Like every new invention which comes with opportunities and challenges, the recent election of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America (USA) appears to have elicited, and still eliciting varying reactions. To some, it was a huge blessing, to others particularly non-United States citizens yet to perfect their immigration requirements, his coming at the particular point in time stands more as a distraction than a blessing. This particular opinion is predicated on the President’s recent policies.
But for ethnic minorities living in the North/South Carolina part of the country, there is still moments of respite. The reason is not far-fetched.
On Wednesday February 5, 2025, Grand Knight Emeritus, Sir Tonna Okei, President, Organization of African Unity, South Carolina (OAU-SC), led a high-powered delegation of ethnic minorities residing in South Carolina, United States of America to Leon Lott, Sheriff of Richland County who doubles as representative of the board of USA Sheriffs, where they had useful and Progressive discussions about the new government, and how to promote, protect and defend the interests of the ethnic minorities.
The delegation which had Mr Nghiep Nguyen, leader, Vietnamese community, Mr Edgar, leader Latino community, Elder Felix Agho, President of Nigerian community, the spiritual leader of African Americans, Baba Derrick Jackson, Pastor and Board Member OAU and Dr. Arthur Kennedy, a physician and twice presidential aspirant for Ghana among others, acknowledged the coming of Donald Trump as the new president of the United States who probably is coming out with new ideas, highlighting the need for collaboration, productive engagement and best ways to respect one another.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the meeting, Okei who holds the Chieftaincy title ‘’Asoju Oba of Oyotunji’’ said ‘’We just left the sheriff’s office where I led the ethnic minorities to a fruitful and progressive discussion with the sheriff. And the sheriff represented the board of the USA sheriffs. We had a discussion about the new government, how to promote, protect and defend the interest of the ethnic minorities’’.
‘’I was joined to the meeting by the leader of the Vietnamese community, the leader of Latino community, president of the Nigerian community, the spiritual leader of African Americans, and Dr. Kennedy who read the speech. a physician and twice presidential aspirant for Ghana. Some of the issues discussed, include but not limited to the coming of a new president who probably, is coming out with new ideas, so we actually got the minorities to discuss. You know the best ways to respect one another, collaborate, get to know one another, and to let them know we are not aliens. We are professionals. We are law-abiding.’’
Responding to the delegation, Leon Lott explained that the only people the United States is going after are people who have committed valid crimes. You will not have the permission to stop someone and ask where’s your papers? We don’t do that. And then, if somebody is a victim, we’re going to treat them like a victim and give them all the assistance.
‘’So, the horror stories that you’ve been hearing, happening in other cities and places, are not happening here. They are not going to go to the schools and pick your kids out. They are not going to go to your businesses, unless the government gives a warrant on them for valid crime. That is the key. Every one of you talked about obeying the laws. That is the answer. You can’t get arrested for doing something within the law. This is what I was saying. I tell my people if you do not have a driver’s license, don’t drive. Don’t drink and drive. It’s illegal. Don’t do that. They needed to hear that from us. Some people need to hear directly from us so they know we speak from the heart and it’s not just words spoken from anywhere’.
‘’Let’s continue what we’ve done today. This is not the end to it. Let’s continue to make more steps. We’ve made new friends and we need to continue doing this. I want to spend more of the minutes we’ve spent here, that reflects the community. The community is not just one. It is all of us together’’. With Chief Sir Tonna Okei we can build a more united and peaceful community and I am ready to partner with Okei and the Ethnic Minorities leaders for the good of our Community. He concluded.
In his remark delivered on behalf of the O.A.U., Arthur Kobina Kennedy thanked the Sheriff for this audience and friendship over the years, and expressed heartfelt gratitude to Columbia, South Carolina and indeed, America, for making it possible for ethnic minorities to live here and to pursue their dreams.
