During a recent interview with Black Enterprise, President Barack Obama was asked about some of the criticism he's received for allegedly not doing enough to support black businesses. In response to the question, the president had this to say:
"My general view has been consistent throughout, which is that I want all businesses to succeed. I want all Americans to have opportunity. I'm not the president of black America. I'm the president of the United States of America, but the programs that we have put in place have been directed at those folks who are least able to get financing through conventional means, who have been in the past locked out of opportunities that were available to everybody. So, I'll put my track record up against anybody in terms of us putting in place broad-based programs that ultimately had a huge benefit for African American businesses."
The president's remarks reflect a consistent perception that there are members of the African American community who expect too much of the Obama Administration. The portrayal is that they are demanding that Obama re-paint the White House black and put a picture of Malcolm X on the front door. The president is absolutely correct that he has to be sure to serve all of his constituents, not just the black ones. That point has been duly noted and consistently reiterated by both the Obama Administration and all of its surrogates in the African American community.
The concern about the president's remarks is that he has actually forgotten one undeniable truth: Mr. Obama, you are the president of black America, in addition to being the president of white America, Jewish America, Gay/Lesbian America and all the other groups that came together to form the melting pot that broke their backs to put you into office. The "I am not just here for black folks" defense certainly excludes you from having to spend a disproportionate amount of time looking out for black interests, but it does not exclude you from the responsibility to treat the black community with the same degree of legitimacy as every other group that is being consistently patronized by the White House.
If I own a restaurant and my own family comes through the door, I can't simply say "I'm not just here to serve you" and then leave them without any food. This is especially true if my relatives loaned me 20% of the money I needed to buy the restaurant in the first place. Instead, I should make sure they are taken care of like the other patrons, and then tend to the rest of my job. By refusing to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus for years at a time, and speaking specifically to almost none of the issues plaguing black America (i.e. mass incarceration, urban violence and unemployment inequality), it's easy to argue that the Obama Administration has gone too far in taking the black vote for granted.
We've all seen this before: A teacher has her child in class and treats her worse than the other children, or the football coach who mistreats and humiliates his son in front of the other athletes. All of us are tempted to substitute preferential treatment for abusive treatment. And when one considers the fact that black quality of life has worsened over the last four years, while simultaneously improving for whites, it's hard not to argue that the Obama administration has pandered to conservative (and racist) white Americans by showing how far it can go in ignoring African American interests.
So yes, Mr. President, you are the president of black America. The same inconvenience being hoisted onto your administration when we ask for targeted (not coincidental) action is no less than the inconvenience being thrust onto the black community when people are asked to take off work to show up to the polls. One favor deserves another, and it is disappointing to see a presidency predicated on the idea that black Americans are their employees.
Anyone who compares transcripts of Obama speeches to black Americans vs. speeches to other constituencies notices that the tone tends to become a bit condescending, non-committal and even disrespectful when black people are being addressed (as we were once told to "stop complaining, take off our bedroom slippers and put on our marching boots" - something that would never be said to gay people or women's groups). If anyone can prove me wrong on that point, please do so.
The modified rhetoric is not by accident, since the white guys working with Obama in the White House know that black people can be swayed more easily by style over substance. Also, it's easy to interpret standard black political advocacy as stereotypical whining and complaining of welfare recipients (we are the only group with a collection of media people telling all Obama critics to be quiet). Even Mitt Romney leaned on stereotypes when he said that NAACP members booed him because they wanted "free stuff." But when white folks show up at the White House door and demand action for the issues that matter most to them, they are simply utilizing their democratic voice. That, my friends, is White Supremacy 101, and you don't have to be a racist to use it to your advantage.
If the respect shown to black Americans does not match that which is shown to the gay community, Hispanic community and other demographics, then the Obama Administration has fallen woefully short in its duty to America. The president has stood strong for marriage equality for gay Americans, so I'm sure he'll understand those of us who stand up for political equality for African Americans. If the action and rhetoric is not equally respectful across the board, then it is entirely unacceptable. There are no two ways about it.
The saddest thing about the experience of the black political orphans in America is that when you ask them why they support the Obama administration, a large majority of them can only say "they're better than the Republicans." That's like a wife saying "I'll never divorce my husband because he's better than the man who used to beat me." Perhaps a more meaningful endorsement from his wife could be "I won't ever leave my husband because I am absolutely sure he loves me." Even the most ardent Obama supporter can't make such a claim.
