Quaterrius Manuel was catapulted to national attention after a video of a Black Lives Matter activist named Dre Propst attacking the 16-year-old black Trump supporter went viral.
You can view the whole video here.
In the video, Dre questions Quaterrius' support of Trump, claiming that he should not be supporting a candidate who will "send him back to Africa". Dre also showcases his intelligence by claiming Trump's wife, Slovenian-born Melania, is an illegal immigrant despite her having a legal US citizenship. Not only are Propst's comments ignorant, but seem to showcase him as the bigot, assuming any immigrant is illegal.
In the days that followed, much of Twitter attacked Quaterrius. Many said the black race rejects him as a member. Others called him an Uncle Tom, a favorite insult of black people to throw around when another black person disagrees with them and chooses the popular "white" opinion. Quaterrius took this all in stride, however, and didn't let the hate affect him. He continued to bless the world with his cheery attitude and infectious smile.
This hate took a more serious turn when Twitter user @Dirty_Tan discovered that Manuel worked at Chick-fil-A. She threatened to reveal his location for twenty dollars. Many Twitter users jumped at this opportunity, threatening Quaterrius with violence and even death threats, simply because of the candidate he chose to support in the 2016 election.
For most liberals, social progress is a big goal, and a part of that goal is acceptance and tolerance for those who may be different than what is traditionally considered normal. They will fight tooth and nail for the rights of gays, minorities, the disabled and the list goes on and on. They will not however, as evidenced by the disgusting backlash toward Quaterrius, accept that others have different views. This isn't to say that the left needs to accept the views of the right, just not threaten violence because of it. However, this seems to fall on deaf ears because we've seen this before.
Despite all of this, Quaterrius still seems to be optimistic. He is attempting to crowdfund to buy equipment to start a new YouTube channel to spread his ideas and beliefs. If I were you, I would support Quaterrius. Not only to help a bright young man let his voice be heard, but to let that voice drown out the screams of those who don't want to see someone they disagree with succeed.
Quaterrius' story in a small way parallel's the candidate he supports. Despite being seemingly unpopular, he still manages to succeed, and this only furthers his haters' anger. So Quaterrius, stay true to yourself, and let no one get you down.
In the words of Donald J. Trump: "I'm with you."
