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Republican Senate, Cindy Hyde-Smith is up against Democrat, Mike Espy in the race to continue to be the state’s senator. Despite Hyde-Smith making headlines for her racist antics and receiving a lot of backlash from the public, it has been reported by CNN that she is favored over the Black Democrat, Espy.
If you missed it, here are Hyde-Smith’s five most controversial racist moments:
- A photo from Hyde-Smith’s Facebook surfaced showing the politician proudly smiling wearing a Confederate States Army soldier’s hat and holding a rifle.
- While speaking to a small crowd at Mississippi State University, a twitter thread showed Hyde-Smith joking about voter suppression: “They remind me that there’s a lot of liberal folks in those other schools who maybe we don’t want [them] to vote. Maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult. And I think that’s a great idea.” Her campaign said it was a joke and selective editing. She still gets the side-eye.
- According to JacksonFreePress, during the ’70s, Hyde-Smith attended an all White segregation school, Lawrence County Academy. The school was set up so white parents didn’t have to worry about their kids going to school with Black children.
- Hyde-Smith is following suit and sending her daughter, Anna-Michael Smith, to Brookhaven Academy— a school that is also considered to be a “segregation academy.”
- In a Twitter video that went viral, the Republican politician stated the following comment during a campaign event, in regards to supporter Colin Hutchinson: “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.” During a press conference, Hyde-Smith addressed the comment and expressed “If anyone was offended, I simply apologize. There was no ill will, no intent whatsoever in my statement.”
Instead of acknowledging the ignorance in her lynching comment and lack of knowledge towards the history of lynching in the state, Senator Hyde-Smith said the comment was twisted and turned into a weapon used against her.
Grio Fam, let us know your thoughts on Hyde-Smith’s most controversial racist moments to date and if you think she should get a pass or allowed to turn over a new leaf.