Growing up watching political news there were very few black political analysts on television. I remember seeing @Eugene_Robinson @drjlastword and Carl Rowan mostly, but black people being asked strictly about politics, economics or culture on news programs was rare
Usually you had to be a politician or NAACP director before you'd get booked to discuss whatever was happening in Congress let alone some international event or tragedy. But there was ONE event I remember every black person being asked to comment on : The Million Man March
If you were a black politician or political commentator even if you didn't ATTEND the Million Man March it was almost a requirement that you account for or disavow some of the speakers at the event before you were allowed to speak on air. Regardless of the subject
Black politicians, analysts and commentators up until very recently, have been required to disavow other controversial black people or positions in order to get a platform to speak nationally. The bad faith calls for Obama to disavow Rev Wright was a prominent recent example
Today the Republican Party not only provided full throated support for a white nationalist president, but almost 100% publicly or privately backed a coup attempt against Joe Biden that killed 5 people and injured others. That can't be swept under the rug
Every member of the GOP interviewed from now on should be asked up front : Do you acknowledge the legitimate election of Joe Biden? If the answer is anything but yes, the interview should be over. They should be asked similar questions about the #insurrection
If Obama could be asked to disavow his pastor, and black politicians and analysts can be required for years to disavow radical members of the Black Panther Party and other groups, Republicans ticket to media access should be denouncing Trump's racism and terrorist #MAGA uprising
This won't happen of course. The kid gloves with which #MarjorieTaylorGreene is being treated shows us that all to much of the Press won't hold literal TERRORIST sympathizers accountable. But if that doesn't happen the violence and the audacity of the violence will get worse
You can follow @DrJasonJohnson.
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