How Trump is Making Black America Great Again: The Untold Story of Black Advancement in the Era of Trump

Horace Cooper makes a good argument that Black Americans have overall benefited from the Trump administration's economic policies. The facts available on all government websites are supportive of this claim. There were a few typos and grammatical errors in the book. I have noticed that this publisher doesn't have strong editors for some of its small authors, and Mr. Cooper's book suffered from this. That aside, there are sufficient footnotes to fact check the statistics presented, which is always beneficial. Criticism: I do wish that Mr. Cooper had given more financial context surrounding renewed funding for HBCUs, as well as explaining the FY2020 and 2021 budgets for HBCUs, American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian American, Hispanic and other minority-serving institutions. I recommend readers do a deep dive on this related issue, as today's racial identity politics, no matter the wielder and the benefactor, will have consequences that need to be dealt with in another 10 years.

The writing is a bit dry, with a bit of perk in his commentary surrounding the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. The dry writing will not be suited for those who want to share easy reads with skeptical friends in a casual fashion, but may be suited to more voracious readers and those who can read a book with an open mind. Perhaps coupled with "Taken for Granted" by Gianno Caldwell, this book can open up more Americans, specifically Black/African Americans, to a conservative view on government. It's a good primer for any American interested in why conservative policies work in certain areas.

Author Horace Cooper wrote in the Introduction to this 2020 book, “[This book] makes the case that President Trump’s conservative economic and social policies are improving the lives of black Americans, especially the lower middle class and working poor… Trump’s core agenda items, which consist of industry deregulation, tax cuts, and strong immigration policy, have already led to significant gains for African Americans---in terms of employment, economic advancement, and improved conditions---and that African Americans have made progress under Trump at a faster pace than the electorate as a whole. While many of Trump’s policies are not specifically tailored to African Americans, they are nonetheless a great fit for what Black America needs to advance in the 21st century and beyond.” (Pg. ix) He continues, “This book… is an appeal to blacks, whites, and brown to understand the problems that gave rise to Donald Trump, why President Trump is addressing the ills that America is facing, and how Trump’s solutions benefit black Americans as well as the rest of America… it attempts to demonstrate how identity politics can be counterproductive to enacting broad-based economic, social, and foreign policies that benefit all Americans.” (Pg. xii-xiii)

In the first chapter, he states, “The first and foremost sign that the MAGA-nomics is working for Black America is the record unemployment rate for black Americans… the labor market policies adopted by the Trump administration have the potential to expand opportunities for the communities in which black Americans live.” (Pg. 23)

He observes, “criminal justice reform is long overdue, and Trump’s policies… have taken an important first step in this direction. But on the other hand, African Americans’ attitudes and philosophical orientation around criminal justice and law enforcement also bear closer examination. One of the most common refrains one hears from black leaders and intellectuals… is that blacks have been ‘set up’ to fail, and end up in the prison system by design. Others… have gone so far as to say that incarceration among African Americans constitutes a new ‘Jim Crow’… These alarmist prevarications are not only untrue, but counterproductive. The overwhelming majority of the individuals who are incarcerated are in fact guilty of the crimes of which they have been convicted… This is not to say that the prison system or criminal justice system is always fair; in some instances it is not. But the principle issue … is the personal agency one can have in avoiding incarceration by not committing crimes. If blacks cannot seem to get control over that central act of free choice… if they are merely pawns in a system that controls their every thought and behavior---including acts of violence against other blacks---then it is difficult for blacks as a group to argue that they are worthy candidates for the freedom they are seeking.” (Pg. 27-28)

He notes, “Today, black Americans constitute nearly 20 percent of the federal workforce…The simple truth is that relying on government employment as a secure means of attaining middle class status is not a viable long-term wealth strategy for any group---particularly black Americans.” (Pg. 36-37) He adds, “Blacks are choosing to start businesses because of the favorable business climate offered by the Trump administration, and they are being spurred by contraction in public sector employment to develop alternative pathways to middle-class status and wealth attainment.” (Pg. 57)

He suggests, “Fighting massive unskilled immigration will help prevent long-term multigenerational poverty among U.S. minorities by giving them a competitive foothold in the labor market from which they can ultimately build strong families and communities and income security. Elevated unemployment makes black men less attractive as marriage partners and low marriage rates lead to lessened educational attainment, wealth creation, and social immobility among blacks as a whole.” (Pg. 67) He adds, “Black men have been, by far, the biggest victims of the crowding-out effects of low-wage illegal labor. Illegal immigration has had a truly devastating impact on wage and employment levels in the black community.” (Pg. 73)

He argues, “black communities suffer far more from the under-policing of violent crime than over-policing. The homicide rate in Chicago has nothing to do with police committing murders, but is largely due to underfunding law enforcement leading to elevated response times in emergencies, and the mounting list of unsolved murders resulting from under-policing.” (Pg. 105)

He points out, “The military can be a viable economic strategy for African Americans, especially African-American youth without advanced job skills or notable educational attainment… In addition to offering competitive pay, the military offers attractive benefits to be used for furthering education… The military is perhaps America’s most robust bastion of social and economic equality.” (Pg. 140-141)

He asserts, “Black people are better off when the laws protect the lives of their children, whether born of unborn. Abortion has wrought untold sociological or psychological trauma on the black community… Untold millions of black Americans have had their lives snatched away … in their mothers’ wombs.” (Pg. 174)

He contends, “often… black leaders and public officials who declare that efforts to secure voting integrity are intended to disenfranchise African Americans. This is not true. In fact, the opposite is the case. Voter fraud is far more likely to occur in places with higher concentrations of African-American voters.” (Pg. 179) He adds, “Today’s voter suppression … comes through voter dilution due to phony voters on the rolls---convicts, illegals, ghosts… bona fide black citizens have their votes canceled or drowned out.” (Pg. 183)

He states, “Bo tortuously attempting to violate the principle of equal treatment and racial neutrality, the race-based admissions scheme teaches perhaps its most absurd expression. If anything, blacks should be pushing for everyone, especially another minority group, to be treated equally.” (Pg. 198)

He concludes, “Rather than contribute to the partisan rancor, blacks should seek to align themselves with the positive aspects of Trumpism and build coalitions of friendship and mutual interest with like-minded people of all races and political orientations… blacks would fare far better in the long run if, instead of opposing Trump’s presidency, they joined with Trump to help establish more effective leadership on a national level.” (Pg. 209)

This book will appeal to supporters of Donald Trump.