The recent campaign of Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Democrat running for Congress in New York's 13th District, has sparked controversy. Chevalier has been endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and has made headlines for her promise to abolish ICE.
However, a closer look at Chevalier's past comments reveals a stark contrast to her current rhetoric. In a post highlighted by filmmaker Eli Steele, Chevalier is seen calling the United States a "f---ing disgrace" and declaring "ALL PIGS EVERYWHERE ARE HARAM." This is a far cry from her current stance on unity and anti-hate.
The hypocrisy is not limited to Chevalier's remarks, but also extends to the responses from her supporters, including Pastor Ben Dixon and Javier Soriano. Their comments, which equate the United States with terrorism, reveal a disturbing trend of anti-American sentiment.
But what is most concerning is the normalization of this hatred within our communities. When did hating America become a virtue? Anti-Americanism is not a legitimate critique, but rather a soul-rotting disease that has infected large parts of our society.
Growing up in the black underclass, I witnessed the effects of this hatred firsthand. While it is understandable that generations of real oppression can leave scars, this hatred has metastasized and now targets the country itself. It is no longer about specific injustices, but about the very nation that has given us so much.
How do we raise a Black child, or any child, to believe in their nation when every signal tells them it is evil at its core? That it is racist to the bone, built to destroy them, and will never change? This poison is not just confined to the streets, but is now taught in some of America's wealthiest schools under the banner of "liberated ethnic studies."
Children are divided into oppressor and oppressed camps, and the message is clear: You are your race first, and America is rigged against you. This tribalism becomes destiny, and it is a lie. If I truly believed America was irredeemably racist and evil, I would not be pouring my sweat and prayers into building a community center on the South Side of Chicago.
The anti-American record has played for decades, but it torched credibility, communities, and futures, all while calling itself justice. The civil rights generation marched into fire hoses and billy clubs not because they hated America, but because they loved it enough to demand it live up to its principles.
Today's professional haters offer only fire and grievance. When the fire comes back at them, they act shocked. When you make hatred your identity, you invite hatred into your life. That is not America's fault, but the predictable consequence of the choices we make.
I refuse to tell young people that their country is their enemy. The moment I do, I have given them permission to give up. Instead, I tell them the truth: America is flawed, but it rewards builders. It is time to throw out the broken record of hatred and start building something that blesses the next generation with real opportunity. That is the only revolution worth fighting for.
