“During this month, we honor the tremendous history of the African-Americans throughout our country, throughout the world if you really think about it, right?’’ Trump said. “And this story’s one of unimaginable sacrifice, hard work and faith in America.’’
“Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and “millions more Black Americans who made America what it is today,’’ Trump said. “I’m proud to honor this heritage and will be honoring it more and more.’’
Trump mentioned the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture as a place “where people can learn about Rev. King, so many other things.’’ He did not mention the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, which also sits on the National Mall.
On hand for the listening session were Housing and Urban Development Secretary nominee Ben Carson; Paris Dennard, an official with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund; longtime Republican strategist and media owner Armstrong Williams; and White House adviser Omarosa Manigault.
Trump also said that he did better in the African-American community in his election than candidates in previous years. Among African-Americans, Trump got 8 percent of the vote, slightly better than Republican Mitt Romney’s 6 percent against then-President Barack Obama in 2012, according to national exit polls.
Trump’s Black support was not as high as the 12 percent that Republican Bob Dole won in 1996. Ronald Reagan set the high mark for Republicans in recent history, winning 14 percent of the Black vote when he was elected president in 1980.
(Jesse J. Holland covers race and ethnicity for The Associated Press. Contact him at jholland(@ap.org, on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/jessejholland or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jessejholland.)
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