Who Will Black Voters Choose in South Carolina?

FEATURING CHENJERAI KUMANYIKA – Fresh from his victory in New Hampshire, Republican front runner Donald Trump headed to South Carolina where the next primary election will be taking place. He spoke at Clemson University where two African American men were ejected for seemingly no reason other than the fact that they were black. There have been several instances of other black and even Muslim attendees at Trump’s rallies being ejected, and sometimes verbally or physically abused.

On the one had the Trump phenomenon and its focusing of white resentment is a dangerous trend. On the other hand, his polar opposite, Bernie Sanders is also gaining steam. Rather than divide people, Sanders is pushing a message of togetherness. Sanders however, is struggling with his rival candidate Hillary Clinton having great clout within the black community. That may be changing with recent public statements by such luminaries as Ta-Nehisi Coates, Michelle Alexander, and Benjamin Jealous that favor Sanders.

Chenjerai Kumanyika is an Assistant Professor of Communications Studies at Clemson University in South Carolina. He was one of the men in question who was kicked out of the Trump rally at Clemson.