This past week, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gave a “law and order” speech in West Bend, Wisconsin, in which he discussed the violence that ravages communities where all of us African-Americans reside and offered us a glimmer of hope.
After all, Trump suggested, “What do you have to lose?” Not only was his speech devoid of any relevant facts, like for example, the fact that a majority of African-Americans live in the South, not in places like West Bend, Wisconsin, but also, as usual, he offered no concrete ideas — just his hollow leadership.
But I personally want to thank Mr. Donald Trump for that speech. Not because he made us suddenly aware of the so-called exploitive practices of the Democratic Party that has taken African-Americans for granted over the past 30 years, but because his posturing reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite movies, “Car Wash.”
In one of the best scenes of that 1976 (Universal Studios) Blaxploitation classic, Richard Pryor, known in the film as “Daddy Rich,” pulls into the car wash in a gold Lincoln Town Car limousine, because there is a little spot on the hood, which must be cleaned with a water temperature of no more than 66.4 degrees. The license plate says “Tithe.” There is an elderly shoeshine man who has a stand at the car wash with three pictures hanging on the wall above it: President John F. Kennedy, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Daddy Rich. He tells Daddy Rich it would be an “honor” to shine his shoes, to which Daddy Rich replies, “You know what they say: I take what is given unto me.” Accompanying Daddy Rich, who is in an all-white suit with a gold cape and a cane with a gold tip, are the “Wilson Sisters,” played by that amazing singing group The Pointer Sisters.
Now, there is someone who challenges Daddy Rich, and that is Abdullah, the revolutionary who makes it known in a very confrontational manner that he is not impressed with the “Church of Divine Economic Spirituality,” the precursor to our contemporary prosperity gospel. In spite of the shoeshine man’s testimony that he has been blessed with a house and a color TV since following Daddy Rich, Abdullah points out that there have been no greater Black community-wide improvements and suggests that Daddy Rich is nothing but a “pimp.”
Daddy Rich is righteously indignant that Abdullah would debase the Wilson Sisters, of whom he does not even know, and that’s when it happens — the song that Trump reminded me about, “You’ve Got To Believe in Somethin’, So Why Not Believe in Me!” The Pointer Sisters position themselves in between Abdullah and Daddy Rich, while they belt out this soulful gospel melody with tambourines and heavy drums, effectively garnering support of the rest of the car wash attendees who willingly give up their tips to the limousine driver as he passes his hat around.
The shoeshine man even returns the tip that Daddy Rich gave him for shining his shoes. And then Daddy Rich leaves in the golden Lincoln Town Car, bidding a warm goodbye through the sunroof. And nothing changes.
Dr. Terri Jett is an associate professor of political science and special assistant to the provost for diversity and inclusivity at Butler University.
