On November 8, 2016, Donald Trump became President of the United States of America. We as a country may not want to believe it but, the results proved one thing:

Racism is still alive and well in this country.

I know that some will read the previous statement and roll their eyes and stop reading, but I encourage you to listen. The lack of listening and understanding is perhaps the biggest problem in our country. We all live in our own individual bubbles controlled by the media and what we see around us. We refuse to listen and understand the pain and frustration of others. We gloss over information that does not make us feel good. It’s time we had an honest conversation about race in our country. And the election of Trump is the perfect place to start.

This election was perhaps the worst election in the history of our country. If we can be honest, neither candidate was really a good choice. Yes, Hillary supporters, HRC had the experience on paper, but she lacked the tenacity, the drive, the passion, to take us forward. I was an avid supporter of Bernie Sanders, but looking back, I realize that America was not ready for the radicalism that Bernie wanted. He essentially wanted to overthrow the establishment, but as a cool as that sounds, we weren’t ready for that type of progressivism just yet. Plus, he had no one in line to carry on his legacy should he die. Basically, Bernie was too old. So, we were left with Hillary and Donald.

As I sit and type this article, my mind, and my heart, and my emotions, are all over the place, because this election hurts. I’m not angry because my candidate lost, I’m angry at what Trump stood on; he built a campaign that essentially told Whites that everything wrong in this country is the fault of the ‘other’. If you are honest with yourself for one second, he pointed to everyone else but White people. It was Obama, it was Black Lives Matter, it was China, it was the Illegal Immigrants, it was the Gays, it was the Muslims. Yes, one-third of Hispanics and less than 10 percent of Blacks voted for Trump. But the majority of Trump’s support came from White people. White Men (no surprise there), White women, White College Educated people, and White Evangelicals.

People had their own reasons for voting for Trump, and I get it. If I’m honest, Trump made some very valid points; congress is corrupt, we do need stricter laws on immigration, Foreign policy is a mess. We do have career politicians who have done nothing to help the poor and working class. That’s all very true, but he didn’t deliver his message that way and that was damning. Had his rhetoric been different, people might have been more willing to cast a ballot for him.

Donald Trump isn’t my problem, my problem is the gross denial of the issue of race in this country. And to my white folks, it’s not about Blacks blaming you for everything, but just imagine being in our shoes for a second. Think about what we as a people have been through. Think about what the Native Americans have been through. You fail to talk about how you stole a large part of this country from the Mexicans, and how you put Japanese into internment camps after Pear Harbor. Why can’t minorities talk about these things? Why do you not understand that these things have multi generational effects on us as a people?

And to my Black folks who have been hoodwinked and bamboozled by your success; I’d like to point out to you that for every successful Black person, there are 5 more in the hoods and inner cities who are still fighting to make it to where you are; and some will never make it to where you are. We can talk self determination all we want, but we are the ONLY race of people who willingly throw their own aside for the sake of getting ahead.

And to my White Christians and Evangelicals who voted for Trump, I only pose this question to you:

When you voted for Trump based on his stance on abortion, did you forget the greatest commandment Jesus gave, which was to “Love they neighbor as thyself”? Since Trump’s election, people have been harassed and mistreated. The Klu Klux Klan and White Nationalism has risen since Trump began campaigning. Trump’s message alienated Blacks, Hispanics, Gays, Immigrants, and Muslims. How is that spreading the love of Christ?

Men, women, and even children have been harassed in the days following the election; will you still say that Trump was sent from God when people are being told to “Go back to Africa”? Will you stay silent when young Hispanic children, most of whom are American born, are told that they must “go back to Mexico”? Will you stay silent as young Muslim women are attacked, as women are sexually assaulted because our now President-Elect openly said that his status as a celebrity gave him the right to grab women ‘by the pussy’ and therefore others believe that they can do it too?

Will you take a stand and prove the rest of the country wrong about your candidate, or will you continue living in your bubble and blaming this on any one but Trump’s rhetoric?

To my Black people, I hold no ill will against you, because most of us did what had to be done; we might not have liked it but this time, the blood is not on our hands. Black women, hold your heads high, because 94 percent of us that voted, bit the bullet and voted for HRC.

To my Blacks and Hispanics who voted for Trump:

You have your reasons for voting for him, and I understand that. However, how can you be okay supporting a man whose rhetoric strongly appealed to White Nationalists and the Klu Klux Klan? How do you feel when you read the reports of Racism and Xenophobia since Trump has won the election? Your people have received the brunt of mistreatment post election. Your people live in fear and sadness the most.

Think of that as you celebrate Trump’s victory.

In earnest, I do not wish President-Elect Trump ill; I cannot do that as a Christian. Instead, I pray for him and hope that he will denounce the racism and hatred being committed in the sake of his slogan of “Make America Great Again”. While I do have faith that God is in control, I cannot live with this comfort knowing that there are those in this country who do not know of God. This election is the perfect opportunity for Christians to spread messages of hope, and to love.

This election has taught me many things, I have learned that education is important, that I must spread love and hope post election, that I must become more involved in my community, that I must know EVERY candidate and leader and congressman. I must research each candidate and know what they stand for. I must form my OWN opinion on the issues, and stand on them. I must foster conversations about race in a loving manner, because race is so, SO important.

To those of us in the country who are hurting-to the Black/African American Community, to the Hispanic and Latino Community, to the LGBTQ community, to my fellow females, to the Muslim community, to the illegal immigrants I have a message for us:

I love you and I am here for you. I stand in solidarity and support with you. Your feelings and fears are real and valid. Together, we will get through these next four years.

In the words of Hillary Clinton we are “Stronger Together”.