PERSPECTIVE: MAGA was around long before Donald Trump

In the last decade, people around the world have come to associate red baseball caps with white lettering with Donald Trump supporters and ultra conservative thought. But the ideology behind what’s written on those hats — “Make America Great Again” or MAGA — was around for many years before former President Trump made it a central theme of his White House campaign. The origins trace back to policies established during the civil rights era. MAGA supporters want to return to the time of Jim Crow, a time marked by enforced segregation and widespread discrimination. Former President Donald Trump throws autographed hats to the crowd during the final round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Aug. 13, 2023. Photo credit: Seth Wenig, The Associated Press Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, the concepts now associated with MAGA persist. Throughout my career in civil rights and social justice, I have seen supporters of this way of thinking gradually erode the civil rights advancements made during the 1960s. Today, as Election Day looms, it is more crucial than ever that we remain united in our push for equality and fairness....