Instead of Meaningful Commitment to Cube’s C.W.B.A., Trump’s Platinum Plan Disregards Rapper’s Most
*This past Tuesday, social media users were outraged to discover via Twitter that former N.W.A. member and “Are We There Yet?” actor, Ice Cube has collaborated with the Trump Administration. The news was revealed when Katrina Pierson, senior advisor to the Trump campaign publicly thanked the rapper using the social site for his assistance in consulting the Administration on its “Platinum Plan.”
Originally introduced at a campaign rally in Atlanta back in September, the Platinum Plan is an economic proposal intended for Black Americans with the goal of financially empowering them through four pillars: opportunity, security, prosperity, and fairness. According to Ice Cube, his involvement with the proposal came only after the teams of both Biden and Trump contacted him regarding interest in his own plan for Black Americans entitled “A Contract with Black America” (C.W.B.A.). However, this explanation did not suffice as the rap icon’s actions still left many of his followers appalled even prompting famed journalist, Roland Martin to question whether he got: “used politically for their purposes.”
Performing damage control with CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Friday, Ice Cube elaborated further on his involvement saying, “One campaign said ‘We love what you have, but let’s really dig into [it] after the election.’ And one campaign said ‘We love what you have, do you mind talking to us about it?’ And that’s what I did, so I didn’t run to nobody”” (Vera, 2020, para.3).
Ice Cube’s “A Contract with Black America” is a twenty-two-page, thirteen-point, ambitious demand to politicians: “that strikes at the heart of racism and presents a blueprint to achieve racial economic justice” (Hamilton, 2020, para.1). Developed in July, a couple months after the murder of George Floyd, the C.W.B.A. extensively covers not only how to redress the wealth gap between Whites and Blacks through initiatives like federal funding of “baby bonds” and one-time interest free loans for home ownership, but also touches upon judicial and police reform solutions such as eliminating privately run prisons and abolishing qualified immunity for officers, respectively.
Overall, the C.W.B.A. is a mostly practical and very well-researched manifesto that thoroughly examines the sins of America against its Black citizenry and provides a list of solutions to rectify them.
The Platinum Plan is brief in its points and makes promises that simply could have been accomplished in Trump’s first term. For example, it promises to: “prosecute the KKK and ANTIFA as terrorist organizations and make lynching a national hate crime.” But, this is laughable coming from a President, who just two weeks ago at the first presidential debate had the opportunity to denounce white supremacy, but hesitated, telling one racist group to instead: “Stand back and stand by.”
Trump also had the chance to advocate on the part of an anti-lynching bill back in June, when Representative Bobby Rush introduced the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act to Congress, specifically the House. The bill would of recognized lynching as a hate crime for the first time under federal law, however its passage through the Senate was blocked by Senator Rand Paul, who felt that it as too broad. Where was the President when this was happening? I’ll tell you, not caring in the White House.
Ice Cube’s C.W.B.A has many great ideas, but he is wasting his time if truly believes the current administration will fully implement any of his most significant recommendations in their proposal. President Trump is a walking contradiction, he will say anything if it means personal gain. Black voters should take heed this coming election.
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