Ronald Reagan's Long-Hidden Racist Conversation with Richard Nixon

[Miles Archer]

The title's accurate, so I'm not going to post the content here. Suffice it to say that Saint Ronnie was far from a saint, and yeah, we knew that all along, but here's a little proof.

Ronald Reagan's Long-Hidden Racist Conversation with Richard Nixon

In newly unearthed audio, the then–California governor disparaged African delegates to the United Nations.

5:25 PM ET
Tim Naftali
Clinical associate professor of history at NYU



https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/ronald-reagans-racist-conversation-richard-nixon/595102/

[SHRED]

1. Wow

Reagan forged ahead with his complaint: “To see those, those monkeys from those African countries—damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes!” Nixon gave a huge laugh.

[Demovictory9]

18. Double wow

[CatMor]

2. Wow ... That is quite a shocking read ....

yet men like that rise to the highest office. Makes Reagan's speech about all people's welcome to this country ring false. We are right back to the same now with trump. He and his kind have got to be voted out if we are to move ahead.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

4. Is it shocking though? The only thing that surprises me is that they

were that "measured" in their fucked up choice of words.

[CatMor]

11. You're right, it isn't shocking but what is to me ..

is how crude and ignorant they were. As bad as they were trump is even more ignorant and just as racist.

[MuseRider]

5. 90% of Reagan was false. n/t

[Miles Archer]

6. Fine line between an actor and a reality show star as president. n/t

[MuseRider]

9. Exactly.

I wish I was shocked by this. My god the words they used. I am relatively sure this administration talks about a lot of people in the manner but this is truly unforgivable like all the other things they both did.

[empedocles]

7. reagan new his base, from his GE travels

Reagan was the first to exploit big time the abortion issue. Gave his base a shield for other hates.

[JI7]

8. actually, Reagan did give Amnesty to undocumented immigrants

so it's not one or the other.

people often think one has to be kkk spouting the n word to be racist.

[Ferrets are Cool]

12. Not surprising at all. nt

[GeorgeGist]

13. that shining city on a hill ...

looking more and more like a highly polished turd.

[JI7]

3. this is a racist country. only demographic changes will help in improving things

demographic changes is why Democrats do better nationally than in the 80 and before. (talking mostly about after the civil rights passage).

[gratuitous]

10. Interesting read

I wonder how much more of the Nixon tapes are embargoed from release because participants are still alive? These tapes truly are a gift that keeps giving to America. See what a bunch of swine Republicans are? Have been for decades!

[mountain grammy]

15. Yes, racist swine.. always have been

[hoosierspud]

14. Reagan announced his candidacy for president

in Philadelphia, Mississippi whose only claim to fame is the site of the murders of three civil rights workers in the 1960's.

[misanthrope]

16. To be fair, it is also the hometown of

former football star Marcus Dupree.

[hoosierspud]

19. Who?

[misanthrope]

20. This guy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Dupree

He was the subject of a novel and documentary.

[Xolodno]

17. I would say it isn't cut and dry and very complicated....

Reagan houses a black team mate: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1986/01/16/closest-friend-was-reagan-teammate/7058e682-7bab-4f70-9a72-c0d84f895622/?utm_term=.542ca25adb26

His Pen Pal: http://mentalfloss.com/article/28822/ronald-reagan-and-his-six-year-old-pen-pal

[misanthrope]

21. We've all known bigots

who classify African-Americans into "the good ones" and "the other kind," the second of which often stir coarser descriptives.