Louisiana Voice

It’s great to see young people become engaged in the political arena and to tackle issues head-on, upsetting the establishment by challenging the status quo.

I well remember the protests that helped end the Vietnam War, though not without the incredibly high costs paid at Jackson State and Kent State universities or Richard Daley’s thugs disguised as Chicago police bashing heads at the 1968 Democratic Convention.

More recently, there have been the national school walkout led by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and environmental activist Greta Thunberg who, at the ripe old age of 17, had managed to get under Donald Trump’s skin like no one this side of Adam Schiff.

But occasionally, there are those who, while well-meaning and sincere, let their youth and inexperience get in the way of any real accomplishments so they must resort to embellishing their curriculum vitae.

I recently became engaged in an email exchange with a young African American from South Carolina (who shall remain nameless in this post) and at first, I was really impressed with all he had done—or, perhaps more accurately, said he had done.

But when he rattled off a string of achievements that seemed a tad over the top, I began to have my doubts. Some examples:

• Youngest staffer for a gubernatorial campaign. I was a staffer for Governor Bobby Jindal’s Campaign.
• first black to serve as an aide in the State House of Representatives, Senate, Lt. Governor’s and Governor’s offices in American History. I worked for Todd Rutherford, Glenn McConnell, Mike Rose, Andre Bauer, and Nikki Haley in the SC Statehouse.
• first to report on Supriya Jindal being the first First Lady to complete doctoral degree coursework.
• first black to be a day-to-day staffer for a Republican Presidential Campaign in SC and
• first black director of youth outreach for a Presidential Campaign in American History. I was a director of youth outreach for Rick Perry’s Presidential Campaign.
• first black to be a speechwriter for a Republican Presidential Campaign. I was a speechwriter for Governor Jeb Bush’s Presidential Campaign.
• first African-American to write a speech at the request of a Texas Governor. I wrote one for Greg Abbott.
• first black to write a speech for a Florida Governor and Texas Governor.
• first to report on Michael Strahan being the first HBCU Student-Athlete to host a daytime talk show.
• first to report on Charlie Crist being the first Arab-American Congressman of Florida and Carole Crist being the first Jewish First Lady of Florida.
• first African-American public servant in America to have a comment redacted from a newspaper. His personal thoughts on the protests at the Statehouse in 2011 were redacted from The Daily Gamecock because of his employment as a Constituent Correspondent in Governor Nikki Haley’s Office.
• the first African-American to be offered a law clerkship in the Governor’s Office. He was offered a law clerkship by Governor Nikki Haley’s Office in 2011 after his undergraduate degree conferment.
• first African-American Speechwriter for a Governor of Texas. Cooper worked on a speech with fellow USC Alum Pablo Cueto.
• first African-American to write a speech for a statewide police chief. He wrote one for his godfather Christopher Williamson.
• first to report on Ron Christie being the first African-American to serve in the President and Vice President’s Office.
• first to report on Shaquille O’Neal being the first athlete in major sports to earn a doctoral degree.
• first to report on Juan Williams being the first Black White House Correspondent for the Washington Post.
• first to report on Tim Scott being the first African-American to serve in the United States House and Senate as a member.
• first to report on Governor Mark Sanford being the first SC governor to use social media and the first SC Governor to have an MBA.
• first to report on Governor Charlie Crist being the first Florida Governor to use social media.
• first to report on Henry White being the first African-American Chief of Staff for a Governor and Director of a Budget and Control Board.
• first person to report on President Obama being the first living president to have kids become alums of Harvard University.
• first to report on Ari Fleischer being the first Jewish WH press secretary.

Great achievements, one and all. He uses the pronoun “I” almost as much as Trump. While I doubted the veracity of some of his claims, I became convinced he must suffer delusions of grandeur on Tuesday when I received an email citing one more accomplishment:

“Trump may be the first President to join the NAACP and Urban League after I suggested it to him today.”

Wait. What?

Trump a member of the NAACP? Hardly. Certainly not at someone—anyone—else’s suggestion. I mean, some things just don’t add up and Trump as a member of the NAACP is at the top of the list.

https://www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-releases-report-blasting-president-trumps-judicial-appointments-central-feature-administrations-assault-voting-rights/

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/454333-naacp-calls-for-trump-impeachment

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/401270-naacp-trump-is-a-racist

https://www.naacp.org/latest/impeachment-announcement/

https://www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-commends-house-vote-impeach-president-donald-trump-calls-halt-judicial-nominations/

I asked if he thought Obama may have been a member. Or Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton who called himself America’s “first black president”?

Then, incredibly, he sent me what he thought would pass as proof: a “Membership Purchase Receipt” made out to the young man which said:

“This is to confirm your gifted membership of a (sic) Annual Adult Membership in the 7001-B Washington, D.C. Branch Unit on 2/4/2020 to Donald Trump. (emphasis mine)

“Your total payment is $30.00

“Thank you for joining the legacy dedicated to social justice and equality for all people. We appreciate your support.

“Warm regards,

“The NAACP”

So, it appears he deliberately misrepresented his role in Trump’s “membership” by saying he “suggested” it to him when in fact, he purchased a gift membership—again, most likely without his knowledge and certainly without his consent.

At least Trump could be proud of such embellishment and self-aggrandizement.