Source: The 19th
At a time when women’s freedoms are under attack, the Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson has nothing to offer except hate, belittlement and degrading politics.
Mark Robinson, the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, built his brand through a long history of bizarre rambles, conspiracy theories, and hateful rhetoric. From mocking school shooting survivors, denying the Holocaust to vile attacks against Muslims, Jewish, and LGBTQ+ communities, Robinson has clearly conveyed he “hates everyone”.
Robinson has shared numerous discriminatory views online and during in-person events over the past few years, with Black women, particularly those in power, being the target of misogynist, racist, and homophobic remarks.
A review of his Facebook posts over the years reveals a pattern of offensive and disgusting language in the way he talks about prominent women in politics, professional sports, entertainment, and those who are pregnant.
According to The 19th, Moya Bailey, a Black queer feminist scholar and professor of communication studies at Northwestern University, first coined the term “misogynoir” to describe the specific hatred, dislike, and prejudice targeted toward Black women.
In an email to The 19th, Bailey underscored how Robinson’s sentiments show how “misogynoir is an equal opportunity form of discrimination weaponized by Black and non-Black people alike”.
“Robinson joins a long line of Black men of various political stripes who use misogynistic ideas about Black women for their own political gain,” Bailey told The 19th. “In a world where demeaning Black women can help someone boost their own career, “it’s no wonder that his vitriol is so consistent.”
Morgan Hopkins, a spokeswoman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein’s campaign, declared that Robinson’s continued degradation and disrespect of Black women has no place in North Carolina, stating, “He not only believes women — and especially women who look like me — aren’t meant for leadership, but also wants to tell women what to do with their bodies, their families, and their futures”.
“This November, North Carolina women will have the last word by rejecting his bigotry.”
