If you've ever wondered how a good chunk of Americans justify racist, sexist, and behavior performed by some conservative leaders, there's simply no good excuse. However, if you've ever wondered why such behavior gets continually excused among some white, conservative communities, one ex-evangelical and ex-conservative woman is providing some insight.
Rihanna Teixeira, a 38-year-old from Florida, has gone viral for sharing how she went from voting for Trump in 2016 to speaking out against him. Her videos dive into how the circles she grew up in, including the white Evangelical church, try to justify Trump's racist and sexist behavior and how she unlearned unconscious racist belief systems herself.
Rihanna told BuzzFeed, "I was raised very sheltered in Evangelical Christianity. When I say sheltered, I mean that I was raised to believe that anything that wasn't 'Biblical' was evil." Rihanna said she wasn't allowed to listen to music that wasn't Christian or watch movies that had magic in them, like Fantasia and Harry Potter
Being raised like this creates a lot of fear of anything or anyone who is not like you," she told BuzzFeed. "We are also encouraged not to seek out other opinions or worldviews because we can risk being brainwashed and becoming more 'like the world.' I see that now as a form of control and manipulation."
Now, in a video with over 2 million views, she shared how Trump's presidency started unraveling her worldview, despite voting for him in 2016. She said, "It started to expose a lot of things to me that I didn't see before," including racism within her white, Christian-conservative circles.
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Growing up in the white Evangelical church, there's so much racism, but you don't see it when you're in it," she said in the video. "And they do a really good job of covering it up. And when I say you don't see it when you're in it, I'm talking about as a white person."
Rihanna explained that after George Floyd was murdered in 2020, she saw the hypocrisy within the Evangelical church's belief systems. "Seeing how people that I once really respected and would pay money to go hear them speak... the way that they would not even acknowledge that this man was wrongfully murdered, and they found ways to actually justify it, or they found ways just to not speak out about it whatsoever, really messed with my head."
Rihanna said that this incident led her to do a deep dive into many of her other experiences within her bubble. In another video, she talked about a time she asked Trump supporters in her church what they thought about Trump appointing people with ties to white supremacy.
She recalled, "I remember they paused. They didn't deny the allegations, they didn't deny the facts that they had these ties, but they said, 'You know, I think that we just really have to trust that God has a plan and that God's going to bring the right people into Trump's life to help lead the country.' Immediately, something clicked, and I thought, they never gave Obama the benefit of the doubt."
She continued, "Going from seeing their deep, deep hatred for Obama to their deep, deep idolatry for Trump is what started to kind of open my eyes and be like, 'But wait, they didn't do that for Obama. They weren't praying for Obama. They weren't trying to see the bright side for Obama.' It was none of that."
Rihanna explained that at the time, Christian thought leaders — both in her church and on larger stages — pedaled intense racist, anti-Islamic, slanderous trans claims , all kinds of conspiracy theories about the Obamas. She told BuzzFeed, "These were Christian church leaders that I looked up to. Then, when Trump came around, despite his grotesque behavior and comments about women and people with disabilities, they painted him as a savior and told us that we need to have 'grace' for him because 'we all fall short of God's glory.' That's when my eyes started to open to the hypocrisy."
She said, "I'll never forget that moment because that was the moment I think I literally within myself said, 'I think I've made a mistake.'"
Many people ask Rihanna how she didn't recognize the racist comments sooner or why she wasn't bothered by Trump's comments about women. "Those are valid questions, and it's one of those things I look back on, and I'm like, it was always right there," she said in a video.
I'm not sharing to justify it, but I guess to give insight," Rihanna said before explaining how she thinks Evangelical spaces keep members from questioning thought leaders and use "spiritual bypassing" to excuse Trump's bad behavior.
For instance, when Trump made blatantly crude remarks (like Trump's infamous "grab 'em by the p*ssy" comment), Rihanna said, "It felt very obvious, right? Inside those circles, though, those circles have prophets that you are trained to take them at their word. These people are highly appointed and anointed by God. There is a world created in that system where you don't question the prophets. And you don't go against what the prophets are saying because they are the literal voice of God coming to us."
She continued, "So, the prophets were 'prophesying' that Trump was going to be God's elected. Trump was the one that God wanted appointed. They use a lot of spiritual bypassing to excuse his bad behavior and to also say, 'Oh, that was in his past; he has repented. Have you never made a mistake? Have you never done this?'"
