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Either President Donald Trump is tone-deaf to racial politics — or he doesn’t care.

Trump recently signed a proclamation celebrating February’s Black History Month – then he Twitter-attacks one of Black America’s most beloved women: Oprah Winfrey.

Last week, Winfrey convened a group of Michigan voters on CBS’ “60 Minutes” to discuss Trump’s legislative policies and apparently a thin-skinned Trump didn’t like the segment.

The president was reportedly furious and called the discussion “biased” and then challenged Winfrey to run for president in 2020 – and predicted his re-election.

“Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes. The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!”

He’s also referred to Winfrey as “insecure Oprah.”

Trump doesn’t know when to quit. He continues to shamelessly pick on Black women and Winfrey is his target this month. Winfrey says she isn’t running for president in 2020 but that hasn’t stopped Trump from taking he low road.

I don’t have the DNA for it,”  Winfrey told InStyle magazine last year. “That’s not for me.”

Winfrey revisited the issue again last week.

“Because if God actually wanted me to run, wouldn’t God kind of tell me?” she said on 60 Minutes Overtime.“And I haven’t heard that.”

Trump lowered the hammer on Winfrey after he signed a proclamation honoring Black History Month.

I don’t believe any clear-thinking person actually expects Trump to seriously honor Black History Month – he doesn’t embrace policies that support African-American citizens and he doesn’t support social justice polices.

“This February, we celebrate National African-American History Month to honor the significant contributions African-Americans have made to our great Nation — contributions that stand as a testament to their resolve, resilience, and courage,” Trump said in his proclamation.

“Over the course of our Nation’s history, African-Americans have endured egregious discrimination and bigotry.  They have, nevertheless, always been determined to contribute their earnest efforts to America’s greatness.”

Here’s the irony: Over the course of this past year, African-Americans and other people of color have been subjected to bias criminal justice and policing policies; cruel immigration laws and questionable guidelines in education that adversely impact students of color. And he refused to condemn white supremacists for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia last year.

“Our thoughts turn to the heroes of the civil rights movement whose courage and sacrifices have really totally inspired us all,” Trump said during a Black History Month event at the White House this month. Trump was joined by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Surgeon General Jerome Adams, the only two senior African-American officials in the Trump administration.

“From the pews to the picket lines,” Trump said, “African-American civil rights champions have brought out the best in us.”

Sadly, we’re still waiting for the best of Trump.

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Faculty members at Lehigh University have filed a motion to strip President Donald Trump of the honorary degree they awarded him 30 years ago.

Board members moved forward with a motion to revoke the degree, which Trump received from the Pennsylvania college in 1988. According to the school’s newspaper, The Brown and White, 83% of the school’s faculty supported the motion to rescind  Trump’s honorary degree.

“Statements made by President Trump do not meet Lehigh’s standards for respectful discourse where differences of opinion exist,” the motion reads.

“By staying silent we are bystanders; we normalize hate speech, condone discrimination and bullying; we enable people in positions of power to corrode the foundations of civil society; and we abdicate our commitment and responsibility to uphold and sustain our core values,” the members said.

“Donald Trump accepted an honorary degree from Lehigh and so is a member of our community, subject to both its privileges and its responsibilities,” the faculty added. “He has through a series of well documented statements exhibited behavior antithetical to Lehigh values. These statements are unacceptable and provide strong evidence of an ongoing disregard for the values that are the foundation of this university.”

What do you think?

PHOTO: AP

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Donald Trump’s Month In Review: February  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com