Is Black America Strong Enough For An Obama Presidency?
African-Americans should be careful of what they wish for. They just might get it.
In February of last year when Sen. Barack Obama officially began his run to be the Democratic nominee for president, the collective response by black Americans was "Well, whoop-tee-do!" if poll reports are to be trusted. Political pundits intoned that he might not be black enough for most African-Americans.
Over the past year and a half, according to those same polls and pundits, black America has revised its opinion about Obama. African-Americans now shout "Run, Obama, run!" and celebrate as they see him seemingly on the cusp of clinching the Democratic nomination, and perhaps in November grabbing the brass ring to become America's first black president. (Note: the one drop rule for being "black" is still in full effect.)
But should black folk be celebrating? If elected to the nation's highest office, President Obama will likely be unable to effectively address problems that disproportionately affect black Americans.
Obama's campaign has already been under intense scrutiny about how "black" it is. Just one example occurred four months ago when Sen. Obama's wife, Michelle Obama, said "for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country. . ." referring to her feeling that America was poised for positive change. Her husband's critics descended like a vortex of angry hornets on what Fox News called her "newfound national pride."
The next day Cindy McCain, the wife of Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, volunteered: "I just wanted to make the statement that I have and always will be proud of my country."
Of course, those words come easily to Mrs. McCain: She is rich, white, and blond to boot. But for black Americans who like all Americans carry in their pockets portraits of slave holders -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson -- to be blindly patriotic is to be blind to important parts of American history. It is to be blind to their personal experience which is pockmarked, albeit less frequently of late, with injustices due solely to the color of their skin.
True: Sen. Obama's official campaign Web site addresses not only the war in Iraq, the economy and health care, but unlike the websites of Senators Clinton and McCain, Obama addresses civil rights in a ways that seem to have particular relevance to black Americans. In that section he promises to "ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice", "Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing . . . job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are successfully re-integrated into society," and to "Eliminate Sentencing Disparities. . .between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine. . . ."
But if elected president how far would he get in implementing these reforms before he'd be accused of instituting a "black agenda," which one can only imagine is a sepia-tinted Protocols of the Elders of Zion. (The term "black agenda" was actually cited last week on National Public Radio by a Florida voter as a reason some people won't mark their ballot for Obama.)
If Obama is elected commander-in-chief, mainstream America will watch him like a hawk, and it's easy to suppose that progress will stall for the neediest segment of black America.
I base my assumption on my observations of a vocal segment of my fellow countrymen. In January of last year, for instance, in a conversation on a radio talk show about the two head black coaches at the Super Bowl, a male caller, who identified himself as white, said, "Now they'll finally have their black Super Bowl coach no matter what. What more do they want!?"
In a March 2006 review of race in television that ran in a prominent newspaper, the critic mentioned the program "Grey's Anatomy," noting:
"For obvious historic reasons, networks are geared to be most attuned to African-American concerns. Some shows try a little too hard: 'Grey's Anatomy,' set in Seattle, has among its lead characters three African-American surgeons and one Asian-American. . ."
It's likely that the person who tried "a little too hard," was not a network executive, but Shonda Rhimes, the creator and producer of the hour-long drama, who is black. But of course the television critic didn't know that.
In 2002 Pat Oliphant, the Pulitzer prize-winning political cartoonist, drew a four panel strip about slavery reparations. I've tried to find an online copy of the cartoon, but it seems to have vanished like an entry in the old Soviet encyclopedia. Still, accounts by the Associated Press and the Student Press Law Center, a non-profit organization in Arlington, Va, confirm my memory of the strip: In it Oliphant depicts a conversation between Abraham Lincoln and one of his advisers. Lincoln is offering black people civil rights, affirmative action and "all sorts of other preferential entitlements." (I was tickled to see Mr. Oliphant refer to civil rights as a "preferential" entitlement.)
In the strip the advisor tells Lincoln, "They want all that and the money." In the corner of one panel, Oliphant's trademark penguin adds, "They also demand the Academy Awards."
If Sen. Obama is elected president, mainstream America will likely say, "You black people have your Miss Americas. You have your black Super Bowl coach. You even have your Academy Award winners. And now, finally, you have your black president. What more do you want!?"
