In Biden-Trump Handshake, Black America Sees More Than Just a Gesture

In a scene that one might easily describe as privilege meeting privilege, two powerful white and elderly men-Joe Biden, 81, and Donald Trump, 78-shared a cordial exchange in the Oval Office, an image strikingly at odds with the grim reality many Black Americans now face with Trump's re-election. While Biden extended a warm "welcome back" to his predecessor and successor, for African Americans and other margin alized groups, the moment marked something else entirely: the return of a leader who has made explicit promises to dismantle the civil rights framework that barely holds at the edges in the nation.

Trump is adamant about his intentions, thanks to his renewed mandate. Among his stated goals, which include dismantling the Department of Education, defunding historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and killing any remote chance that African Americans could finally receive reparations for centuries of racism and discrimination.

White college students who, in his opinion, have suffered because of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies have received a signal from Trump that he would extend reparative measures to them. He's vowed to ramp up law enforcement efforts targeting minority communities, with plans to reinstate controversial stop-and-frisk laws, grant sweeping immunity to police, and dismantle the Department of Justice's civil rights division.

For Biden, the White House meeting on Wednesday may have been just another statesmanlike duty, another handshake for the cameras. But for Black Americans, the stakes are disturbingly real. The promise of a Trump administration heavy-handed in law enforcement and dismissive of civil rights is not a distant threat; it's an imminent one. As Biden offered his congratulations, Black Americans, knowing that white women and white men were responsible for the 2024 election results, were left with the image of a president who appeared shielded by privilege, watching as the same Oval Office welcomed back a leader intent on unraveling hard-fought protections.

As the fire crackled behind the two in the Oval Office, Biden wished for a smooth transition-ironically, the same gesture Trump had denied him four years ago-and Black America could only look on with trepidation and the unmistakable privilege that white America has fought so viciously to deny people of color. Under Trump, Black Americans saw police-involved deaths rise, racist rhetoric embolden hate groups, and policies favoring predominantly white and affluent communities. Now, with the incoming Trump-led administration reinvigorated, communities across the nation are bracing themselves for policies that echo Jim Crow's shadow.

In this return to power, Trump brings with him a promise of transformation-one that may bear little good news for communities of color. His rhetoric on law enforcement paints a vision of a "police state," where "order" is synonymous with marginalization and where civil liberties are an afterthought. The administration's proposed reforms under Project 2025 or Agenda 47 promise further marginalization of those already most affected by systemic injustices.

As Biden shook Trump's hand, the widening chasm between the lived experience of Black people and the political theater of the day was apparent. Confederates who remain heroes of Trump and those ensconced in the MAGA movement are likely to replace the portraits of historical figures like Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. that currently line the Oval Office. Trump has spoken openly of his opposition to removing Confederate monuments and relics that honor those who fought to retain slavery in America.

While the two men smiled and shook hands, it's likely that the lives of Biden and Trump and many who look like them-particularly those who enjoy their wealth-will, at worst, remain unchanged. In contrast, Black Americans-and other communities of color-are set to face an administration chomping at the bit to eradicate all civil rights protections afforded minorities. Trump's approach has already emboldened hate groups, stirred racist sentiments, and further divided the nation.

Still, Biden, seated comfortably within the privileges that come with his office and with being white and wealthy, offered a "smooth transition" to a man who promised to tighten the grip of authority on communities that have fought hardest for equity and justice.

"Privilege meeting privilege isn't just about two men shaking hands," said one administration official who asked to remain anonymous and who will be without a job come January 20. "It's about a system that protects itself, a system that tells Black America, 'It's your turn to wait-again.' And while they exchange niceties, Black America holds its breath, knowing that the fight for justice got a lot harder."