Herschel Walker, the former star running back, gave a speech during the start of the Republican National Convention on Monday night.
His appearance surprised many and felt random as hell but it actually happened. In addition, Walker made it clear to media outlets that he made the appearance in support of President Trump at his own request.
Watching the RNC, I have a question. Is your only frame of reference for Black people Tim Scott, Herschel Walker and criminality?
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) August 26, 2020
Delivering the speech from his home near Dallas, Walker defended Trump against accusations of racism and attempted to explain to the world that they don’t really know Donald Trump.
The Georgia native and University of Georgia felt the need to clarify the world opinion of Donald Trump and he was passionate about saying the we got the Donald f&%ked up.
“I’ve seen racism up close. I know what it is. And, it isn’t Donald Trump,” said Walker in his speech. “It hurt my soul to hear the terrible names that people called Donald. The worst one is racist.”
Herschel must have skipped the recent parts of Trump’s life where he claimed the racial unrest in Charlottesville, spurred by a white nationalist march and led tot he death of a white woman by a enraged white men, had “very fine people on both sides.”
Watching Herschel Walker speech#CocaineConvention pic.twitter.com/rz7liPETFS
— The Drunken Tradesmen (@tradesmen_the) August 25, 2020
Or he probably missed that day back in 2018 when President Donald Trump expressed frustration behind closed doors with people coming to the US from “shithole countries.”
Maybe he was too busy to remember Trump’s reaction to the false accusation of the Central Park 5 who were convicted of the rape and beating of jogger Trisha Meili on April 19, 1989. Trump spent $85,000 placing ads in local papers that read: “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!”
Sounds like that as was ripped straight out of his not-so-vague critique of the Black Lives Matter movement today.
Elitist > Blackness
No, Herschel Walker, who played for New Jersey Generals of the now-defunct USFL from 1984 to ’85 when Trump owned the team, is speaking from a different point of view totally.
One that is perched from the misguided view of elitism.
Status trumps (pun intended) Blackness for many as its lucky beneficiaries can claim that by their hard work alone, they have ascended and those who haven’t experienced the same didn’t work hard enough.
But that is a paltry black-and-white vantage point. There can only be one Herschel Walker just as there is only one LeBron James and Muhammad Ali.
I’ve spent much of the day on Twitter blocking braindead trump cultists who were defending Herschel Walker for being a liberated, free-thinker. Irony is dead.
— Kenny BooYah! (@KwikWarren) August 25, 2020
Talent is a born and then cultivated but you cannot have a head start without it. The problem with many successful Black athletes and entertainers is that their Blackness feels whitewashed by success and access to “elites”.
It is commonplace that they forget the struggle of those left behind who will never win a once-in -a-year Heisman trophy or land an NFL contract.
That is why it is not surprising when Herschel Walker, Floyd Mayweather, and others express support for someone like Trump who only befriended them for their talent and the benefits its brought him.
Trump has proven annually as President that his love is transactional. He was an early supporter of MMA so UFC President Dana White must stump for him during the 2020 RNC like he did in 2016.
Walker forgets that just because he had a good experience with an opportunist during his Hall of Fame career, doesn’t mean that Trump treats everyone equally.
Hey Herschel Walker, even a racist will be “friends” with a black, Asian, Mexican, etc. person if they can benefit from it. @realDonaldTrump only uses, like a leech, just like he’s what he’s doing to America. Herschel, get better friends. @MSNBC
— mask.up.stupid (@maskupstupid1) August 26, 2020
“I take it personally that people would think I’ve had a 37-year friendship with a racist. People who think that don’t know what they’re talking about.”
Well ,Herschel, outside of your circle, Donald Trump has shown not only that he is a racist but that he is a xenophobe, an authoritarian, an elitist, and a sociopath with a lack of expressing empathy.
Just because you are on his list of non-shithole friends while Black doesn’t mean anyone else is. We also didn’t need you to convince us of your positive experience with a man who saw you as red meat in a steak house.
#HerschelWalker Hey, Uncle Herschel: Your 37 year "friendship" is with a man who wouldn't have rented you an apartment in his building in NYC because the rental agent would have put a C for "colored" in the right corner of your application and it would have been turned down.
— Moira Morrison (@moira228) August 26, 2020
The more that so-called Black celebrities try to convince the rest of us of the Donald Trump’s goodness, he more we know you are a tea-sipper of the “Get Out” persuasion.
2020 has broken up a lot of relationships during quarantine and Herschel Walker, you’re now added to that list.
Bye.
