BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Outrage can't begin to describe how many African American community members are feeling after President Trump first posted—and then later deleted-- a video depicting former President Barack Obama and his wife as apes.
"It was disturbing, it was repugnant. I tried not to take it personally. It was obviously racist, feeding into stereotypes and an attempt to dehumanize people," said Dr. Paula Parks, a professor at Bakersfield College and Coordinator of its Umoja Program.
We have chosen not to show the video in question. Trump's Truth Social account reposted the video Thursday night, as it depicts Barack and Michelle Obama as primates. While the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from the movie "The Lion King" plays in the background.
Traco Matthews, Pastor said "First of all, I thought it was fake. Putting black faces on ape bodies is the equivalent of publicly calling folks the 'n word". I thought I'd never see the day when our president was making that type of pejorative racist statement."
Others note the irony....something as this comes as the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring the achievements, history, and culture of African Americans in our nation.
Patrick Jackson, President of the NAACP Bakersfield Chapter, said, "Those types of terms and imaginary means something to people in black America. The person who runs our country is supposed to be the highest representation for us in the world. And to see that is definitely disappointing, disheartening, and has left me very upset at the fact that the president of the United States would do such a thing."
We reached out to multiple Kern County elected officials for comment. Republican state Senator Shannon Grove responded, saying, "The post was racist and unacceptable and should be condemned, regardless of who shares it."
We also reached out multiple times to Republican Congressmen Vince Fong and David Valadao, and Assemblyman Stan Ellis. They did not respond by news time.
"It sends the wrong message to the younger generation. It tells them it's okay to behave that way, and it's not okay. It's not okay to be a bully, make fun of people, laugh at people, to use old stereotypes; those things aren't funny. They aren't funny in the classroom or the community. IT should be embarrassing to people as a nation," said Parks
Community members tell me they hope our nation heals from this, especially our African American communities. Especially knowing the fact that they deal with struggles on a day-to-day basis.
"I think it's very important that we grab our children and grab the ones around us. Let them know they are important, special, and loved. I hope we can continue to spread that message of love, especially when we are here in Black History Month celebrating our heroes and sheros. Letting our future generation know they are not bamboos, not monkeys, but they are great citizens, and God loves them."
While the video may be gone, the message and the backlash remain, especially for Kern County's Black community.
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