Update – Monday 7/3/23, 10:45 a.m. ET: Podcast host Greg Boulden did some extensive digging and found out the Erica Marsh Twitter account was a “liberal dystopian bot” account. The account has been suspended. This post has also been updated to include screengrabs of the original tweets. We’ll have more details later in a separate post.
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Not surprisingly, the Very Online Left lost their minds in the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling in a 6-3 decision Thursday to strike down the use of race-based criteria in college admissions on grounds it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
One, in particular, has gotten a lot of attention for saying what some called “the quiet part out loud” on how Democrats really feel about black people.
A Twitter user who goes by the name Erica Marsh, and whose Twitter bio states “Proud Democrat: Former Field Organizer to elect President Biden. Volunteer for the Obama Foundation. (She/Her) 💙,” wrote the following tweet not long after the ruling was handed down (archived tweet link):
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a direct attack on Black people. No Black person will be able to succeed in a merit-based system which is exactly why affirmative-action based programs were needed. Today’s decision is a TRAVESTY!!!”
Needless to say, the tweet prompted some strong reactions from conservatives, especially black conservatives:
Because the tweet was virtually indistinguishable from something a woke Democrat would actually say if they let the full mask slip, it had some people wondering if it was a parody, particularly leftists who were embarrassed that the tweet hit a little too close to the mark as to their true colors:
Others have suggested the account is an AI bot:
For the record, the person running the account has denied (archived tweet link) being a parody writer, and in later tweets sought to clarify what they wrote, as if it makes what they originally said any better (archived tweet link):
Allow me to clarify this tweet, which is being manipulated for propaganda and misinformation by ULTRA MAGA.The intention of my tweet is to highlight that prior to affirmative action, there existed a supposedly merit-based system for Black individuals to gain admission to colleges. However, these institutions employed racial profiling to prevent Black individuals from attending under the guise of this “merit” system.I want to emphasize that my statement in no way suggests that Black individuals are less intelligent than people of other races.
And then (archived tweet link):
I want to sincerely apologize for my previous tweet yesterday regarding affirmative action. I now realize that it didn’t effectively convey my intended message and has been co-opted by ULTRA MAGA propagandizers. I deeply regret any offense or harm it may have caused.My aim was to express concerns about the recent Supreme Court decision and its potential impact on equal opportunities.I want to make it clear that I strongly believe in creating a fair and level playing field for everyone, regardless of their race or ethnicity. I understand the historical and ongoing challenges faced by Black individuals, and I recognize the importance of affirmative action programs in addressing systemic inequalities.I am committed to learning from this mistake and being more mindful of my language in the future. I genuinely apologize for any hurt I may have caused, and I am determined to do better moving forward.
I mean even if it’s not a real account, it’s not like accounts we know to be authentic haven’t essentially said the same thing, as Mary previously documented with the following examples:
And then there was Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who though black apparently believes black people can’t get ahead without affirmative action (bolded emphasis added by me):
I suppose Clarence Thomas is happy that he and his billionaire, conservative friends have finally killed the ability to use race as one factor in determining entrance to our colleges and universities. I suppose Clarence Thomas and his privileged, billionaire friends, who own a Supreme Court Justice, can lean back and gloat, while they are resting on their private airplanes and fine vacation sites. Clarence Thomas has just struck a blow against children of color being able to get educated, take positions of power, and eradicate discrimination and racism that denies full equality and opportunity.
One of my favorite tweets amidst all the speculation on whether or not Marsh is a parody:
‘Nuff said.
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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