Black prof.: GOP using Mia Love to advance ‘white interests’

A black professor claims that Representative-elect Mia Love (R-Utah) is benefiting from white privilege and asserts that Republicans are using the black female to further their “white interests.”

Dr. Darren Smith, an assistant professor at Wichita State University, wrote an op-ed in Huffington Post arguing that Love, the first black, female Republican to be elected to the House of Representatives, is nothing more than a tool for the Republican Party to advance its interests.

“Unlike most of them, Mia gets to walk through the hallowed doorways of white institutions controlled by elite, powerful men,” writes Smith. “She is allowed to pass through in her black, female body with the understanding that she must not see, speak or openly advocate for anything related to race or gender—an unholy compromise. Hence, she might look black, but her politics are red.”

“This pattern of using blacks to further white interests was foundational in the emergence of American society and has been carried forth with each proceeding generation, whether blacks are used physically or, in this case, symbolically,” he wrote.

Smith claims that blacks and women are still facing suppression that will only be disguised with Love’s election.

“Love's political convictions show a strong support for values that do not necessarily represent her interests as a member in any of these oppressed groups. For example, blacks are not doing well with respect to education, economics and health outcomes, while women still trail behind in salary and significant positions of power, and conservative politics are not typically known to aid these groups in such key issues.

“These actualities of Mia's existence seem to be diametrically opposed to her values that are grounded in a white, male, Christian context. She appears publicly unhampered by the daily grind of white racism that affects other racial minorities within the United States.”

The professor also declares that black conservatives such as Love, former Rep. Allen West, and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele are out of touch with the realities of black suffering and perpetuate white privilege “at the legislative level of government.”

“[H]er accomplishment is quite dangerous for people of color, sending a message that society is post-racial when, in fact, hate crimes, police shootings of innocent and unarmed black men and boys and vitriolic online attacks have dramatically increased since the election of our first black president,” writes Smith. “Mia Love and her red political ideology do not align with the needs of black Americans, historically disenfranchised people who remain left out and left behind.”

In response to a request for comment from Campus Reform, Smith demurred.

“Unfortunately, members of your party are not interested in an honest discussion, but to instead attack me and my work. If you are interested in only soundbites, I’m not sure that I can help you,” he wrote in an email.

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