Trump’s lewd Nicki Minaj comments fit a pattern of demeaning Black women
The president’s crude remark about the rap star’s appearance during a recent campaign stop stirred an ancestral memory for some African Americans, including me.
The highly anticipated midterm elections are upon us, and I am caught in a seemingly endless web of emotions.
I am saddened to see Donald Trump eroding the guardrails that protect our democracy. I am anxious about the ongoing war in Iran and the resultant spike in fuel prices. I am concerned about the tariffs that are driving inflation. I am embarrassed by the president’s bizarre behavior and its effect on America’s reputation around the world.
At this point, after all the things Trump has done, I thought I was well past anger, especially where race is concerned.
After all, I’ve seen the president target Black Americans and other people of color with executive orders eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in government.
I’ve watched his administration directly appeal to white males who believe they’ve been victims of discrimination, while at the same time de-emphasizing traditional civil rights enforcement.
I’ve seen him bully Black female reporters on the tarmac and onstage.
But the anger I thought was gone returned in an unexpected moment, when I watched Trump demean one of his staunchest supporters — rap star Nicki Minaj.
It happened at a rally in Michigan, where the president was engaged in a weird rant about Republican Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s rear end. Suddenly, he stopped and said: “By the way, I looked at one hell of a beautiful ass before, Nicki Minaj. That’s hard to miss. Stand up.”
Minaj did as she was asked and stood, as the largely white crowd erupted in applause while admiring her body.
For me, it was a moment reminiscent of a slave auction, with Minaj standing on the block where my ancestors stood after being branded with hot iron. Minaj was branded with Gucci. Her hair was expertly coiffed, and her makeup was flawless. And yet, it felt like she’d been bought and sold, and was now being paraded about by the slaveholder.
Seeing Trump invite the crowd to gaze at Minaj reminded me of Sara Baartman — the Black woman who came to be known by the racist moniker, Hottentot Venus.
Baartman was taken from her native South Africa around 1810 after her parents and her partner died. She was included in so-called freak shows in London and Paris, where white crowds were invited to look at her large buttocks, and wealthy attendees could pay for private showings.
It was the height of sexual exploitation. But Baartman was trapped in a web of race, gender, and poverty, at a time when Black women had little recourse. That was especially true in America, where enslaved women were frequently raped and abused.
Minaj is seemingly in a different circumstance, given her level of fame. And while I don’t know why she’s chosen to align herself with Trump, I do know she’s in a precarious position.
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A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Minaj is not a U.S. citizen, and therefore cannot vote in the upcoming midterm elections. Her husband, Kenneth Petty, is a convicted sex offender who could benefit from a presidential pardon. Her brother, Jelani Maraj, is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for predatory sexual assault and child endangerment, but those are state charges the president can’t address.
Still, there is much Trump could do for Minaj and her family. That’s why I believe her proximity to the president is transactional, just like every other relationship we’ve seen Trump exploit.
If she transforms her stardom into votes, Minaj could remain in Trump’s good graces and perhaps even gain citizenship along the way. But if she runs afoul of his whims, or stands against his insults, Trump could use her lack of citizenship like chains and send her back to her native country, just like he’s done to so many others.
As it stands, Trump seems to know Minaj remains useful — at least until after the election. Perhaps that’s why he said he hoped she wasn’t insulted by his remark about her body.
I doubt we’ll ever know her true sentiments about what he said, but I know how it made me feel, and I’ll remember that sense of anger when I vote.
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