Thank God for Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson!

By Raheem Williams

The election of Mark Robinson, the first Black Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, should have been held as a triumph for racial progress. In a state desperate to emerge from the shadows of the racist legacy of Jim Crow, Robinson should offer hope to all. However, that’s not exactly the reaction received. A narrative that would usually garner joy and jubilation amongst those seeking racial equality and Black empowerment has been soured by the progressive left for one reason — and one reason only. Mark Robison is a conservative.

See, the critics would have you believe that the issue with Mark Robinson is his refusal to embrace a truthful telling of American history in state educational standards. They would have you believe he rejects the very real and racist history of the state and country as a whole. Nothing could be further from the truth. Robinson, like most Black conservatives, sees Black history as a story of triumph and resents and rejects the victimhood ideology. He sees a proud people that have overcome immense adversity. I know this to be the case because he’s a lot like me.

However, this isn’t really about state educational standards. Progressives, who often view themselves as passionate defenders of public education, know very well that schools in North Carolina aren’t teaching kids racism is cool or okay. To presume such under the pretenses of systemic racism, would be an insult to every public educator in the state of North Carolina. This isn’t about social studies. It’s about tearing down and destroying Mark Robinson.

Here’s why; Mark Robinson rose to power faster than a SpaceX rocket. He’s charismatic, Black, and willing to challenge deficient left-wing narratives with no fear. This is a big issue for left-leaning partisans seeking to replicate progressive wins in states like Virginia and Georgia. They spent the last few years relentlessly attacking Trump and his supporters as rabid racists. However, these same purported racists are undoubtedly the same people who showed up enmasse to put Mark Robinson, a Black man, into a statewide elected office.

Mark Robinson represents a threat to a narrative left-wing partisans have dedicated decades building. They seek to perpetuate the idea that Southern white evangelicals are irredeemably racist and they (the left) are the heroes in the fight against evil. However, Robinson’s election complicates more than the left’s preferred narrative. Robinson’s rapid rise complicates Democrats’ future desires for the state’s soon-to-be-open Senate seat and maybe even their current hold of the governor’s mansion.

Mark Robinson represents Black conservatives like me: someone who is well aware of the past but sees no limitations to our future. Our black is a very powerful Black, too strong to be controlled by the monied elites, the pseudo-intellectuals of the left, or trailer-park racists. Make no mistake, Mark Robinson is a threat, but not to North Carolina students. Robinson is a threat to an increasingly distraught left angry that electoral trends and projections have not panned out as well as they expected in North Carolina. In this context, a graphical cartoon presenting the Republican State Board of Education members as Klansmen should not surprise anyone. These are desperate partisan smear attempts and delusional ramblings designed to dim the future political prospects of prominent Republicans of color.