Call a thing a thing?

Expulsion of Haitians from Texas (Image by Chauncey I. Brown III via Flickr)

As Iyanla Vanzant, an author and television personality says, “It’s time to call a thing, a thing!”. We all witnessed as the US government provided air transport and welcomed Afghanistan refugees escaping the threat of the Taliban after losing a “war” that we spent a trillion dollars on.

But today, our government agents are on horseback chasing and lassoing this huddled mass of Haitians at the US- Mexico border before flying them back to the poverty and violence of a country just 300 miles from the US. 

The deportation of these Haitians comes just months after the assassination of the Haitian president and an earthquake that killed at least 2000 people in a country that had not recovered from another deadly earthquake ten years before. Couple that with the reality of the Dominican Republic that shares the island of Hispanola with Haiti which is forcing out Haitians in the DR if their grandparents were not born there.

And please remember, in the 80’s when the mostly white Cubans were fleeing the Castro government they were welcomed to America with open arms while the Black- hued Haitians fleeing their ravaged Caribbean country were interdicted at sea and sent back. 

So, when are we going to start calling a thing a thing and call out that America’s response to the cry and plight of refugees is based on race and its social construction and manipulation?.

When America looks at the dark faces of Haitians fleeing all manner of deadly danger in their country is it not the same fear they see on the faces of the Afghans attempting to escape the Taliban or those who escaped the clutches of the Nazi regime or Mussolini?

So, America and the media, when do we call a thing a thing?

Karen Warrington has had a decades long career as a broadcast journalist, communications professional, performing artist, and documentary filmmaker. She has traveled extensively throughout Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. She is committed to being a voice for the African Diaspora.