By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Black officials and leaders are increasingly facing racist comments via social media, email and voicemail in recent months.
Though dealing with racial comments is nothing new for Black leaders, they have become more blatant this year via social media especially via their comments sections and reposts.
“In my work advising Black elected officials and as a former communications director for a Black leader, I’ve seen the toll this kind of hate takes,” said Zy Richardson, president and founder of Zy Media Group. “I’ve read binders of vile messages and listened to voicemails dripping with venom, all aimed at leaders simply because they are Black.”
Some Black officials are taking to social media to expose such behavior publicly. Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) is one of them.
On Aug. 17, Scott posted a video to Instagram exposing a racist, explicit voicemail in which a person called him the n-word around six times, among other derogatory terms. Wearing a shirt that said “Blackness Today, Blackness Tomorrow,” he addressed the biases and false accusations.
“Exposing this hate is part of the work to end it and a critical step in reminding people that we still have so much work to do to root out racism in this country,” said Richardson.
Many Black people responded in support of Scott, commending him for his work and promising to “have his back.”
Scott said exposing racist remarks is not new for him but there is a heightened need to share these comments with the world.
“It is more important now for us to share those publicly, because I think people need to know that contrary to some people’s beliefs, this kind of thinking still exists and is really prevalent within certain movements,” said Scott.
He said it happens multiple times a week.
“I always tell the team that if I don’t get called the n-word in some way by some racist White person every week, I feel like I haven’t done my job,” said Scott. “My job is to break down the systems, all of the things that they put in place that prohibited my people from being able to grow into their best selves.”
Scott said it is important for him not just to be a “go along to get along” Black official.
“Go along to get along Black elected officials are not getting these messages,” said Scott. “People need to know who is really on the team and who isn’t. That is why we have to share these messages.”
Scott said he hopes voters respond by unifying, reinvigorating those who thought Black people had come further and helping young people understand how far there is to go to break down racist systems.
“I commend Mayor Brandon Scott for sharing the attacks he’s faced, and more leaders should do the same,” said Richardson. “That’s why I urge speaking out against racism, especially in its most blatant forms. The public needs to see the weight Black leaders carry just for doing their jobs and understand how much strength it takes to keep showing up.”
Although racist comments toward Black elected officials have surged in recent months, the issue is longstanding and several legislators are demonstrating that they will not be intimidated or deterred.