While it's unlikely McCain or Clinton will do anything to address problems specific to black America, it's unlikely Obama will be able to. No matter who is elected in November, the new administration will inaugurate a new era for native-born Americans of African decent. They will have to bring their full powers of analysis to figure out effective strategies for economic, political and educational progress. Regardless of who becomes president, black America will need to not only put on its collective thinking cap, but also fasten its collective seat belt, because the next few years will be a very bumpy ride.
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Some people will "get it". Some people won't. That is just the nature of our society, always has been. The real trick is if more people understand what is going on and accept it when we finish, than when we started. That process takes decades, but nothing can diminish the step we took today. You can't take back his achievement. A generation of young black men saw him winning today, a nation saw him winning today. Hope has been a tough issue for the black community for a long time. The likelihood of this happening 40 or 50 years ago was not even possible, and now it is. Instead of worrying if he is going to screw it up, shouldn't we be asking ourselves if this is possible today.. what will be possible in another 40 years? Then we make it happen as fast as our society and humanity will allow.
Our country will never be truly great again until we fix this poison of racial intolerance (and our economy, and wars, and the environment, and our medical care, and a million other things...). One step at a time though..right?
Lovely post.
Great topic. There's a couple different sides to this issue:
1) If Obama becomes president, black Americans cannot expect him to solve their problems, as it is unlikely he'll have the political capital to address them all. So we may need to ratchet down our expectations.
2) White Americans should not assume there are no longer any problems facing the black community (i.e. racism (institutional or otherwise)) just because we have a black president. Just because Oprah is rich, and everybody loves Will Smith, and Obama is president, does not mean that race does not make a difference in this country
3) Black Americans will have a positive role model of the highest order. A man who succeed through his intelligence, education, and hard work. This will dispel some of the self doubt issues that unfortunately sometimes still plague the black community. Further black Americans will have an authority figure they trust. If Obama says, you've got to work harder to succeed, it's more palatable that hearing the same from a white president based on the fact that it will be assumed he is speaking from a place of respect
4) (Some) White Americans will have their views of black Americans permanently changed. While there are example of blacks succeed through athletic, or musical, or entertainment talent, there are few examples of black succeeding using intelligence and leadership. A public figure such as the president being successful will help to dispel some the negative stereotypes that exist.
Public schools in the city I live in are 90% black. The graduation rate is something like 40% and they have once again lowered the requirements. The population mix of the city is slghtly over 50% black and 48% white. One big box store normally open 24 hours just changed their hours to close at midnight. Some major national chains have been reluctant to come because of the reputation of theivery. The fact that we may have a black president won't change any ot that. With the wealth of people like Oprah and Will Smith, you would think they would invest some of it in improving of the lot of downtrodden black citizens. Oprah chooses to invest some of hers in Africa as she has a right to do. But don't blame whites. Rascism will always be with us. Blacks are just as rascist as anyone else. Just look at Rev. Wright and Farrakan. The Republicans have devalued the dollar, proved they can't run government, ruined the economy and proven themselves to be morally bankrupt in sexual matters as well family values. Obama will have a tough row to hoe if he gets elected.
Obama voted to bring low-cost foreign labor into New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. This was a slap in the face against the African-Americans who were displaced in that city. Obama also voted to place Michael Chertoff, the man responsible for the Katrina catastrophe, in charge of Homeland Security. Obama voted for the bills that gave Blackwater the funding they needed to shoot the people of New Orleans who were only trying to save their own lives. He voted to allow Michael Chertoff to waive all laws, including murder, torture and kidnapping.
What is "black agenda"..I dont think he has given aamerica any type of promise of anything along the lines of "black agenda"..Iknow me, as a black woman..I think HE IS A GOOD PERSON...even if he was white...its not his color im voting for.
Sounds like you are supporting the hoplessness of audacity.
Whats the problem bub, afraid that there will not be any excuses left for folks to hide behind?
With a black President, will you ever be able to look at your slave master dollars the same way again?
If Obama could aculturate and be a success, there is no excuse left for anyone else to ghettoize themselves and wrap themselves in the counter culture flag of the oppressed victim.
A whole sub-culture of self imposed seperatism is about to expire under the harsh light of reality.
People who act like bad steriotypes will be seen as the fools who they chose to become.
A new age of responsibility for the self is emerging.
