In American politics, it's often not what you say but who you are that matters most, and no one better exemplifies this tradition than Barack Obama. His background and perhaps moreso his foreground -- that which we see when we look at Obama -- has been an endless source of curiosity and opportunity across the range of the American political spectrum. For the black community in particular, Obama's identity and politics have been an enigma. For many, the overriding question, given the nation's horrific legacy of slavery, Jim Crow apartheid, and continuing racial disparities, is what will President Obama do to help his community?
The debate -- having started well before he became president -- is not only heating up but taking on a highly personal tone. Princeton professor of African American studies Cornel West has led the pack with personalizing the issue in framing his critique of what Obama means for the black community. Professor West is followed not too far behind by black media kingpin Tavis Smiley. Both men have publicly declared themselves wounded by Obama's affronts to their wish of being included in the inner circle of the first black presidency. Both men have morphed what appears to be their personal ambitions into the larger narrative regarding the struggle for the betterment of the black community.
Having not only bemoaned Obama's failure to essentially be his friend (friends call friends back when they leave a message), West has now taken the slight to the next level by calling Obama names. President Obama is "a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats," West contends. He even goes after Obama's mother for being white.
But many seasoned activists and certainly the overwhelming majority of African Americans say that the strategy is wrong -- as ad hominem approaches usually are -- and the real issues are being obscured by the playground squabbles making the headlines. There is a real and urgent need to shift the debate on Obama's relationship with the black community from private individuals' issues and will-I-or-won't-I half-heartedness about broaching the topic into an actual nuanced strategy that negotiates the fine line between pandering to extremist views and advancing the needs of a black community that is on so many levels seeing its worst days in generations.
The Reverend Al Sharpton, who has become a leading figure in Obama's black community outreach strategy, has strongly condemned black criticism of Obama, instead arguing for an insider strategy that negotiates with the administration. Sharpton's somewhat hands-off approach signals a real fear that reiterating Obama's black status will hurt his chances of re-election amongst whites and potentially open the door for a far more reactionary conservative candidate to win.
As joblessness continues to rise -- above 16.5% among blacks, as opposed to 8% amongst whites -- housing foreclosures devastate black families, and criminal justice practices continue to disintegrate black family structures and prosperity, black America is openly struggling against a potentially historic social and economic collapse during the very time that the first black president is in office. There seems to be little doubt, at least as Obama's first term comes to an end, that African Americans will have fared worse than when he came into office. For Obama's opponents, black and otherwise, that data will be the central theme for judging his administration.
But to what degree is expanding black immiseration Obama's fault? Clearly, Obama carries some of the blame, particularly his failure to use the office as a bully pit for challenging the nation to resolve the harmful racial disparities that exist. Yet, in a political system of complex and vexing checks and balances, realpolitik also limits the president's ability to change political directions. These facts, though too often buried in the back pages, fortunately have not been lost on some longstanding leaders in the community.
The rising voice of a middle ground is signaling some hope. Black leaders like Harry Belafonte, a Hollywood star whose history of progressive activism in the black community goes back to the early days of the civil rights movement, have proclaimed a more constructive and productive approach to Obama's relations with the black community and its needs. In an interview on Democracy Now!, Belafonte stated that it is in Obama's interest to be pushed into addressing black policy and political priorities. This can be accomplished by a multi-pronged strategy.
If Obama advances legislation that is desperately needed by a wide range of Americans, the needs of blacks can also be addressed without risking alienation of the dominant power structure. Joblessness is a key area. Unemployment rates among blacks haven't been this bad since the Great Depression. If Obama presses toward targeted job reform legislation, he will not only have addressed the foremost needs of millions of working class and jobless Americans, he will have taken a massive step toward helping the black community in particular.
At the same time, the administration and Congressional progressives should also push for targeted policies that specifically address issues that will not be met by a generalized approach. Rural communities, for example, have different needs than urban ones. In that sense, low-skilled, low-educated African American males have different employability concerns than semi-skilled, low-educated white females.
Attention to poverty and working class needs that also addresses the interests of marginalized racial communities has proven to be a successful model for other politicians in the past and not just in the United States. Former president Lula Ignacio da Silva of Brazil lifted tens of millions of Brazilians out of poverty with one swipe of his Bolsa Familia (Family Stipend) legislation. Brazil, like the United States, is a racially diverse and ethnically mixed population but targeted legislation like the Bolsa Familia worked wonders toward satisfying an urgent and primary need of a massive segment of the population while also carefully tending to the needs, in part, of black Brazilians who could have been lost in the shuffle of reform and stagnation once again.
Belafonte and his cohorts believe that the black community can not only advance its needs but advance Obama's presidency and re-election by steering Obama on track toward policies that are desperately overdue for the long suffering working and lower classes of America.
In other words, make Obama the kind of president he states he wants to be.
What is needed is not name-calling, agonized resentments, and tantrums but a mass mobilization toward that kind of policy change -- something former community organizer Obama knows all too well.
Clarence Lusane, Ph.D., is the program director/associate professor of comparative and regional studies in the School of International Service at American University. He is the author of many books, including The Black History of the White House, published earlier in the Open Media Series by City Lights Books, www.citylights.com.
Shirin Sadeghi is Host of New America Now radio in San Francisco and is a former producer and reporter for the BBC and Al Jazeera. She is a featured commentator on the Huffington Post and Pakistan's national daily newspaper, Pakistan Today and has a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies. Follow her on Twitter: ShirinSadeghi
1. Bringing back ciminalization of employment discrimination; imposing mandatory financial liability against anyone found liable for employment discrimination;
2. Revamp the Department of Education and eliminate all the bogus standardized tests that are being used to marginalize minorities; denying federal government student loan guarantees for any school that uses the bogus tests;
3. Issue Mass Presidential pardons (like an amnesty) to anyone with criminal conviction for non-violent drug possession offenses;
4. Make jury diversity mandatory through legislation in every criminal trial.
If Obama can make anyone of these a reality, I will be satisfied.
