The Final Call | National News

Detroiter's stumped by Trump visit

By Mahalieka Muhammad | Last updated: Sep 18, 2016 - 8:54:54 PM

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Trump protesters in Detroit with signs. Photos: Mina Crystal Muhammad

—Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s visit to a Black church in Detroit earlier this month left many residents in the city scratching their heads and unimpressed with what was billed as the real estate mogul’s attempt at “outreach to the African American community.”

Several hundred people gathered about a quarter mile from Great Faith Ministries International, where Bishop Wayne T. Jackson serves as senior pastor, to express their anger and displeasure with Mr. Trump. Bishop Jackson made national headlines when he invited Mr. Trump to speak at his church. The invitation sparked various emotions and harsh criticism from not only Detroit’s Black residents but Black folks nationwide. Most national polls show Mr. Trump garnering anywhere from zero to six percent of the Black vote compared to Hillary Clinton who is polling at over 90 percent.

What Mr. Trump billed as a message of “unity” to Detroit morphed into a message that was scripted, void of plans to unify, lacked policies or programs and was dry, argued critics. Questions were also raised on who was allowed into the closed Saturday church service.

There were many barricades posted around the church and a ticket was required to get through. This infuriated residents and protestors even more because some wanted to attend the event only to learn that when they arrived the event was “ticketed”.

Leading up to the Sept. 3 event, many Blacks in the city didn’t want Mr. Trump to visit not only Great Faith Ministries International, but any church in the Black community.

“Donald Trump really disrespected the Black folks in the city of Detroit. When you don’t have no knowledge of folks that live in the city and then you’re going to get on TV in front of a White crowd and talk about the African Americans in Detroit, that was a slap in our face,” said G. Peggy Noble, a local community activist and organizer.

Mr. Trump made brief remarks inside the church after conducting an interview with Bishop Jackson that will reportedly air at a later date. According to reports, while inside, Mr. Trump sat in the same pew as Dr. and Mrs. Ben Carson and Omarosa Manigault, his Director of African American Outreach. Later, he briefly visited the River Rogue childhood home of Dr. Carson, a former GOP presidential candidate who now supports Mr. Trump, before leaving the area. River Rogue is a suburb of Detroit.

Police barricade for invitation only Trump visit.

“Our nation is divided. We talk past each other and not to each other. And those who seek office do not do enough to step into the community and learn what is going on. They don’t know—they have no clue,” said Mr. Trump during his remarks.

“I’m here today to learn, so that we can together remedy injustice in any form, and so that we can also remedy economics so that the African-American community can benefit economically through jobs and income and so many other different ways,” he continued.It is these comments that contradict Mr. Trump’s documented history of his relationship with Black Americans. Why was his Black church visit happening a mere two months before November’s election when he hasn’t been echoing this message prior to this visit? residents asked.

Rev. Larry L. Simmons, Sr. from Baber Memorial AME Church of Detroit spoke to The Final Call about Mr. Trump.

Rev. Larry L. Simmons, Sr. of Baber Memorial AME Church of Detroit, walking on crutches wasn’t falling for it, he told The Final Call. “It is important that we stand up to bigotry wherever it happens. When someone rises up to the level of (the presidential) candidacy of United States, we cannot be silent and allow this to go by as though it’s okay. This is wrong,” he said. Rev. Simmons said he also believes with someone like Mr. Trump in office, slavery could be voted back into law.

Taney Hankins, president of “You Voted Now What?” distributed cards to protestors urging support in forming a “political accountability” movement. She called Mr. Trump’s visit a “farce” and “not for Black people” but instead believes it was aimed at attracting more White supporters and voters or those who are still undecided on who to vote for. Her campaign is influenced heavily by Millennials who feel they are “detached” and want to learn how to carry out and play a greater role in developing and pushing a Black agenda with candidates.

Sam Riddle, long-time-Detroit resident and current political director for the Michigan Action Network, who served as the Chief of Staff for Monica Conyers, former Detroit City Council President and wife of Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.), added historical context to the Trump protests and visit.

G. Peggy Noble, a local community activist and organizer is interviewed. A protester held signs with questions for Mr. Trump.

He recalled hearing from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam for the first time in 1972 at the 1st National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana, with Mayor Coleman Young, Detroit’s first Black mayor.

Mr. Riddle said the same thing that happened then is happening now which is instead of Black organizations and leadership unifying and discussing the creation of their own National Black agenda to hold candidates accountable to Black interests, “What’s happening here today is a travesty because what we have here today is that we have people of African descent, Americans, who are fighting on to see what plantation they’re going to be on. Are they going to be on plantation run by an elephant or a plantation run by a donkey?” He added, “We have to vote and protect our self-interests.”

Yet even among protestors, Ryan Hereford, 23 from Detroit’s Westside came to see if Mr. Trump would be a candidate he should consider voting for. Unsure who to vote for, Mr. Hereford wanted to learn more about Trump’s perspective or policies on different topics.

Sam Riddle speaks to the Final Call about Mr. Trump’s visit. Photos: Mina Crystal Muhammad

Mr. Hereford said he’s not necessarily voting for Hillary Clinton, telling The Final Call, “I’m on the fence.” He didn’t like Mrs. Clinton referring to Black youth as super predators or Mr. Clinton’s crime bill stating, “During his administration more African American men were incarcerated.”

Like most, Mr. Hereford didn’t know he needed a ticket to get in the church and wanted to get facts so that he could be an informed voter. He wanted to vote for Bernie Sanders, because he felt he was “fair” and still may write him in as a candidate, but he really wanted to hear Mr. Trump’s views.

Bishop Jackson pushed back on critics that have called him names for opening up his church to the controversial candidate. “I am not an Uncle Tom or Uncle Ruckus,” he said, adding that he also wants to remind Detroiters he’s always helped and given back to the community.

The bishop maintained since accepting the request from the Trump Campaign in June that the interview was about “engagement, not endorsement”. But when questioned about pre-approved questions being submitted to Mr. Trump prior to his visit, he explained that interview questions also included those Mr. Trump hadn’t seen yet.