Arthur, who addresses himself as a 2-time UN Refugee, stated that exactly 41 years ago, a week after America’s Independence Day, he crossed the border into the Ivory Coast as an undocumented immigrant for the first of his 2 exiles. And therefore, understands the fear that new immigrants feel.
He said in parts; Sheriff, America had an election and, as the saying goes, there is “a new Sheriff in town” who happens to be President Trump. And to nobody’s surprise, immigration, which was one of the key campaign issues, is a major priority of his administration. As a result, there are deportations of illegal immigrants across America. From Chicago, Dallas, New York etc, there are reports that have paralysed our communities and spread fear. We have seen people being led to planes for deportation. People have stopped going to work, school and other places. There is fear amongst our people. In addition to deportations, Sheriff, our community does not trust law enforcement personnel when we deal with you on other matter-like domestic violence and mental health issues.
We trust, Sheriff, that you would share our concerns with your colleagues–not just with your colleagues in law enforcement but with American leaders, including President Trump. We concede that many of our recent Presidents, from Reagan to Obama have made it clear that “ America is a nation of immigrants but also a nation of laws”. President Reagan once said that one of the secret ingredients of America’s success is the unparalleled influx of immigrants who come in with new energy and ideas to pursue their own versions of the American dream.
Aside from those who came on the Mayflower and slave ships, generations of immigrants have come here to help build America. Amongst these was 15 year-old Alexander Hamilton who came from St. Kitts and Nevis, to attend Columbia College in 1772 and stayed to become a founding father beside George Washington. Following his distinguished service in the revolutionary War, generations of immigrants have risked their lives in defense of this country and been honoured for their bravery. They include Cape Verde native Joachim Pease, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for helping to sink a confederate raider during the Civil War. In 1885, German native, Friedrick Trump, arrived here and made a life for himself before dying in the Spanish Flu.
He was the grandfather of our 45th and 47th President, Donald John Trump. In the late 1950’s, Kenyan labour leader Tom Mboya visited America. During the visit, he managed to secure some scholarships, funded by the African American Students Foundation through the state department. The program started in 1959 but I want to draw your attention to the 1960 batch and related “Airlift 1960” that almost didn’t happen. After the state department initially declined to fund it, the Kennedy Foundation stepped in to fund it before, under pressure from Vice-President Nixon who was Kennedy’s opponent, the state department reversed course and agreed to fund it.
With millions of black votes at stake, the controversy erupted on the floor of the Senate. When the dust settled, 295 students were brought in. Amongst these was Wangari Mathai, who would go on to win the Nobel Prize in 2004. Another student in that batch was a 23-year-old who went to University of Hawaii to study economics and finished top of his class. While there, he met and married an American student, Ann Durham. They had a son, born on August 4th, 1961, who would later become the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.
Talking of scholarship, a 2006 American community survey by US Census reported that Nigerians may be the most educated ethnic group in America with 17% having master’s degrees and 4% with PhDs. And many of us are like that. We have educated ourselves. We have produced children who are Doctors or becoming doctors, lawyers or becoming lawyers, engineers or becoming engineers etc. And we start businesses. And contrary to the false narrative out there, we are law-abiding. A Stanford University study by economist Ryan Abramitsky showed immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than US born people. This was confirmed by a study by the Cato Institute in 2019 that showed immigrants are 37% less likely to be convicted of crime.
Sheriff Lott, ladies and gentlemen, while we know that laws must be enforced and there must be deportations of criminal immigrants, we ask for two things. And we ask for these considerations for American immigrants, whether they arrived on the Mayflower or in slave ships or on planes or on foot across our borders.
First, we urge that those affected be accorded due process consistent with American traditions Training. Second, we ask for compassion. As President Reagan said in 1984, “I believe in the idea of Amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back, they may have entered illegally.”
Finally, our faith enjoins to treat immigrants well. Leviticus 19:33-34 states “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens. You shall love him as yourself for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Let us heed God and the Gipper and show compassion. May God bless America.” he concluded.
