I'm disheartened but not surprised by the behavior of these pastors in Detroit blindly accepting Trump's obvious racial slight of hand and subterfuge. It shows that neglected communities will have no shortage of misinformed individuals who will offer themselves up to be manipulated and used for someone else's political gain. The product of a desperate yearning for even the most damning of attention in attempts to become anywhere near what they perceive as influence, even if it is counter to their core needs or values. That's the only explanation for a group of African-American pastors who invite an openly racist candidate for President into their church, which begs the question of what their faith and leadership are truly based upon. Now let the church say, "Amen," to that!
But this phenomenon applies to many groups and individuals associated with Trump throughout his campaign, including his campaign managers 1, 2, and 3, Omarosa, Ben Carson, that Breitbart dude, Mexican President, Enrique Pena Nieto, and his disastrous hosting of Trump and his lies, the other Republican candidates who ran for president and now can barely form a sentence when feebly attempting to endorse this scourge on their party and the nation, RNC Chair Reince Preibus, nationwide down-ticket Republican Congressional candidates now failing in their respective states, and that sad "taco trucks on every corner" guy - the list is large and continues to grow. No one dances with Trump in this campaign and comes out clean.
This villainy of Democrats, particularly the presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, is unfounded and unfair. I shouldn't have to say this, but she is not perfect, doesn't claim to be, and no candidate is, but she is most definitely better than Trump! The assumption that Democratic law makers, including President Obama, have taken the African-American vote for granted is just not true. It assumes that the Republican Party's bigotry and tone-deaf destructive efforts didn't exist before Trump ran for office. The only party that has prioritized engagement and empowerment of the black community, and included more minorities among their leadership, is the Democratic Party. Imagine the even more damaging effects of systemic disparity if their policies weren't in place and progress slowed or even reversed by Republican legislation. The most recent reminder of this is the legislation that clearly attempted to legitimize voter suppression in states like North Carolina, with reports showing they deliberately targeted the same minority communities that Trump and his newly adopted party are now trying to court! The plight of the underserved isn't a problem that was created by the Democratic Party, it has existed and expanded under the watch of both parties, and while Democrats aimed to fix it, Republicans have blocked legislation, and many questioned the legitimacy and American heritage of our first black President. Who do you think currently leads that charge now in his candidacy, but Donald J. Trump.
His initial plea to black voters has been offensive and laced with arrogant bigotry and condescension. Some say he should be praised for starting the conversation, but you don't get a gold star for creating negative back-talk when told of the existence of systemic racism and the perils of police brutality or a criminal justice system that disproportionately affects African-Americans. You don't get applause for adding gasoline to the fire of racial disparity, instead of trying to extinguish it. Unless of course, your efforts of African-American outreach haven't been for African-Americans at all, but instead to seemingly show a more moderate stance so more moderate members of your party can feel ok about cosigning your bigotry with their vote; particularly when his numbers show he is also losing ground with college educated white voters, a group the Republican Party has historically won over in recent elections.
Detroit, I don't know why he was invited, but I know while there, he has asked you to do the unthinkable, and that's to vote for him in November, oddly with him polling statistically at zero percent within the surveyed margin of error among African-American voters. Despite his best efforts and failed outreach, that is just something we as a community cannot do.