National Leaders Reject Donald Trump’s Outreach Effort to African Americans

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Following Donald Trump’s efforts to reach out to African American communities, Hillary for America released the following statements from African American leaders across the country.

After a campaign spent courting white supremacists and playing into misleading stereotypes about people of color, today in Detroit, Donald Trump addressed a predominantly African American audience for the first time.

While Trump can attempt to reach out to African Americans, he has proven to the community time and again that he is unfit to be president and he has no interest in working with the African American community.

National leaders are rejecting Trump’s scripted conversation and his staged outreach to the Black community.

“Whether he is embracing policies that preserve privilege for those at the top or spewing rhetoric that demeans Americans, Donald Trump has shown us that he wants to roll back the progress we have witnessed over the past eight years. Trump is running around the country riling up his supporters declaring that he wants to ‘take our country back.’ I have news for Mr. Trump, the hateful groups he has courted and now represents can never have this country again. We are moving forward together, and we refuse to allow him to take us back.” –Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO)

“Donald Trump’s visit to Detroit is tantamount to a wolf visiting a sheep farm to lead a discussion on Let Me Be Your Leader To Greener Pastures. It is the old southern strategy of Nixon, Bush and Reagan, wrapped up in a new an un-improved version of divide and conquer the Black and moderate white votes. Let’s talk about law and order for you, bad economic times for you but no specific plan of action from me. He is talking over, around and through Black people but not to Black people. He should apologize, repent, re-align and retreat from his divisive non-Presidential behavior. We are all better than that.” –Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, Detroit Social Activist

“Hillary Clinton has been a champion for the African-American community for decades. This year, she traveled to Flint to stand with us and let the country know that Flint’s crisis is a national crisis. In doing so, she showed us once again who she is: a proven leader who is committed to addressing the injustices African-Americans are subjected to in this country. Flint’s water crisis should serve as a reminder to Americans of what can happen when entire communities are ignored, left out and left behind. Donald Trump has a long history of turning a blind eye to the African American community. We are not fooled by this manufactured stop in Michigan. This is the same man who has talked down to us and falsely claimed that our entire community is poor, uneducated and unemployed. Donald Trump’s lack of concern for our community is yet another reason he is unqualified and unfit for the presidency.” –Mayor Karen Weaver, Flint, MI

“As the Bible says, beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. No matter how many times he attempts to reset, Donald Trump is still running the same race but with a pair of different shoes.   There’s no doubt in my mind that this man who discriminated from the boardroom will take that same attitude to the White House.  He has shown us who he really is and who he really cares about—and that’s not us.” –Rev. Marcia Dyson, Social Activist

“I have no room for conversation with Mr. Trump, until he first apologizes to the President and the entire African American community for attempting to delegitimize his presidency with regard to him being a US Citizen. If a person has no respect for an African American serving in the highest position in this country and world, then how can I believe that he has any respect for me?” –Bishop Charles Ellis, Detroit Faith and Community Leader

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Clinton Campaign Statement on Trump Doubling Down on Insulting African Americans

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Hillary for America Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement Marlon Marshall released the following statement in response to comments made by Donald Trump at a rally in Akron, Ohio.

Today during a rally in Ohio, Donald Trump doubled down on his insults to the African American community, which he leveled during a Friday speech in Michigan. There, he posed the question to African Americans, “What do you have to lose? You’re living in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no jobs.” Today, in Akron, Trump continued: “You can go to war zones in countries that we’re fighting and it’s safer than living in some of our inner cities… I ask you this. Crime. All of the problems. To the African Americans who I employ so many — so many people… What the hell do you have to lose? … You’ll be able to walk down the street without getting shot. Right now, you walk down the street. You get shot.”

Hillary for America Director of State Campaigns and Political Engagement Marlon Marshall released the following statement in response:

“It could not be clearer how much African Americans have to lose under Donald Trump. He is doubling down on insults, fear and stereotypes that set our community back and further divide our country. But again this is not surprising, this is a man who questions the citizenship of the first African American president, has a disturbing pattern of courting white supremacists, and has been sued for housing discrimination against communities of color.

As demonstrated by his bigotry and actions, Donald Trump is unfit and unqualified to be President. We cannot afford this out of touch and divisive thinking in the White House, which is why we must take nothing for granted and work as hard as we can to make sure Hillary Clinton is our next president.”

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: The Columbus Dispatch