Will Racism End in November?
Will whites view an Obama presidency as an end to racism? Lawrence Bobo writes on the topic
To hear some barbershop talk, it is as if the racial progress in America that Obama’s success has helped to crystallize also brings with it a death knell for true racial justice. If Obama becomes the president, every remaining, powerfully felt black grievance and every still deeply etched injustice will be cast out of the realm of polite discourse. White folks will just stop listening.
A black president means that America no longer has any race problem to talk about! It would mean there is no longer any special debt to African Americans to be repaid! Kiss that 40 acres and a mule goodbye, my friends (or that BMer and a Rolex in modern reparations exchange units).
in spite of all of that, there can be no denial that this country has come a long way and opened many doors that other countries have yet to open, but want to point their fingers. A person like me can not even own land in their countries, much less have rights and become a part of the establishment. However, this does not mean that there is no progress still to be made. At least they recognize this here.
But Obama’s success worries us not just because it contradicts the narrative of an enduring racism problem, but because his whole candidacy has advanced and played upon a post-racial mythology. After all, Obama frequently speaks of his white mother, his immigrant Kenyan father, his “typical white person” grandmother and how his story of hybridity and political bridge-building “could only happen in America.” The prominent post-racial drumbeat leaves some wondering: Where are the black people in this tale?
Which is exactly why I wrote this. He mentions “black people” above probably as a stand in for descendants of slaves
Filed under: Changing World, Race
racial bias is at its worse today. just look at democratic primary vote 92% blacks vote for Obama . ask any of them and the reply is proud to see a black doing well in the presidential race. Obama is an empty suit even Jeese Jackson shows more guts and more achievements in his past. Obama is a fraudster and just look at his books , community work, state senate , the hill and the unsavoury people that he associated with etc, etc
I would love to believe that Obama will be the healer of race relations, but the truth is that in order for healing to come, he will need the help of the American people. As we seen with the presidential primaries, there are people who cannot get past Obama’s race /father’s religion.If we cannot get over this hurdle , it will not happen.
I was just looking at the reporters stating reasons that, Obama lost/won states. ” West Virginia and Kentucky are Hillary Clinton’s stonghold……..The people didn’t know Obama well enough…. the working class states are for Hillary.” While I believe that there many be some people who are comfortable with Hilary Clinton because of who she is, I also believe that part of voters feelings are based on race/religion. Those states( like W. Virginia and Kentucky )may have started reporters talking about the race, but I do not believe that they were the only states with people that harbor those feelings.
According to ABC news, over 66 percent of White West Virginians said that they would base their president on race, and would not vote for Obama because of it and also because of their perceptions of him being a “closet Muslim”. This man has to walk around with secret service agents so early in the race because of a racial attack taking place. Out of all of the presidential candidates, he has had to contend with this issue the most.
While I see nothing wrong with a Black/mixed race candidate( or any other person) wanting to be president, there are others who don’t as indicated with the ABC poll. There are so called women who want to form a group( if they haven’t already) that are opposed to Obama. I just wish they would be honest and say that they do not want to see a Black man as president. I haven’t seen N.O.W come out and said any thing about it. That is why I don’t believe them.
If Obama is to make a better America, he will definitely have to meet the needs of all Americans. While talking about his heritage and his whole upbringing is good to talk about in his campaign, action is key to his success.
Peaches,
I disagree with your synopsis.
I’ve been polled and the questions are worded in an ambiguous manner.
I will not vote for Barak Obama ergo, I will not vote for a black man?
Two diff questions. I would vote for a black Republican with a platform I’d support. C. Powell, yea, I’d vote for him, I know and respect the man.
Obama is an MTV/Hollywood candidate that speaks very well, has accomplished very little and is a narccissist to the extreme. I don’t care that he is black one way or the other.