Policies that harm black bodies deserve the same outrage as blackface | Shanita Hubbard

Governor Ralph Northam faces calls to resign over a yearbook photo. That’s good, but voter suppression and other racist policies deserve equal outrage

Racism and bigotry are woven into the fabric of this nation. Dismissing this notion, or pretending that progress made with social inequality negates the point, is intellectually dishonest at best. Without question, racism is fully present in America.

Yet it appears the impetus to publicly demand accountability for racism is largely commenced by blatant examples, rather than practices and policies that directly harm people of color. The recent conversations around Virginia governor Ralph Northam fully illustrate this point.

A photo from a 1984 yearbook shows a man in blackface standing next to a person dressed as a member of the Ku Klux Klan. It was made public on Friday. In response, the governor seemingly declared that he was in the photo, though he did not say which man was him. The following day, he said he was not in the photo, but mentioned that he once wore a dark shoe polish on his face as part of a Michael Jackson costume.

Unsurprisingly, the backlash was swift, with Republicans and Democrats calling for his resignation. And with good cause. The blackface picture is not only transparently racist, it is another painful reminder of how normalized this behavior is. In 1984, this picture was included in a yearbook. Northam says he had never seen the yearbook before Friday. If he had, he presumably would never have imagined it would have political ramifications.

This absolutely warrants the public outcry it is receiving, and demanding our leaders be held accountable for their actions is the mark of a healthy democracy. But if the litmus test for accountability is transparent racism, then this same vigor must be applied to policies and practices and the politicians who impose them.

Bipartisan outrage and immediate public acknowledgment of racism must extend beyond images of blackface. The same citizens and politicians who boldly acknowledge that Northam should be held accountable should join the group of people who are ignored when publicly addressing other aspects of our political landscape that are racist and detrimental.

Voter suppression not only meets this same standard, it threatens democracy itself. Yet it has reportedly occurred several times within recent elections, to less outrage from politicians and even some private citizens.

An investigation conducted by the Associated Press indicated that since 2012, in his position as Georgia secretary of state, Brian Kemp cancelled more than 1 million voter registrations. Kemp, the Republican opponent of Democrat Stacey Abrams in the 2018 gubernatorial election, also froze 53,000 registrations. A huge portion of those belonged to African American voters; many were unaware their registration was on hold.

In 2017, the AP said, Kemp cancelled 670,000 registrations. Asked about this, he called it “voter roll maintenance”. Given that many of those impacted by this “maintenance” were African Americans, this act can be viewed more as a form of voter suppression. After a tumultuous and historic election, Kemp became governor by a slim margin.

In Republican states, voter suppression also appears to be done preemptively, when the population of communities of color begins to rise. According to census estimates, Texas has experienced a large growth in the Hispanic population. In 2010, the state had 9.7 million Hispanics. In 2017 it was 11.2 million, while the population of white Texans had only increased by approximately half a million people to 11.9 million. It is projected that by 2022, Texas will be majority Hispanic.

Perhaps this is a factor in the state’s recent announcement that it will cut 95,000 people from the voter rolls because “they don’t seem to be citizens”. The League of United Latin American Citizens has filed suit against Texas secretary of state David Whitley, claiming a violation of the Voting Rights Act and an attempt to deter Latinos from voting.

From Texas to Georgia, claims of voter suppression are not uncommon. Voter suppression impacts the ability of marginalized communities to fully participate in the democratic process upon which this nation prides itself. It silences voices and systemically targets people of color in an attempt to strip them of power. It makes them more susceptible to living with the ramifications of policy decisions that could disproportionately harm them. It is by all accounts racist and harmful.

Yet the public outcry and demand to hold those responsible accountable are not nearly as loud as the outrage about politicians apparently in blackface. Holding Governor Northam accountable and demanding his resignation is more than fair. In fact, a zero tolerance policy around racism should be the standard. I just hope this becomes more of a practice with politicians who were smart enough to avoid evidence of blackface, but still impose policies that harm black and brown bodies.

Contributor

Shanita Hubbard

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
State of the disunion: why Democrats must not give in to Trump’s hateful speech | Robert Reich
Pelosi’s party must not be distracted by the president – or corporate voices on their side. Inequality is pulling the US apart

Robert Reich

04, Feb, 2019 @12:21 PM

Article image
‘It would be glorious’: hopes high for Biden to nominate first Black woman to supreme court
Activists welcome stated intent to fulfil campaign promise and finally elevate a judge ‘that really understands racism’

Tom McCarthy

20, Apr, 2021 @6:00 AM

Article image
Virginia admits thousands of voters wrongly purged days before election
Voting rights groups decry error days before elections that will determine which party controls the state legislature

Sam Levine in New York

01, Nov, 2023 @12:00 PM

Article image
Virginia governor urges Republicans to vote early despite Trump’s skepticism
Glenn Youngkin sees matching Democratic push to get ballots in early as key to gaining full control of senate and house of delegates

Joan E Greve in Washington

22, Sep, 2023 @10:00 AM

Article image
Corporate sedition is more damaging to America than the Capitol attack | Robert Reich
Kyrsten Sinema receives millions from business and opposes progressive priorities. Republicans who voted to overturn an election still bag big bucks. Whose side are CEOs on?

Robert Reich

16, Jan, 2022 @6:00 AM

Article image
'Rigging the game': Stacey Abrams kicks off campaign to fight voter suppression
Abrams, a potential Democratic nominee for vice-president, says African American voter suppression has ‘gone underground’

Martin Pengelly and agencies

18, Aug, 2019 @3:58 PM

Article image
'This is Georgia': hate, hope and history in election that shows the clash of two Americas
Stacey Abrams would be the first female African American governor. Brian Kemp has pitched his tent with Trump

David Smith in Atlanta and Savannah

03, Nov, 2018 @12:31 PM

Article image
Battle for the Soul: can Joe Biden beat Trump’s Republicans in the war of words?
The president appeals to the ‘civil religion’ of Washington and Kennedy. His opponents use weasel words and seek to limit democracy. The stakes could not be higher

Michael Cornfield

08, Aug, 2021 @6:00 AM

Article image
Virginia votes as poll expert says ‘white backlash’ could power Republican win
Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe make final pitch for governor as polls show unexpectedly close race

Lauren Gambino in Washington, Martin Pengelly in New York and agencies

02, Nov, 2021 @9:03 PM

Article image
Critics claim voter suppression on plan to close Georgia county's polling places
Proposal to close many sites in predominantly black Randolph county, has drawn criticism from activists and the state’s gubernatorial candidates

Jamiles Lartey in Atlanta and agencies

21, Aug, 2018 @6:46 PM