The women in the Trump family kicked off the beginning of Black History Month doing the absolute bare minimum: tweeting about it.
Melania Trump’s tweet was downright hysterical. She called for a “celebration of diversity,” using a word that the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention isn’t allowed to use anymore thanks to an edict from her husband’s administration.
Today marks the start of #BlackHistoryMonth Let this be a time to come together in a celebration of diversity.
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) February 1, 2018
People on Twitter were quick to point out the hypocrisy of her message and asked her if her husband would be participating this month as well.
— Vadim Feichtner (@shaftshaft) February 1, 2018
Can you say that to your husband? #Trump
— Darth Pizza (@RealDarthPizza) February 1, 2018
With all due respect it is not a generic "celebration of diversity". It is to honor and remember the history of Black America. Including the first Black president that your husband discredits, and peaceful protests like kneeling for the anthem. cc @JoyAnnReid @angela_rye
— D Merle (@dmsr89) February 2, 2018
When will your Husband join in on this celebration? Just wondering…
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) February 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/JM_Hashtag/status/959110356600750081
But Ivanka Trump’s tweet was the real icing on the cake.
During #BlackHistoryMonth, we celebrate heroes like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who were sojourners for freedom – and we resolve to continue to bring greater equality, dignity, and opportunity to all Americans, regardless of race or background.
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) February 1, 2018
Upon first read, it seems nice. She starts off strong with her nods to Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., although we couldn’t help but notice she left out other Black leaders less popular among white people, like Nat Turner and Malcolm X.
Ivanka interestingly uses the phrase “sojourners of truth.” Sojourner means to “stay temporarily,” so it’s odd she said prominent leaders in the Black community “stayed temporarily” in freedom.
But then she veered totally off course with the second part of her message.
“…we resolve to continue to bring greater equality, dignity, and opportunity to all Americans, regardless of race or background,” she said.
Emphasis on all Americans.
Sounds a little too much like an #AllLivesMatter tweet, right?
People on Twitter called out Ivanka for all the things wrong with her message.
Did Ivanka just make #BlackHistoryMonth about ALL Americans? What is wrong with her? Plus, did she use "sojourners" in the correct context 🤔
— Sonya ~🐳 ♊️ Reject GOP Project 2025 – Vote Blue (@meSonyaB) February 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/gettinnoticedmo/status/959199101752504320
Unless they live in Puerto Rico. Right Ivanka??
— Hamilton Gibbons (@HamiltonGibbons) February 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/dangermarin/status/959196565872173056
By "celebrating" you mean tweeting and having photo ops but not actually acting to effect change, and in fact doing the opposite?
— WigglyButtz🐶🐾🐕 (@Wigglybuttz) February 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/Black2thBone/status/959357996164927488
https://twitter.com/Kel_inthecube/status/959421562108571649
Ivanka and Melania missed the point that Black History Month is about celebrating Black people—not all the people who just so happened to have benefited from the efforts of Black people.