By Mowlid Ali/ Adruus Abdi
Did you ever go to civics class during service class? Did you ever notice the chapter on the civil rights movement, where it described how Black people protested literally day and night to have equal rights as white people? They fought for the ability to eat at the same restaurants, use the same restrooms, drink from the same water fountains, and not have to give up their seats on city buses. They struggled against legal discrimination in housing, jobs, and other opportunities. They worked hard to gain equal rights and to be treated with dignity, striving to become full Americans.
In the past, African Americans were often mistreated and called derogatory terms, referred to as less than human. Their intelligence was questioned, and they faced physical attacks for merely seeking the same civil rights as whites. One notable example is when Martin Luther King Jr. marched in Selma, Alabama, and was attacked, spat on, and beaten while demanding equal rights.
Today, we see racism raising its ugly head again, as exemplified by Donald Trump calling all Somali people “garbage,” along with right-wing influencers like Tucker Carlson regurgitating his racist rhetoric. They question the intellectual capacity of an entire group, insisting that certain people are inferior and suggesting they should be sent back to where they came from, treating them in an inhumane manner. These evil sentiments echo those once directed at the Jewish community by Adolf Hitler, as well as the rhetoric used by segregationists who fought to maintain Jim Crow laws. History never looks favorably upon those who racially discriminate against entire ethnic groups. Hindsight is 20/20, and in the future, people will look back and ask, “Why did we accept this? Why didn’t we stop it?”
We often admire the heroes of the civil rights movement, such as Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, wondering if we would stand up for what is right if faced with similar circumstances. Today, we are confronted with a modern-day Hitler insulting an entire community from a small African country, questioning their intelligence simply because they are Black, their worth because of their religion, and their humanity because of their origins.
Imagine looking at photos of Hitler’s fiery speeches and questioning why people supported such a lunatic. Why did they racially discriminate against innocent Jews? The same thing is happening today against the Somali Muslim community, with the media machine turned against us and the most powerful person in the land directly insulting us. When he calls us “garbage,” he is not only dehumanizing those he dislikes but also the children, the women—everyone in the community.
In direct response to Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson’s racially motivated attacks against the Somali community, we aim to highlight the contributions we have made throughout history.
In today’s polarized discourse, narratives surrounding immigrant communities often become distorted by stereotypes and misconceptions. In my response to Tucker Carlson, I aim to challenge reductive and harmful labels that fail to recognize the contributions and complexities of Somali Americans. I confront the derogatory claims made against my community, illuminating our rich history, significant economic impact, and the vibrant cultural identity we maintain while actively participating in American society. Through a careful examination of facts, I call for a deeper understanding and respect for those of us who have long been part of the fabric of Minnesota.
Mr. Carlson,
To define an entire community by the circumstances of our arrival, while ignoring everything we have built, is not commentary.
It is slander.
Farmers receive subsidies.
Corporations receive tax incentives.
Industries receive bailouts.
No one reduces them to what they received.
The same honesty must apply to Somali Americans.
As a community leader, I am trained as both an Imam and a critic of modern ideologies, including the hidden self-interest agendas and biases they contain.
In your recent video, you called Americans of Somali heritage “primitive” and “tribalistic,” accused us of having low IQ, and suggested we survive on government assistance.
The language you have deployed reveals not scholarship but ideology. It is the same language used to justify colonization and exploitation for centuries.
I cannot remain silent.
On the Charge of Low Intelligence
You accused an entire people of low intelligence without a shred of evidence.
I invite you to consult the accounts of those who actually encountered Somalis in our own land.
In 1331, the Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta visited Mogadishu and described it as “an exceedingly large city” with wealthy merchants, sophisticated trade systems, and fabrics so fine they were exported to Egypt.
He found a Somali sultan fluent in both Somali and Arabic, a city with judges and scholars, and hospitality customs that impressed him deeply.
Five centuries later, the British explorer Sir Richard Burton, an Orientalist who is no friend of Africa, traveled through Somali lands and wrote: “The Somali is a democracy of equals, where every man is noble, and no man is king.” He admired our poetry, legal traditions, and courage. “He is the freest man in Africa,” Burton observed.
These are not my words. They are the words of outsiders who arrived with their own biases and still could not deny what they witnessed.
