Last Updated on November 26, 2024 by BVN
Overview: President-elect Donald Trump has appointed former NFL player Scott Turner to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development, marking the only Black appointment to his incoming cabinet. This appointment comes after criticism for his lack of Black representation in his previous administration, which was the least diverse in thirty years. Turner’s qualifications for this important position, like many of Trump’s other appointees, are questionable. The HUD Secretary is responsible for providing advice to the President on policy, programs, and activities relating to housing and community development, and it remains to be seen whether Turner’s appointment will make a meaningful difference in providing housing relief to the millions who are unhoused, on the verge of becoming so, or are counted among nearly half of all renters in the country who currently spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
S.E. Williams
Since the November 5th election, President-re-elect Donald J. Trump has handed out cabinet positions and other high level appointments to his campaign surrogates and financial supporters as if there was a fire sale on high level government appointments
The list of those tapped thus far range from the rich to the infamous and in many cases, the country is getting in a single individual who fits both descriptions. What is noticeably absent until late today, from Trump’s list of quid pro quo selections however, was anyone from the highly visible list of Black supporters who were constantly featured and/or caught on camera at Trump campaign events proclaiming their love and support for the once and future president, Donald J. Trump.
The list of Blacks who campaigned for Trump included U.S. Senator Tim Scott, Republican, South Carolina to U.S. Representatives Byron Donalds, Wesley Hunt, John James, of Texas and Michigan respectively R-Mich., and Burgess Owens, of Florida, Texas, Michigan and Utah, respectfully.
“That does not mean I’m not going to do other things in the future,” proclaimed Rep. Donalds in a recent interview about Trump’s appointments. He made this declaration as he defended Trump against attacks by Al Sharpton and others for the president elect’s failure, at that point in time, to appoint any Black to his cabinet or other high level positions in the federal government.
This ready list of Black minions continues standing at the ready to do Trump’s bidding, but apparently Trump is not ready to appoint any of them. And based on his previous term in office, my expectations remain low for any meaningful Black representation in his new cabinet . Research titled Who Rules America, Diversity in Presidential Cabinets published by UC Santa Cruz, notes that Trump’s last cabinet was the least diverse in thirty years.
Percentage of Those in Presidential Cabinets Who Were Not White Males FDR to Biden
The last cabinet of president-elect Donald J. Trump was identified as the least diverse in 30 years. (source: whorulesamerica.ucsc.edu)
Late Monday, November 25, Trump made an effort to silence his critics when he named former National Football League player, Scott Turner, to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A Californian, Turner is a former defensive back who spent nine seasons in the NFL playing for a variety of football teams. He also worked as an intern for former representative, Republican Duncan Hunter and in 2006, he made an unsuccessful bid to represent the state’s 50th Congressional District.
Republican Scott Turner was just appointed by President-elect Donald J. Trump to serve as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). (source: illinois.edu)
Turner ultimately relocated to Texas and in 2013 was elected to the state legislature with the support of the Tea Party. He served two terms and did not seek a third.
Like many of Trump’s other appointments, Turner’s qualifications for this important position are questionable. The former president, however, claims when Turner served as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first administration. Turner led an “unprecedented effort that transformed our country’s most distressed communities,” Trump proclaimed when the appointment was announced. Exactly what Turner did, how he did it, and what changed as a result, is a mystery.
There was a report issued by HUD Director Carson in June, 2020. As the head of HUD, Carson was the Chairman of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. The report, which outline Opportunity Zone best practices and examples of revitalization occurring across the Nation. Turner’s name was never mentioned in the report.
Prior to Trump’s election in 2016, only 21 African-American men and women had served in Presidential cabinets. Trump increased that number by one.
“HUD continues to play a major role in providing shelter for America’s most vulnerable populations: the working poor, minorities, Native Americans, people with disabilities, people with AIDS, the elderly, the homeless.”
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Leading HUD is the same “Black Job” Trump gave Dr. Ben Carson, the only Black to serve in his previous administration.
Directing HUD seems to be the one cabinet level job Trump believes Blacks are qualified for as evidenced by these two appointments.
The HUD Secretary is responsible for all of the programs, functions, and authorities of the Department of Housing. The Secretary provides advice to the President on policy, programs and activities relating to housing and community development.
This position couldn’t be more important at this time in our nation’s history when there is a housing crisis across the country and the cost of rental housing according to Zillow, has increased more than 30% since 2019, while wages have grown only about 20%.
Trump has now made his one token appointment to his incoming cabinet. What difference this will make in proving housing relief to the millions who are either unhoused, on the verge of becoming so or are counted among nearly half of all renters in the country who currently spend more than 30% of their income on housing is yet to be determined.
It is important for communities to continue demanding relief, including meaningful, sustainable solutions to the continuing housing crisis.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.
