BrothaMagazine

@stephenasmith went to the White House to break bread with Donald Trump, Kid Rock, and Bill Maher. Now he’s defending himself by suggesting that refusing to have a conversation would be foolish and that his engagement was about helping the Black community. Well, Stephen A., since you claim this was about helping Black people, I have a few questions. The Trump administration has gutted the federal workforce, disproportionately impacting Black women. Did you secure any of those jobs back? Trump has waged an all-out assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Did you get a commitment to restore any of those protections? His administration has worked to erase Black history from federal institutions and public education. Did you convince him to reverse those policies? His administration has pursued redistricting schemes that threaten Black political representation. Did you get him to oppose those efforts? ICE has been guilty of racial profiling, abusive detention practices, and deadly enforcement tactics against Black and Brown immigrants. Did you get any commitment to end those abuses or change his immigration policies? You reportedly raised unemployment among Black women and funding for HBCUs. What concrete commitments did you walk away with? What policies changed? What resources were secured? What did Black people actually gain? Because sitting at a table with the president is not an accomplishment. Getting a picture, sharing a meal, and having a four-hour conversation are not victories for Black America. ACCESS IS NOT ADVOCACY. PROXIMITY IS NOT PROGRESS. AND A SEAT AT THE TABLE MEANS NOTHING IF YOU LEAVE WITHOUT BRINGING ANYTHING BACK TO THE PEOPLE YOU CLAIM TO REPRESENT. You can call it whatever makes you feel important. But don’t insult our intelligence by dressing up your personal invitation as some great act of service to Black people. So tell us, Stephen A., exactly what did you accomplish for the Black community? Not what you discussed. Not how gracious Trump was. Not how wonderful the dinner went. WHAT. DID. YOU. DELIVER? Because as far as any publicly documented results are concerned, the answer appears to be NOTHING.