You do know he was a Community Organizer, that gave him the WH, but then you see how he handled it, don't you. Sorry no answer for you.
Trinity United Church of Christ... a church that I belong to has had no effect on him at all?
"Black but raised with White families can have major problems"... Huh?
I grew up in a community full of them, many are my friends still, and I can say from personal experience that what you are saying as full of it. My friend are well adjusted black people who live happy lives... whether they tend to associate mostly with blacks or whites.
Again, in my opinion, President Obama being perceived as going above and beyond for one community would make him the most popular 1 term president in history.
We need to work within our own communty to better the lives of African Americans. Obama is the best symbol of what we can achieve in this country.
Let's get him reelected.
Obama 2012!
I have grown up with a Mother who is a Bahai where they just love race mixing but she is no hypocrite regarding race and all that goes with it here in America. She wasn't born here either (naturalized citizen) but came before civil rights started and remembers being mistaken for being Latino or biracial but nope, she's a Black as they come.
It's just a slap in the face that he can meet with everyone else but us like we are useless damaged goods. It's like a dance well to do Blacks play like pretending they can't dance so some White folks won't feel intimidated!
Gone are the days when it was cool to pump your fist at ‘The Man’ and revel in the glows of admiration as you ‘speech-a-fy’ with speed elaborate run on sentences, flourished with multi-syllable words that had up jumping out of our seats… “Amen”!!
Yes, Dr. West and Tavis, we do still love you. We thank you for all you’ve done for us. You’ve taught us well. But, it’s my generation’s turn. We don’t see things through the same lens that you do. For good or bad, please have a seat. Enjoy your retirement.
We got this.
Gone are the days when it was cool to pump your fist at ‘The Man’ and revel in the glows of admiration as you ‘speech-a-fy’ with speed elaborate run on sentences, flourished with multi-syllable words that had up jumping out of our seats… “Amen”!!
Yes, Dr. West and Tavis, we do still love you. We thank you for all you’ve done for us. You’ve taught us well. But, it’s my generation’s turn. We don’t see things through the same lens that you do. For good or bad, please have a seat. Enjoy your retirement.
We got this.
#1 - he is president
#2 - All of America is his 'community' even tea baggers
Furthermore, he has not ignored the black community at all. What did you think would happen when he was elected? Poof!! Over 400 years of problems would go away in 3 years?
Get real.
No you're missing my point because some of my post was cut-off. I understand and accept that President Obama is the President of All America, but he cannot tell Black folks that, then meet with illegal alien sympathizers and tell them "I am doing all I can to help you get amnesty or a pathway to citizenship", he then goes and meet with AIPAC and assures them I am a friend to Israel. He cannot talk out of both sides of his mouth the Black people or expect us to wait as he cater to others. The American Black voter is his staunchest supporter and if other groups expect his attention and results from President Obama for their vote, then why can't Black people do the same. That is my point.
in fact none of his policies are encouraging growth and it would be a block like keeping Boeing out of SC that would send a message to all corporations that employ labor unions that the only way out for them is off shore at least Boeing wants to keep the jobs in america.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/2011/05/defending-defending-america-obamas-nlrb-v-boeing
Is President Obama not the chief executive for all citizens of the U.S.A.?
Your article is honestly one of the most blatently racist things I have ever read.
A majority of people of all colors, creeds and ethnicity voted Obama into office yet you expect special consideration for one particular color?
As long as you find racisim everywhere you look it will never end because you will never let it end.
Enjoy your "mochaview" through your mocha glasses. I enjoy my open view that just allowed me to make two fine new friends in the City of London. Long-time British citizens on their first date (man and woman) with some pre-conceived notions about Americans and gays alike. Guess what? Hugs and kisses all around!!!!
For the record, racism is not the mention of race or the inclusion of race in a serious, meaningful discussion. Racism is the use of race as a basis to oppress or disenfranchise certain people within a given society. This article is not racist.
Moreover, I think it very odd that you'd click onto an article clearly named, "Black Infighting Over the Obama Presidency," and denounce it for dealing mentioning the "black community" throughout. I mean, how dare the authors have given the article an apt title.
"A majority of people of all colors, creeds and ethnicity voted Obama into office yet you expect special consideration for one particular color?"
The "special consideration" black Americans want is no different from the "special consideration" the GLBT community wants, or that the immigrant community wants, or that the unemployed population wants.
Gays were quite free to say that the Obama administration was moving far too slowly on key items on their agenda. Immigration Reformers are free to discuss the President's inadequate response to their needs. People struggling without jobs are free to be vocal about their dire need of work.
But when the President's black base begins to vocalize its growing alarm over the slow pace at which his administration is addressing its needs, their discussion somehow, automatically becomes racist and seeking "special" favors. Amazing.
"Moreover, I think it very odd that you'd click onto an article clearly named, "Black Infighting Over the Obama Presidency," and denounce it for mentioning the "black community" throughout."
And no.
Basically, the writers of this article are saying Obama is a terrible President, especially for the poor and blacks. But the poor and blacks should not criticize Obama.
Listen to yourselves!
He's above criticism because the GOP is more dangerous I suppose. You do realize the entire reason we have freedom of speech is so that we may criticize the government?
I do realize that the GOP's policies are dangerous and in some cases insane; but that should not give Obama a free pass.