#NNPA BlackPress

Trump Revives Familiar Playbook with Racist Swipe at Charlamagne

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Donald Trump’s latest tirade against a prominent Black media figure is drawing fresh scrutiny of his long-documented history of racist behavior. In a Truth Social post, the former president called Charlamagne tha God a “racist sleazebag” and “low-IQ individual” after the popular radio host criticized Trump’s return to the White House during an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News.

Published

1 year ago

August 4, 2025

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Donald Trump’s latest tirade against a prominent Black media figure is drawing fresh scrutiny of his long-documented history of racist behavior. In a Truth Social post, the former president called Charlamagne tha God a “racist sleazebag” and “low-IQ individual” after the popular radio host criticized Trump’s return to the White House during an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News. “I don’t want to say that I think he did a terrible job, but if he’s doing a terrible job, I gotta call it like it is,” said Charlamagne, whose real name is Lenard McKelvey. “All we want is somebody in those positions that’s going to do a good job. I’m not a party person, in no way, shape or form”. Trump, clearly enraged, blasted Charlamagne’s moniker: “Why is he allowed to use the word ‘GOD’ when describing himself? Can anyone imagine the uproar there would be if I used that nickname?” He added that the host “has no idea what words are coming out of his mouth and knows nothing about me or what I have done”. While Trump claims he rebuilt the economy and closed the southern border, data shows core inflation is rising, and Black unemployment has reached its highest level since the pandemic.

A Decades-Long Pattern

Trump’s reaction to Charlamagne follows a pattern of racist attacks stretching back decades. According to PBS News, Trump has repeatedly used dehumanizing language to describe Black prosecutors, calling Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg a “Soros-backed animal” and referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James as “Racist A.G. Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James” — a term experts say echoes racist slurs. He also accused Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of being “racist” and a “rabid partisan,” running a campaign ad falsely suggesting she had a romantic relationship with a gang member — an ad she called “derogatory and false”. “He’s taking that historical racialized language that was offensive and insulting, and the subordinating of Black persons, applying it in a contemporary space,” said Dr. Bev-Freda Jackson of American University.

Research Confirms Trump’s Rhetoric Has Real Impact

Trump’s language has had measurable consequences. A 2023 peer-reviewed study in Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology found that Trump’s 2016 election increased dehumanizing views among white Americans who supported him. Trump voters were more likely to rate Black people as less “evolved” after the election than before. The study confirmed what many already suspected: Trump didn’t just reflect racism—he amplified it. “Trickle-down racism” became a reality, validating fears expressed by figures like Mitt Romney, who warned Trump’s rhetoric would legitimize hate.

Systemic Efforts to Erase Black History

Beyond rhetoric, Trump has taken deliberate action to erase and distort Black history. In 2025, the National Park Service attempted to scrub references to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad from exhibits, a move the Trump administration reversed only after public outrage. Around the same time, Trump issued an executive order targeting the National Museum of African American History and Culture as “divisive,” prompting director Kevin Young’s resignation. He also created the 1776 Commission, an effort to push “patriotic education” that whitewashed America’s legacy of slavery and racism. The move was a direct attack on initiatives like The 1619 Project, which Trump called “toxic propaganda”. Historians say the goal is clear: to rewrite and sanitize history. “It seems like we’re headed in the direction where there’s even an attempt to deny that the institution of slavery even existed,” one historian told POLITICO regarding Trump’s order targeting the Smithsonian’s African American museum.

From Housing Discrimination to Charlottesville

Trump’s racially charged behavior isn’t new. In 1973, he was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for discriminating against Black renters. During the investigation, Trump allegedly told a DOJ attorney, “You know, you don’t want to live with them either”. In 1989, he took out full-page newspaper ads calling for the execution of the Central Park Five—five Black and Latino teenagers later exonerated. Even after DNA evidence proved their innocence, Trump maintained they were guilty. His political rise was fueled by the racist “birther” conspiracy against President Barack Obama, and he infamously referred to the white supremacists in Charlottesville as “very fine people”.

Cliff Albright of Black Voters Matter has previously reminded the world that, “This is who Donald Trump is. He’s been this way all his time in public life.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Poll Downplays Racism, Project 2025 Doesn’t

Don't Miss

U.S. Job Growth Stalls in July, Black Unemployment Remains Elevated

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”
The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.

The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts

Is your home EV charging setup ready? Dealerships may not warn you about critical outlet and circuit needs. Find out before you plug in!
The post EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

Dealerships won’t tell you: charging this big battery at home isn’t always simple. Verify your outlet capacity, circuit, and setup before assuming level one or basic outdoor outlets will suffice.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/A9Cd2SspoaQ

#AutoNetwork

The post EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts

Don’t get tricked at the dealership! Learn essential car buying secrets to secure the best deal and avoid hidden traps.
The post Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

Before stepping into a dealership, secure bank pre-approval for your financing rate. Then, get the out-the-door price in writing. Never discuss monthly payments until that number is fixed. Test road noise and rear visibility yourself. Decline add-ons with a simple ‘Not today’. Check backseat space with your tallest household member.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/maAOBjO1puY

#AutoNetwork

The post Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.