute an endorsement for any political party, or candidate, on the part of Newsmax.)
OPINION
For decades, the Democratic Party maintained a complex relationship with Black Americans, portraying itself as the party "of the people," of civil rights, and social justice.
That is the fantasy.
The harsh reality is, all it takes is to superficially probe beneath the surface, and a beyond troubling history of how Democrats have used the media to manipulate perceptions of Black culture, often in ways that have done more harm than good, can be readily found.
For some time, the weaponization of the press, particularly by Democrats, has contributed to the marginalization of Black Americans; it's also reinforced harmful stereotypes continuing plague our society — daily.
Call it a pattern of bad press manipulation — whether through spreading misinformation, pandering for votes, or promoting policies only serving to undermine Black communities — has caused both deep-rooted harm and resentment.
Translation?
It’s time for a shift — big time.
The political establishment, led by Democrats, has taken the Black vote for granted, using media narratives to secure power, while delivering little to nothing.
Election '24 is headed directly towards us, as a freight-train-sized (and speed) of a tumultuous historical event.
Shall we view Election and Campaign '24 as just more of the same?
Can we afford to?
Or . . . Is this now a clarion call for action?
A time for Black Americans to reconsider their political chances and loyalties.
Voting for our 45th commander in chief Donald J. Trump may be the key to breaking the cycle of exploitation, affording us the perfect opportunity to reclaim the strength and dignity of Black culture.
A History of Harmful Press Narratives Are Not Inconsequential
Historically, the Democratic Party has had a complicated and at times antagonistic relationship with Black Americans, particularly in its use of the press.
From the post-Reconstruction Era through the Jim Crow years, Southern Democrats—known as Dixiecrats — relied heavily on the press to demonize Black political participation.
Southern newspapers routinely published dehumanizing (think minstrel show) images and stories about Black Americans, portraying them as unfit for citizenship, prone to violence, and intellectually inferior.
A tactic reinforcing white supremacy?
Try, as a strategy, to further disenfranchise Blacks.
It barred them from the political process.
Democrats used the media to justify voter suppression tactics, such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and outright violence, to prevent Black Americans from exercising their constitutional rights.
The portrayal of Black Americans as inferior, irresponsible, or criminal was essential to maintaining Democratic control of Southern politics, for nearly a century.
Even as the Democratic Party began to shift in the mid-20th century, supporting civil rights legislation and embracing a more progressive platform, the party’s use of the press to manipulate Black culture didn’t stop — it simply changed form.
The emergent, then lasting, media-driven narratives during the civil rights movement often painted Black activists as radical troublemakers who couldn't be trusted, framing the struggle for equality as a threat to national stability, if not U.S. security.
Such images, perpetuated by Democratic politicians and their allies in the media, further alienated many Black Americans; the climate of distrust between Black activists and the political establishment continues. And it endures.
Was the Clinton Era a Turning Point?
Fast forward to the 1990s, and we see one of the most blatant examples of how Democrats used bad press to harm Blacks.
This time through the policies of Bill Clinton.
How so?
While Clinton enjoyed significant support from Black voters, his administration’s role in the "War on Drugs" and the 1994 Crime Bill had disastrous consequences for Black cities and towns.
At the time, the media, with the support of Democratic leadership, perpetuated the notion that Black neighborhoods were overrun with drugs and violence.
Terms like "superpredator" became common, depicting young Black men as irredeemably violent. The press latched onto these narratives, creating an atmosphere of fear and panic.
What followed were policies that led to the mass incarceration of Black Americans, tearing apart families and communities.
Yet, lest we forget, Democrats continued publicly courting the Black vote.
Blame the Media?
The mass incarceration crisis that followed is a direct result of this manipulation, the effects of which still reverberate today.
Black communities remain over-policed and under-supported.
The media narratives fueling this crisis have yet to be fully reckoned with.
Pandering, Broken Promises
Every election cycle, Democratic candidates show up in Black churches, attend cultural events, and make grand promises of reform.
OK.
So, where are the delivered goods? Where is the appreciably meaningful change.
How could Democrats frequently receive favorable media coverage for their symbolic gestures toward Blacks, while their failures to address systemic issues such as economic inequality, educational disparities, and police violence are downplayed to the point of being outright ignored?
The Democratic Party's initiated media portrayal, as the only option for Blacks, is frankly insulting.
Can a Former President Still Offer a Viable Alternative?
The manipulation game must end, and must do so now.
Former President Donald John Trump, has shown he's willing to shake up the swamp-based, entrenched political establishment, and all the lethargic bureaucratic misery it brings.
Recall, under Trump’s leadership, policies like criminal justice reform through the First Step Act provided, and continue to provide, tangible benefits to Blacks.
His administration pushed for economic empowerment zones to revitalize impoverished communities and worked to ensure Blacks saw real socio-economic gains.
More than once, Mr. Trump showed a willingness to address the real needs of Black communities, free from the pandering and vacuous platitudes characterizing left "leadership."
Trump’s direct approach may not appeal to all.
But think!
It represents a break from the toxic cycle of media manipulation and exploitation affecting not just Black, but all Americans.
We can stop all of it, once and for all on Nov. 5.
Stop it we must.
Bruce Levell: In 2016, 2020, and now 2024, serves as the senior Trump Surrogate. He is the former Executive Director of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump.
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