Trump praises ‘good English’ of Liberian president, prompting criticism across Africa
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Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his strong grasp of the English language on Wednesday. But the African leader was educated in Liberia, where English is the official language.
As he hosted five African leaders at the White House, Trump asked Boakai: “Such good English, it’s beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai informed Trump of his place of education, prompting Trump to express his curiosity. “That’s very interesting,” he said, “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Several Liberians voiced their offense over Trump’s comment to Boakai, given the US president’s past remarks on African countries and the colonial legacy left by the US organization in Liberia.
“I felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country,” Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth advocate, told CNN.
The (not so) secret ingredient is RACISM
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Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his strong grasp of the English language on Wednesday. But the African leader was educated in Liberia, where English is the official language.
As he hosted five African leaders at the White House, Trump asked Boakai: “Such good English, it’s beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai informed Trump of his place of education, prompting Trump to express his curiosity. “That’s very interesting,” he said, “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Several Liberians voiced their offense over Trump’s comment to Boakai, given the US president’s past remarks on African countries and the colonial legacy left by the US organization in Liberia.
“I felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country,” Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth advocate, told CNN.
Fucking hell. Like I know Americans don't know that we're the ones who colonized Liberia but come on, the president should.
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The (not so) secret ingredient is RACISM
It's also a refusal to understand that Liberia was colonized by America as part of a postbellum "return to aftica"
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Saying a black person is "well spoken" is such a common slight in the US, as if it should be surprising somehow that they're not all speaking Jive or Hip-hop or whatever. If people insult African-Americans like that what hope do Liberians have?
Also, it implies that you can't be well spoken while using aave which is plain wrong. Reducing a valid sociolect to some kind of hood mumbo jumbo is just another way to keep the people who use it down.
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Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his strong grasp of the English language on Wednesday. But the African leader was educated in Liberia, where English is the official language.
As he hosted five African leaders at the White House, Trump asked Boakai: “Such good English, it’s beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai informed Trump of his place of education, prompting Trump to express his curiosity. “That’s very interesting,” he said, “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Several Liberians voiced their offense over Trump’s comment to Boakai, given the US president’s past remarks on African countries and the colonial legacy left by the US organization in Liberia.
“I felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country,” Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth advocate, told CNN.
“You grand grand grand parents are good slaves. “
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Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his strong grasp of the English language on Wednesday. But the African leader was educated in Liberia, where English is the official language.
As he hosted five African leaders at the White House, Trump asked Boakai: “Such good English, it’s beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai informed Trump of his place of education, prompting Trump to express his curiosity. “That’s very interesting,” he said, “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Several Liberians voiced their offense over Trump’s comment to Boakai, given the US president’s past remarks on African countries and the colonial legacy left by the US organization in Liberia.
“I felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country,” Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth advocate, told CNN.
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Lol I was gonna ask isn't their flag the one MAGAts will accidentally use as the US flag. And, well, yes it is.
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It's an extraordinarily racist and ignorant posture to take. African American Vernacular English is a widely known dialect at this point and is really interesting to learn about.
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trump and his pops has always been racist to any blacks. on his show, the people who used to work for the reality series, said he complains about black people winning.
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Fucking hell. Like I know Americans don't know that we're the ones who colonized Liberia but come on, the president should.
Fascinating, just read up on the topic. I never knew! No wonder their flag looks so similar.
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Fascinating, just read up on the topic. I never knew! No wonder their flag looks so similar.
Yeah we dont talk about it much because it was a shitshow that's definitely political but not really in line with any side. Like it made perfect sense to Americans at the time that black people who were sick of racism and their ancestors were brought here against their will should be allowed to just go to Africa.
Its definitely a story we should remember when we talk about decolonization. Not as a deterrent but as a warning of what doing it poorly could look like.
But yeah thats why there's that one country in Africa whose flag is weirdly similar to the American flag, and the lack of knowledge of it is why its emoji is regularly used to refer to America
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Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his strong grasp of the English language on Wednesday. But the African leader was educated in Liberia, where English is the official language.
As he hosted five African leaders at the White House, Trump asked Boakai: “Such good English, it’s beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai informed Trump of his place of education, prompting Trump to express his curiosity. “That’s very interesting,” he said, “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Several Liberians voiced their offense over Trump’s comment to Boakai, given the US president’s past remarks on African countries and the colonial legacy left by the US organization in Liberia.
“I felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country,” Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth advocate, told CNN.
I have people at this table who can't speak nearly as well.
Yeah, including the pumpkin president himself
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Also, it implies that you can't be well spoken while using aave which is plain wrong. Reducing a valid sociolect to some kind of hood mumbo jumbo is just another way to keep the people who use it down.
Reducing a valid sociolect to some kind of hood mumbo jumbo
Shibboleth and all that, language has always been a tool of power and domination, sorting in-group vs out-group.
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Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his strong grasp of the English language on Wednesday. But the African leader was educated in Liberia, where English is the official language.
As he hosted five African leaders at the White House, Trump asked Boakai: “Such good English, it’s beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai informed Trump of his place of education, prompting Trump to express his curiosity. “That’s very interesting,” he said, “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Several Liberians voiced their offense over Trump’s comment to Boakai, given the US president’s past remarks on African countries and the colonial legacy left by the US organization in Liberia.
“I felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country,” Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth advocate, told CNN.
Just Trump being an ignorant piece of shit. Move along now.
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I have people at this table who can't speak nearly as well.
Yeah, including the pumpkin president himself
Specifically him.
