Andrew Gillum, Democratic nominee for Florida governor, target of racist robocall
Residents received calls from an out-of-state white supremacist group about the first black nominee for Florida governor
An assertion Wednesday by a white Republican gubernatorial candidate that Florida voters cannot afford to “monkey this up” and vote for his black Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, was widely viewed as a “dog whistle” to rally racists.
If it was a dog-whistle – the GOP candidate denies any racial intent – a jungle music-scored robocall that has circulated in Florida is more akin to a loudhailer.
If nothing else, the minute-long audio clip is a clear sign of how quickly racism – subtle in some cases, overt in others – has seeped into the contest to determine who will lead Florida.
“Well hello there,” the call begins as the sounds of drums and monkeys can be heard in the background, according to The New York Times. “I is Andrew Gillum.”
“We Negroes … done made mud huts while white folk waste a bunch of time making their home out of wood an stone.”