According to Politico, "Many Pentecostals and charismatics embraced the idea that God had chosen Trump to restore America’s Christian moorings. Trump’s surprise win in 2016 offered a dramatic validation, and in 2020, dozens of prophets declared that he would win election again."
Rihanna added that, in her experience, many Evangelicals are in constant fear of
being wrong and going to hell. She said, "It sounds silly to say out loud, but the use of 'hell' as a fear tactic has been used since I was born. So, it was really hard to come out of that and be afraid to question the prophets, question these people who were supposed to be my spiritual leaders because it felt scary."
Again, I'm not justifying any of that; I should have done my own research way before," Rihanna admitted in the video. "What's funny is I thought I did my own research, but my own research was listening to other conservative voices."
Additionally, Rihanna explained that while growing up, the racism and misogyny weren't obvious to her as a white person with a limited worldview, though they were unconsciously embedded, even if she didn't realize it at the time. "I never heard anyone outwardly say they hated a certain group of people or that women were less than men. The messaging was more subtle," she told BuzzFeed.
Additionally, Rihanna explained that while growing up, the racism and misogyny weren't obvious to her as a white person with a limited worldview, though they were unconsciously embedded, even if she didn't realize it at the time. "I never heard anyone outwardly say they hated a certain group of people or that women were less than men. The messaging was more subtle," she told BuzzFeed.
For instance, in one video, Rihanna explained that one of the talking points for Christian conservatives around her was that Democrats "brainwashed" Black people into voting for them. Rihanna told BuzzFeed, "This is a HUGE talking point in these church circles. This statement alone insinuates that Black people are unable to think for themselves and paints them as victims who need to be saved."
In the video, she added, "Basically, it's a way for white people to stay in power and to belittle Black people's ability to think for themselves. It's a way to keep white people from actually listening and believing Black people, and it keeps them in a place of superiority."
While Rihanna recognizes this racist bias now, she admitted that wasn't always the case while in these spaces. "It feels unconscious when you're in it. I don't think I would have ever consciously said, 'Yeah, I have racist belief systems.'"
Moreover, in another video, Rihanna explained that many white Christian conservatives don't see these biases because they believe they are the minority. She said, "Being raised in the white Evangelical circles, you are brainwashed and conditioned into believing that you are the minority and that you're going to be persecuted for your belief systems. So anytime someone opposes you or goes against you, you don't see it as somebody challenging your belief systems; you see it as persecution."
Moreover, in another video, Rihanna explained that many white Christian conservatives don't see these biases because they believe they are the minority. She said, "Being raised in the white Evangelical circles, you are brainwashed and conditioned into believing that you are the minority and that you're going to be persecuted for your belief systems. So anytime someone opposes you or goes against you, you don't see it as somebody challenging your belief systems; you see it as persecution."
Rihanna admitted it took a dedicated effort to start unlearning unconscious racist belief systems and untangling herself from her former communities she no longer aligned with. "It wasn't an overnight thing; it definitely took some deprogramming and researching information that wasn't biased," she said.
As for what she thinks needs to happen for others to have a similar unlearning, she acknowledged that it's not easy. She told BuzzFeed, "This is hard because white Evangelical Christians believe that they hold and know the ultimate truth. This belief in and of itself obliterates any opposing viewpoint. Unfortunately, I think it's going to take them having someone they love being hurt directly by these belief systems
However, for herself, Rihanna said the book Jesus and John Wayne helped her understand the relationship between Christianity and the Republican Party. She added, "They also need to start listening to other viewpoints outside of conservative thought leaders. That can be scary for them because, again, they have been conditioned to believe that they will be easily deceived if they seek information outside of the church. But they have to trust themselves to be able to learn how to think critically."
Lastly, when having a conversation with someone with racist, sexis beliefs, Rihanna said to come with facts and logic. She told BuzzFeed, "The part that many white Evangelicals have a hard time understanding is that racism isn't just 'I hate XYZ people group.' It largely presents itself in microaggressions and subtle belittling of them.( AND VOTING FOR TRUMPY ! ) Coming into conversations with them using facts and logic versus heated debates is going to be more effective."
Of course, this is always easier said than done, and it's never up to people of color and women to educate white people about their racist, sexist, belief systems.
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