Once again, the press are using politics to determine who is and isn’t a stunning and inspirational member of a historically marginalized community.
It’s not enough to be a successful, groundbreaking minority to be considered a successful, groundbreaking minority. One must also have the “correct” politics. Otherwise, you’re barely even a person, let alone a minority role model or success story.
USA Today this week published an article tracking all the “historic firsts” for people of color in Tuesday’s elections.
“As polls closed late Tuesday, states throughout the country saw a range of candidates of color racking up election wins in historic results,” reads the opening line to an article titled “From Boston to Cincinnati, people of color won local elections in historic firsts.”
It adds, “The gains ranged from mayoral elections to state offices, in many cases the first time such posts have been won by people of color or candidates from marginalized communities.”
The two words missing from USA Today’s nearly 600-word write-up of Tuesday’s “historic firsts”: Winsome Sears. As the article was published in the early morning hours of Nov. 3, long after Sears had been declared the winner in the Virginia lieutenant governor’s race, there’s no excuse for her omission.
Sears, by the way, is black. She was born in Jamaica. She immigrated to the United States as a child, growing up in the Bronx. Sears later served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1983 to 1986. She will serve now as Virginia’s first-ever female lieutenant governor.
Seems like a “historic first,” no?
The USA Today article also makes no mention of Virginia Republican attorney general candidate Jason Miyares, who, should he win his election as expected, will become the first Latino in the state’s history to hold that office. To be fair, no one has called that race for Miyares, and there’s always the possibility that his opponent will overtake him in the count.
But this is not the case with Sears.
It would be one thing if this were a one-off. However, as we’ve seen in the past, the press have a bad habit of unpersoning people of color for holding “problematic” political and personal beliefs. They did it to comedian Dave Chappelle after he questioned liberal orthodoxy regarding transgenderism. They did it to New York Nets player Kyrie Irving after he came out in opposition to vaccine mandates.
If you’re a person of color with the “correct” politics and you walk whatever line liberals have adopted at the moment, you’re brave and stunning — a “historic first” for minorities everywhere. But stray from the party line or even flirt with conservative positions, and you’re no longer welcome in the “inclusivity and representation matter” tent.
You’re lucky if they even acknowledge your humanity.