The very same broken, two party political system that the Obama Administration complains about is the one that's keeping them in power. The black vote is held hostage with fear of a Republican presidency, not hope for a better future. Rather than being able to point to any evidence that black quality of life has improved over the last four years, they simply win the black vote by default. There is not much to celebrate about that and more should be expected from any politician who asks us for so much.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
Follow Dr. Boyce Watkins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrBoyceWatkins1
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 |
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| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
It's like I wandered into the land of Cries, Moans & "We're Owed" Speeches...
Black have watch the White House like it is a reality show and convincing themselves that Obama can pull a rabbit out of his hat, but unless he has both Houses of Congress the Tea Party is not allowing anythings to help black recover. Understand that there are actual still about 20 plus million unemployed America as they only count 14 million because they have stop looking for jobs.
So we are going to have at this rate somewhere around 54% of all black lose their homes, so what to come out of those households of bitter parent and children. Your black children are in danger because who do they come in contact with.
What is Obama policies going forward as Chicago is worst now than before Obama was elected. The black male HS graduation rate is under 35% and it the second largest black populated area, and its Obama backyard!
However it was Health Care that case the 2010 loss of the Congressional House as the Tea Party put it on him and now even if he does win again I predict that he a lame duck from day one because the Republicans as now have the ability to block everything they want too.
This was high stakes gambling and I believe we have lost because there has been to much black wealth loss and Obama has done nothing to recover proven crimes that have occurred, and now will never get the support needed in a second term to correct what he should have done in the very first two years. His tries have been failure and close is only good in horseshoes.
I just happen to be the only black that was allowed to work in a bank as a Prime/FHA?VA mortgage loan officer as the other blacks hired were working in the subprime divisions or broker shops as it gave America the impression that black were well represented in the Prime mortgage area.
I have been doing is researching how it was the Ginnie Mae pool works exactly, and have found that Ginnie Mae has absolutely no legal standing to foreclose and cannot request that a servicer foreclose because as a non-lender who also does not purchase the loan does not have a valid servicing agreement to foreclose or even have been accepting the monthly payment paid by the homeowners.
Hundred of billions of dollars of black folks have been stolen by our own Government by way of Ginnie Mae!
It's always easy to point fingers at others when you've failed to live up to your own responsibilities...and Dr. Watkins has been seeking this audience for quite some time...sad, but true.
Instead of challenging Black Americans to live up to the "shining example" set forth by this nations first president of color...and take some personal responsibilities for a change..these "self-annointeds" deliberately, without any remorse or hesitation continue to direct the unsuspecting to hate, despise and blame everyone else for their failures...and President Obama is the easy target...from the left & the right.
We were once a better people and nation than this...and if we don't make the "change" necessary now to set our course in the right direction while President Obama is still president. ..November 7th will be too late.
We failed the president, the country and ourselves by doing this exact same thing for the midterms...and we've seen the devastating results...now if we blow this general. election ...be prepared to live with the lifetime of dire and detrimental results...because you'll deserve it.
At the same time, we as a black people had no current unified platform when we had the power during his first two years. I grew up in Shaker Heights and it was given that "never again' meant US foreign policy by America's 6 million Jewish American was meant support for Israel was number one on any agenda hence AIPAC's power. Where was the Black leaderships energy - siding with Latino's on immigration was a big issue. Even the failed trillion dollar War on Drugs didn't attract much attention to the Black political leadership when they had the power much let alone them shaping a conversation on reparations till this year when it has no chance in this Congress.
We attended the 09 CBC as part of the National Fairness and Growth Campaign an pointed out the facts of the situation. The CBC Chairwoman was kind enough to give our spokesman the floor during the plenary session and he stopped the house with the recitation of our condition. The result? No change is policy and or use of the power they then held as chairpersons of congressional committees ie to set the committee agenda and use of the power of a congressional subpena.
Having said that, it still doesn't mean that we shouldn't hold the president accountable. Ask about economic conditions in the black community and his response is that he's not the president of black America. Meanwhile, he has had no problem going to bat for gay and hispanic interests while he's been in office, especially the former. Has he ever told the gay community that he's not the gay president? Has he ever told them to stop whining and take off their bedroom slippers? No, these are words of contempt that he saves exclusively for the black community because he takes our vote for granted.
I thought that this should appear again, it is as concise and down to earth in regard to this matter as one will find. Having realized this is a call to turn up at the polls, everyone, and focus on your local reps at every level. Whoever wins this election, your strength is going to have to come from the bottom up.