Louisiana Deserves More than Political Hijinks

It's funny that Black folk are often accused of, “making everything about race.” Yet, it’s fine when non-Black folks do it. Because race is the centerpiece of what Senator Kennedy has done in his recent campaign ad.?

Let's start with the rudimentary stuff first. Dog-whistling refers to the subtle aimed political messages that are intended for and can only be understood by, a particular group. Kennedy uses the term crackhead to signal folks to think of Black people.?

After all, Black people have been the face of illegal drug usage since the Nixon era. Ronald Reagan upped the ante when he made us the face of the DARE campaign and slogans! Kennedy also gets to use this subtle messaging to not say the quiet part aloud: his political opponent Mr. Gary Chambers is a Black man who most likely knows (or heaven help us may be) a crackhead!?

Kennedy cannot say, “ don’t vote for Chambers 'cause he a Black!”

But Kennedy can utilize race-baiting to finish the job here. Race baiting is the act of intentionally encouraging racism or anger about issues relating to race. I mean Kennedy most likely likes his racism like he likes his bourbon… neat… He does need to remind the voters that Chambers is Black and to signal to them all the other racist tropes that exist in the popular square about us Black folx!?

While I can appreciate the high-energy stitches that have been the result of Senator Kennedy’s textbook shenanigans.? It's hilarious until it's not because it's really real. Because Senator Kennedy represents 4 million of his constituents in the state of Louisiana.

• A state that has the 2nd highest poverty rate in the United States. The overall poverty rate increased to 19% in 2019 from 18.6% in 2018.
• 140,000 children in Louisiana live in deep poverty.
• Louisiana ranks 5th in the nation for women killed by men, according to the most recently available data from the Violence Policy Center analyzing deaths in 2019.?
• In Louisiana, four black mothers die for every white mother. The state ranks 47th out of 48 when it comes to Black maternal mortality.?

A maternal mortality rate that Kennedy’s counterpart Senator Bill Cassidy hedges on Black women:

“About a third of our population is African American; African Americans have a higher incidence of maternal mortality. So, if you correct our population for race, we’re not as much of an outlier as it’d otherwise appear.”??

I’m a proud Louisianan but it has nothing to do with the political theatre of folks like Kennedy and everything to do with the rich Black history of our state.?

Louisiana has the country's second-largest percentage of African Americans, only behind Mississippi. Black culture is everywhere and our stock is strong! Moreover, the political and direct action of Black folx has left a positive impact not only on our state but the entire United States!?

• P.B.S. Pinchback was the only black governor of any state during Reconstruction and remained the only one until Douglas Wilder’s election in Virginia in 1989.
• Israel Meyer Augustine Junior was the first Black district judge in 1970.?
• The direct and nonviolent action of the Baton Rouge bus boycott of 1953 paved the way for bus boycotting in Montgomery.?

I’d like to think that if folks knew the gift that Black people are across the globe and especially in Louisiana then Kennedy’s ridiculous hijinks would be just that. However, because we live in an anti-Black society that fuels racism, these ads can be quite effective, and that is nothing to laugh about.?