Let's Take a Minute to Discuss Trump's Disgraceful Black History Month Speech

By Lisette Mejia

Remember last year's Black History Month at the White House, when President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle danced with 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin as she fulfilled her dreams of meeting the president? It was a beautiful moment that instantly went viral.

Fast forward to this year, and President Donald Trump insulted the legacy of Black History Month in several ways during his Feb. 1 speech. Here are a few.

  1. Speaking about abolitionist Frederick Douglass, Trump described him as "someone who has done a terrific job that is being recognized by more and more people." Douglass died in 1895. Many took Trump's comments to imply that he thinks Douglass is still alive.

    stay woke. frederick douglass......... is alive https://t.co/ulCJZbIUdq

    — i want to believe (@bijanstephen) February 1, 2017

    @davidfrum to be fair... pic.twitter.com/ALnm8pwL4H

    — ElElegante101 (@skolanach) February 1, 2017

  2. After briefly reflecting on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy, Trump went on a tangent about a mistaken report. He mentioned how Time journalist Zeke Miller had wrongly reported that Martin Luther King Jr.'s bust had been removed from the Oval Office. Miller has since apologized several times but in true Trump style, he can't let it go. (He also called CNN "fake news" and praised Fox News, who has "treated me very nice.")

    Did Trump really use Black History Month as an excuse to blast the media for false reports about the MLK bust and to call CNN fake news?

    — Doron Kenter (@dpkenter) February 1, 2017

    Daniel Dale, a Washington correspondent for the Toronto Star, tweeted Trump's comments about the MLK bust, which went viral with thousands of retweets.

    Here is a transcript of President Trump's comments on Dr. Martin Luther King at his Black History Month gathering this morning. pic.twitter.com/qHq9i1Ligg

    — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 1, 2017

  3. Instead of celebrating any current accomplishments of African Americans, he painted black communities as those living in despair with failing schools, low wages, and crime. "We're going to need better schools, and we need them soon. We need more jobs, we need better wages, a lot better wages," he said. "We're going to work very hard on the inner city."

    STOP SAYING "the African-Americans". We all don't live in the inner city. We are not a singular monolith. We are diverse. https://t.co/uvsJdmzn9M

    — Chris (@GuttyMonkey) February 1, 2017

    Is no one else bothered by #Trump always equating African Americans and the inner city? #blackhistorymonth

    — John Dudley (@j_dudley) February 1, 2017

      4. After the speech, Dale tweeted the full transcript of Trump's remarks:

      This is a full transcript of President Trump's speech to his Black History Month event. pic.twitter.com/uJ9iXvUOGr

      — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 1, 2017

      Which Chelsea Clinton retweeted with the words, "This is . . . this is . . ."

      This is...this is... https://t.co/p0Jv4CBa0q

      — Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) February 1, 2017

      Girl, we don't blame you. It's hard coming up with the right words for what went down.

Image Source: NBC