Dear Ben Carson, a Slave Is NOT an Immigrant

Dear Ben Carson,

Mr. Carson…oh Mr. Carson…                             

As a newly elected secretary of Housing and Urban Development, you are definitely sparking attention after those remarks; you know the one where you referred to slaves as “immigrants”.

We know that with this new position, you may be busy researching what it actually is that a housing secretary does. Just don’t neglect time to actually process your thoughts before speaking to a large crowd.

​“That’s what America is about”. A land of dreams and opportunity.”

You stated during your first speech to department employees, “That’s what America is about”. A land of dreams and opportunity.” Yes for SOME this is the land of opportunity, but not everyone is fortunate enough to reap the benefits of this American dream.

Many do travel to America in the hopes of seeking refuge, but is there such thing as an immigrant seeking refuge from America?

An immigrant comes to another land by CHOICE. A slave didn’t have that liberty of CHOICE, but was taken from a land that they were not asking to be ‘saved’ from. 

The story of the slave and the immigrant is not to be conjoined like the twins you successfully separated, but treated as separate entities as they indeed are.

Please don’t make the black community disown you.

Sincerely,

​Concerned citizens of the U.S.