Nothing is instant. It took a generation to get from MLK to Obama. Oh yeah, one more thing. The government dosen't hand your future to you. So don't complain when it dosen't happen after he takes office. Most of those disproportionate problems were a choice which more recent immigrants of other races overcame long ago on their own. Get Over It!
Undoubtedly, this response comes from an "elite" member of America's more privileged and dominant racial group that enjoys a sense of historical entitlement. These people have never had to deal with racial discrimination or prejudice, and they consequently have no clue what effects those ugly social flaws of America have on a person''s self esteem. After observing these privileged people for some time now, I have developed a keen awareness of their ignorance (or possibly "ignorant bliss" would describe it better). Their arrogant behavior, along with an indifferent attitude toward the unique problems faced by minorities, reinforce the fact that our deeply-entrenched social ills regarding race will be with us for a long, long time.
Thanks for the interesting article and take. I think, however, that the long term effect of having a black president is worth shorter term fallout. I believe that when the highest office in the country is held by a black person, black people who have actually been victimized or held back by racism, as well as those who have victimized by their perceptions of racism and the inevitable unfairness of our society will have no choice but acknowledge that though the playing field is not quite level, black people have long triumphed over greater odds and that black people have two duties, 1) To take advantage of opportunities which are available to black people in greater quantity and quality than they were for black people a generation ago, and 2) Work to ensure that the pathways to success are wider and more heavily trafficked by the next generation.
Wow, let's not take the evening to celebrate this historic event. We really need to start making sure no one gets TOO happy, right now.
Aside from stating some fairly obvious limits to the presidency, this kind of argument always fails to understand the basis of Obama's campaign. It is about building the coalition, getting the mandate, to restore the Republic, of the people, by the people and for the people.
As someone asked tonight, is he supposed to give a speech saying we are going to hope only so much?
I volunteer to stop judging people based on race.
Black people don't have a monopoly on poverty. By addressing the concerns of all poor people, Obama can make things happen.
thanks for this post!
Class/money/poverty seem to me to be more the focus.
WHen people have money, therefore access to good education, seems like a lot of the other problems become smaller.
Amen.
I think this sort of language is part of the problem, not the solution.
Thank you - that was some of the most negative commentary I have read since, well, around 4 p.m. PST.
Barack Obama may be black. He will be president.
But to Barack Obama, he is first and foremost, an American. Perhaps you should try that attitude on for size because for sure the one you've got is part of what's wrong with this country.
I am a 68 year old white man that President Bush has made a democrat. I think Obama is as white as he is black or black as he is white, what ever way you want to look at him. I am just very proud that he will be aur canidate and will do what I can to get him to the white house.
Before supporting Sen. Obama I supported John Edwards. As I am writing this I realize that this is the eve of the fortieth anniversary of Bobby Kennedy's death. My point that I am trying to make is that helping the least of us, many of whom happen to be African-American, is not a "Black Agenda". It is human decency and compassion. It is also patriotic. Having large segments of our population left behind in poverty and despair make an excellent "fifth column" for our enemies. That is why I believe that Dr. King was one of America's most important factor in our defeat of the Soviet Union. Think about it.
Short answer is no. Obama spent over twenty years ingratiating himself with the marxist grievance ideology as espoused by his mentor and spiritual advisor Wright. He went so far as to renounce his white heritage. He will now be beholden to African Americans and they will hold him hostage to make good on all the promises that the Democrats have made and never fullfilled. All African Americans have to do is to threaten to riot and Obama will have to fold as he cannot afford to stop a riot and violence could spread across the country.
Working for McCain, are you?
Your name sure fits! LOL
Good refutation of my argument. As Obama says, they're "words, just words"
I strongly disagree that progress will stall in any way for black America. Obama's policies will lift AMERICANS.
Thank you to Mr. Copage for pointing out, although too subtly, that the one drop rule is still in effect. Obama's candidacy has held up a huge mirror to the white Americans, and many of us don't like what we see. This election, as many do, has developed into a generational battle. Racism is still rampant and is almost as toxic when latent. Hopefully for a growing number of us, the prospect of an Obama presidency quells the urge to criticize the present state of scattered unenlightenment, and focus on the opportunity for change that only rare greatness can spotlight.
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