And let me add one more thing: Somalis sent charity to the Arabian Peninsula long before oil was discovered in the region. That is the people and culture you are attempting to humiliate, Mr. Carlson.
On the Charge of Being “Primitive
The facts tell a different story.
Dr. Bruce Corrie, an economist at Concordia University, estimates that Somali Minnesotans generate over $500 million in annual income, pay approximately $67 million in state and local taxes, and contribute roughly $8 billion to Minnesota’s economy. That $8 billion figure exceeds the economies of many Minnesota counties.
Somali Americans serve as physicians at Hennepin Healthcare, Mayo Clinic Health System, and clinics across the state. Dr. Abdirahman Madar, a Senior Medical Director at Hennepin Healthcare, has trained doctors both in Minnesota and abroad. Dr. Bashir Moallin opened St. Cloud’s first Somali-run medical clinic in 2024. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 1.6 percent of the state’s licensed physicians speak Somali.
Somali Americans serve in law enforcement across Minnesota. Commander Abdirahman Ali of the Minneapolis Police Department is believed to be the highest-ranking Somali-American police official in the nation. The Somali American Police Association counts 48 Somali peace officers in Minnesota alone. In 2024, Ikran Mohamed became the first Somali-American woman sworn into the Minneapolis Police Department.
This is not the record of a “primitive” people. This is the record of a community building Minnesota’s future.
On the Charge of Being “Tribalistic
You appear troubled that Somali Americans maintain cultural and religious traditions. I ask: What is wrong with being American while honoring one’s heritage?
The United States is a nation built by communities that preserved their identities while contributing to the whole. Scandinavian Minnesotans celebrate their heritage. Irish Americans, Italian Americans, and Jewish Americans have all maintained their traditions across generations.
This is not tribalism. This is the American story.
Somali Americans have been elected to the Minneapolis City Council, the Minnesota State Legislature, and the United States Congress.
We serve alongside neighbors of every background in hospitals, classrooms, and police precincts.
We are woven into the fabric of this state.
On the Claim of Dependency
The suggestion that Somali Americans rely on government assistance is at best inadequate and at worst deliberately misleading.
Somali Minnesotans have a labor force participation rate above 70 percent, which exceeds the general population.
We are indispensable in sectors facing chronic labor shortages: healthcare, food manufacturing, and transportation.
We make up 11 percent of animal food processing workers in the state.
Remove these workers, and parts of Minnesota’s economy would stall overnight.
Our community has established hundreds of businesses.
As early as 2006, Somali-owned enterprises in Minnesota accounted for $164 to $394 million in purchasing power and numbered over 600 businesses.
That ecosystem has only expanded. Somali entrepreneurs now own trucking fleets, restaurants, retail shops, professional services, and medical clinics that employ workers of all backgrounds.
In conclusion, Mr. Carlson, you offered slurs. I have offered facts. The Americans you called primitive are building Minnesota while you watch.The record is before you. discrimination can never diminish the accomplishments that we’ve contributed.
There’s a famous saying that those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. We must not go down the same path that led to the Holocaust or the ethnic cleansing in Rwanda or Nazi Germany. We must not follow the same route that resulted in the downfall of many nations through identity politics, which disregards justice, common sense, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and respect for human dignity. Instead, we must hold dear to these values.
We must ensure that we uphold justice, fairness, equality, and the American Dream itself—that no matter where you’re from, you can be an American. It doesn’t matter what your language, culture, or religion is; you belong, and you have unalienable rights that are promised to you by God, affirming that all men are created equal. This is the most important pillar of our society.
This principle separates America from China, Russia, and Iran, as anyone can come here, become an American, and achieve the American Dream while contributing positively to this great nation without facing racial discrimination, persecution for their religious beliefs, or unjust treatment. This is why we appeal to everyone—not just for our own good but for America and all the peoples of the world. America truly is the shining city on a hill, and if it fails in its promise to us, it fails in its promise to all. We must not let it fail; justice still exists, equality still exists, and life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness still exist in America.
With that being said, what will you do to stand up for your neighbor’s rights, to uphold the values this country was founded upon, to defend freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the liberties promised to all Americans—whether they are Black or Brown?
