Ken Blackwell: President Trump Has Delivered Results for Black Americans

As President Trump [returned] to Cincinnati [yesterday], he [brought] with him an impressive record of accomplishment. Not only has the president delivered results for Americans across the board, he has done so specifically for the African American community.

Meanwhile, 2020 Democrats continue to lecture us about what they think our communities need, while refusing to cover their own records on race. But what they fail to explain is how President Trump’s record of success could ever be a bad thing.

Since President Trump took office nearly two and a half years ago, he has delivered transformative results. From passing tax cuts and renegotiating bad trade deals to rebuilding our military and fostering a booming economy, the president is making all parts of America and Ohio greater.

Not only is our national unemployment rate at historic lows, but in May 2018, African American unemployment hit a record low, and continues to hold strong. President Trump has helped create jobs and opportunities for the African American community, getting the economy working for us.

On top of keeping his promises for our economy, President Trump was successful in passing historic bipartisan criminal justice reform known as the First Step Act. This involved easing sentences for nonviolent crimes and allowing those sentenced under racially motivated mandatory minimums – something once supported by Joe Biden – to have their sentences re-evaluated and potentially overturned. Thanks to this reform, we have already seen people reunited with their families with the hope of starting a new life.

President Trump has also made fighting for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) a major priority. His administration in one year alone appropriated more money to HBCUs than any other president, and he has taken steps to establish the Presidential Board of Advisors on HBCUs, as requested by community leaders.

The Trump administration has also worked to create Opportunity Zones that spur investment into disadvantaged communities, impacting as many as 1.4 million minority households. These zones help put a priority on rebuilding and bettering many African American communities that have long been forgotten under prior administrations.

Unfortunately for the 2020 Democratic candidates, they don’t have this kind of record of success to run on. As mayor of Newark, Sen. Cory Booker oversaw a police department that was widely criticized for civil rights and discriminatory violations. Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been chastised for his poor relationships with African Americans in South Bend. Joe Biden was opposed to the integration of schools and introduced anti-busing legislation in the 1970s and 1980s. Recently, Biden even suggested that he missed the days when he served with racist, Democrat segregationist senators.

The Democratic National Committee has rightfully also received flack for taking African American supporters for granted and disenfranchising African American members through their superdelegate system.

African Americans have thrived under the policies of President Trump. Why would we ever want to reverse this? Just imagine what we will be able to accomplish for our community and the entire country with four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House.

Photo credit: Johnny Silvercloud (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved

Ken Blackwell was a Domestic Policy Advisor to the Trump Presidential Transition Team. Previously, he served as Ohio Secretary of State, Ohio Treasurer, and Mayor of Cincinnati.

The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Black Community News.

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