Vice-president brushes off remarks by Donald Trump in which he said Harris ā€˜happened to turn Blackā€™ a number of years ago

Kamala Harris has shrugged off Donald Trumpā€™sĀ questioning of her racial identity, saying that it was ā€œthe same old showā€ and that ā€œAmerica deserves betterā€, at a rally in Texas.

On Wednesday, in anĀ appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Trump antagonised senior Black journalists and questioned Harrisā€™s race, saying, ā€œShe was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didnā€™t know she was Black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black.ā€

His interview, which was meant to last an hour,Ā according toĀ Axios, was cut short after 34 minutes.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I think a big part of this is a lot of people still go by the ā€œone dropā€ rule.

    Which leads to people saying Kamala is the first Indian and Black VP for example.

    Like, we call Obama the first Black president, but itā€™s more accurate to say the first mixed race president. And even then, weā€™re all ā€œmixed raceā€ to some degree.

    But someone with parents of different races/cultures often deal with a lot of baggage because they can feel theyā€™re not accepted by either side. Which is why I donā€™t see why we make a big deal about it on the left.

    Just leave race out of it and when Republicans get racist (or any kind of bigotry) dismiss it just like Kamala did here.

    • criitz@reddthat.com
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      2 months ago

      Obama is black, and Harris is black (in addition to their other racial identities). They have non-black parents or ancestors but so do basically all black Americans. You donā€™t have to be purebred to count. Black Americans with some white ancestors certainly donā€™t get exempted from racism and hatred.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        But people mix up genetics and culture.

        Drake might have one Black parent, but he didnā€™t grow up in that culture.

        Obama had one Black parent, but growing up in Hawaii back then isnā€™t anything like being Black anywhere else in America. Thatā€™s not my opinion, Obama spoke about how shocked he was coming to the mainland for college.

        It makes no sense to talk about it genetically, because there are shockingly few differences between what we consider races in a genetic level.

        The difference is the culture, not skin color, eye shape, or hair texture.

        Itā€™s just for the vast amount of human existence, the two went hand in hand. Thatā€™s not always true these days.

        • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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          2 months ago

          Congrats, youā€™ve discovered race is a social construct and doesnā€™t matter. If only the racists would come to the same conclusion we could stop talking about it.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        now Iā€™m just ā€œwhiteā€ and racists wouldnā€™t have a problem with me.

        It wonā€™t stay that way tho.

        Pretty much the only time ā€œslippery slopeā€ is valid is when talking about fascists. They always lie about what they want and nothing will ever appease them.

        Youā€™re still ā€œotherā€ to them, just not the most vulnerable ā€œotherā€ which is who their target always is.

        • TimeSquirrel@kbin.melroy.org
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          2 months ago

          I accidentally deleted my response so Iā€™m posting it under yours.

          Thatā€™s why ā€œraceā€ is a bullshit unscientific term, it changes all the time, at one time both my Irish and Slavic background would have been rejected in American society, now Iā€™m just ā€œwhiteā€ and racists wouldnā€™t have a problem with me.