The Republican National Convention is currently taking place at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The intent of the convention is to name the presidential candidate for the upcoming election and devise a platform for the party as well as providing a platform for weird Republican events like celebrity interviews with empty chairs. As setup for the convention was underway last week, a reporter noticed an "innocent" sign that carried pretty heavy undertones of segregation. Yikes.
Spotted at the #RNCinCLE. I'm told it's being replaced for obvious reasons. pic.twitter.com/SVayl1zGCd
-- Byron Tau (@ByronTau) July 16, 2016
Wall Street Journal reporter Byron Tau spotted a "white elevators" sign two days ago. The signs were temporary and have reportedly been removed. While the language is just an oversight by the planning staff who color-coated the event to match the nation's colors, it's also the first of probably many allusions to casual racism.
The relationship between minority voters and the Republican Party has always been a strained one. With racially motivated violence, protest movements, and groups like Black Lives Matter making their voices heard, this doesn't bode well for the Republicans.
What was likely an honest mistake will leave some people reasonably wondering what rhetoric we'll see in the next few days from presumptive candidate Donald Trump, and the whole host of other guests set to appear. And for those of you filling out your systemic racism bingo cards, you've already got one point.
For a full breakdown of the debacle, check out the video below from Question Time and for more content like this, subscribe to their YouTube channel.