Clinton is a household name throughout American society, but the Clintons seem to hold a special place in the collective black consciousness. Go into any black neighborhood barbershop, beauty shop or bar and mention a Clinton and you might be met with conversations of praises and joy. Dialogue along these lines, “Bill was the first black president,” “Times were good when there was a Clinton in the White House,” “Boy that man could play a sax, he’s gotta be part black,” and the talk goes on and on. This is the Clinton mystic, a pervasive enchantment of sorts that has captured the electoral loyalty of black Americans.

Today we have another Clinton vying for the oval office, and like her husband, she appears to have the allegiance of black voters. So much so, that the Clinton campaign has given the relationship an official name: “The Clinton Firewall.” This electoral firewall is a coalition of minority voters that in large part support the Clinton name and by extension Sec. Hillary Clinton. When Sec. Clinton tied Iowa earlier this cycle and lost terribly in New Hampshire, her campaign touted that ‘firewall’ when met with questions about her viability by the media. Bottomline, Sec. Clinton knew that black Americans would have her back when the chance came — and frankly she was right.

does Hillary Clinton really care about black people — Photo: Tumblr

Let’s take South Carolina for example, where the black population is hovering around 1.5 million, which is about 30 percent of the total population in the state. In the Democratic primary there on Feb. 27th, 61 percent of voters identified as black. Out of those black voters, 84 percent of them voted for Sec. Hillary Clinton. In short, we won her the state. Across the South, similar results can be seen. The question remains, however, does Sec. Clinton truly deserve our electoral allegiance? There is strong evidence to suggest otherwise, and black millennials more so than any other demographic seem to be cognizant of these facts. Let’s examine some of Hillary Clinton’s more problematic tendencies in reference to black people.

While speaking on her husband’s crime bill in 1996, then First Lady Clinton characterized troubled black youth as “super-predators,” going on to say that we must bring those youth “to heel” — a term often used in the context of controlling a wild animal or savage.

In her 2008 campaign, Clinton stoked the rumors that then Sen. Barack Obama was Muslim (as if there was anything intrinsically wrong with that). During an interview when she was asked about her stance on the rumor, she stated, “As far as I know,” in reference to Barack Obama’s religious convictions seemingly leaving room for more rumors to fester.

Also during her 2008 presidential bid, Clinton forces were attributed with releasing this picture of Barack Obama, one that appeared to characterize the then-senator as Muslim in a largely Islamophobic American society. This, however, is Barack Obama visiting his homeland of Kenya and paying respect to that culture by donning the traditional garb.

When confronted by BLM protester Ashley Williams about her 1996 comments on Feb 24th at a private fundraiser (Williams paid $500 to attend), Clinton had her removed and then went on to say “Now let’s get back to the issues.” One has to ask themselves, is the criminalization, dehumanization and mass incarceration of young black Americans not an ‘issue?’

Sec. Clinton also dismissed a young woman in a rather condescending manner when confronted about her ‘super-predator’ comments.

From a policy standpoint, the Clintons have not always forwarded legislation that has helped black Americans. Although her husband was in office, Hillary Clinton pushed and supported the Violent Crime Bill and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a law that sent many black men away for ridiculously long sentences over non-violent crimes and strengthened the ‘3-strikes’ initiatives. This is where her super-predator comments stem from, something that has clearly come back to haunt her.

The Clintons also engaged in a ‘War on Welfare’ with the passing of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 (PRWOA), which was a bill essentially targeting the myth of a welfare queen and welfare dependence as a whole. In actuality, the law only further disenfranchised the poor, providing them with fewer options to support themselves. Furthermore, when taking a deeper glimpse into Sec. Clinton’s donor pool, clear problems and contradictions can be observed. For example, it was only until she was confronted by advocacy groups in the beginning of this primary season did Sec. Clinton give away donations from the prison industrial complex and their lobbyists. The question remains, does she deserve our vote?

To add to the conversation in a rally in Philadelphia on Thursday April 7th, Former President Bill Clinton was met with heckling from Black Lives Matter protestors and his response seemed a bit heavy handed. When explaining the reasoning behind the 1994 Crime Bill he touted a 20 year decrease in crime as well as saying, Black Lives Matters is defending drug slingers and murderers. It appears that even our “first black president” may be out of touch.

Very crucial primaries in New York and California are around the corner, and there’s no doubt that Sec. Clinton will count on the support of black voters to push her through to victory. Maybe it’s time African Americans take a step back as a whole and truly consider: Sshould we vote for a candidate that might not have our best interests at heart?

Chinemerem Onyeukwu is a Political Junkie| Artist|Writer| Miami Redhawk| Nigerian- American| Founder of The Veritas Ledger Political Commentary Blog | Some change requires force and even pain, in the end, however, growth makes it worth it…or so I am told. Follow him on Facebook, InstagramI and Twitter.

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Chinemerem Onyeukwu

Writing since April 2016 · 1 story contributed