MONKEYS

...and a chimp in high heels

Late last night Trump proudly posted a clip of Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys. Americans should take notice and be on high alert.

Three days ago I wrote about the arrest of Levy Armstrong by ICE and the Trump administration subsequently altering her arrest photo to better fit the scary, unpleasant image that racist have long tried to portray of Black Americans. In that post I wrote; “...here’s what I’m writing about today. I’m not writing about the arrest. I’m writing about what happened afterward because you might not have either known, or you knew but did not fully catch the significance. In the 244 post that I have written as a part of The Civil Conversations Project, this easily-over-looked event might be the scariest, most disturbing, and most telling thing I have written. America has perfected the mis-leading narrative and it continues to destroy our country.“

Racism is complicated and Trump's post was not about insulting the Obamas. It was way more than that. The Obamas probably considered the source, maybe felt sad about the bigger picture, and then continued on about their day.

In 2016 Pamela Ramsey Taylor, who ran a local nonprofit group in Clay Georgia - until she was sent to prison for embezzling FEMA disaster relief funds - referred to First Lady Michelle Obama as an ape. “It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified first lady in the White House. I’m tired of seeing an Ape in heels.” Then local mayor Beverly Whaling chimed in with her own stupid ignorance; “Just made my day Pam”. Within days Mayor Whaling had resigned and Pam Taylor had been fired.

Michelle Obama has written and spoken candidly about experiencing “exhausting” daily slights, dehumanizing stereotypes, and overt racism during her time as First Lady, despite her high-profile position. She has described these experiences as “small, tiny cuts that can make one feel invisible or, conversely, treated as a threat.”

She noted that early in her time in the White House, the racism and scrutiny caused “sleepless nights”. She spoke of the “exhausting” nature of being Black in America, where she and her husband were sometimes viewed as a threat rather than as individuals.

So Black Americans have learned to pause, shrug, consider the source, and just move on when comments like those Taylor and Whaling come our way. They suck for sure, but at the end of the day are of no real immediate consequence.

But it’s an entirely different thing when the most powerful person in the world - the duly elected president of the United States - actively promotes racial hatred. Because then racism becomes dangerous. And in this case, dangerous to the entire country.

Trump has taken us where he’s been headed since he first started talking about running for president. He ramped up his racism when Barack Obama’s star began to rise after his speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 and he was spoken of as a presidential contender. I was trying to be subtle when I wrote about the doctored photo of Levy Armstrong being a sign that the country is being led into a new and dangerous era. But today it feels like we’ve arrived. Trump isn’t trying to insult the Obamas. He’s trying to pit Americans against Americans. If you look around you, you will see that he’s being successful. Divide and conquer. It has a history of working.

When I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC years ago, I already knew about the death and the torture and the cruelty of the Third Reich. So my main take away was how stunningly complicit the German people had been either actively or passively.

Let Americans not be those people. We have engaged with racism and fascism before. And won.

A Special Ask

Why This Work Matters Right Now

The country just entered a new era last night. The headlines 3 days ago and again this morning offered another reminder of how quickly public language can slide into dehumanization — how images and words, when used carelessly - or intentionally - can reopen old wounds and harden divisions.

We’ve entered a new and terrifying age when Americans are being encouraged by the president of United States to hate each other based on skin color. We have not seen this coming from the Oval Office since Woodrow Wilson was president from 1913 to 1921 and publicly supported and promoted the Klu Klux Klan.

I would like to say this is the 21st century version of violent racism mimicking the 19th and early 20th centuries.

This isn’t just about one post or one moment. It’s about a culture that is increasingly loud, reactive, and stripped of nuance.

That’s why the work of The Civil Conversations Project matters right now.

Civil conversations don’t avoid conflict — they insist on humanity within it. They make room for truth, history, and accountability without collapsing into outrage or silence. In moments like this, that work isn’t optional. It’s essential.

If you believe our public discourse can be better than this:

· Support the project financially if you’re able

· Read and share the work

· Join the conversations

Because how we speak to one another shapes what becomes possible next — and the stakes are too high to look away.

Sources:

https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-obamas-apes-truth-social-post-7117ac3a?st=29xi1b&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink