In America, there have always been two sets of rules—one written in law, the other written in skin. ThThe recent leak of racist, anti-Black, and hateful messages from young Republican leaders didn’t expose anything new. It simply confirmed what Black America has always known: white racism doesn’t end careers—it often gets excused, defended, or ignored.
Thousands of private chat messages show future party leaders praising Hitler, using the n-word over 200 times, and calling Black people “monkeys.” Yet, instead of outrage from the top, we heard excuses. One national figure brushed it off as “kids saying stupid things.”
Imagine, for a moment, if those “kids” had been Black— talking about violence, hate, or power. They wouldn’t have been excused; they’d have been erased. This double standard is the heartbeat of systemic racism. It’s not just about words— it’s about what those words reveal. They show a culture that protects whiteness even when it’s soaked in hate. They show how power forgives itself when it wears the right color.
For centuries, America has punished Black anger while rewarding white
indifffference. When a white leader mocks our pain, it’s “a mistake.” When a Black voice demands justice, it’s “too aggressive.” The GOP scandal isn’t an isolated event—it’s a mirror reflecting the racial divide that still defines who is allowed to offend, and who must always defend.
Until America holds white offenders accountable with the same force it uses against Black truth-tellers, we will remain two nations living under one flag—one protected by privilege, the other punished by history. Racism doesn’t need a hood anymore. It just needs a password. And as these chats remind us, the silence of those in power is still its loudest ally.
