A Transformational Moment

When the historic legislative milestone of the Voting Rights Act finally passed in 1965, I was still a young teenager. Until then, black people in America didn't have the right to vote. And until the Civil Rights Act passed the previous year in 1964, black Americans had to drink from separate drinking fountains, eat at separate lunch counters, ride at the back of buses, and watch movies only from the balconies of theaters. Then there was all the violence. I remember a civil rights worker from my hometown of Detroit, named Viola Liuzzo, who traveled to the South in order to help black people win the right to vote for the first time. She was murdered for doing so.

I was still in the U.K. on a book tour Tuesday night, just having finished speaking to a forum at the British Parliament with ministers from all three parties about the relationship between faith and politics. Then I stayed up until 4 a.m. to watch Barack Obama claim the nomination of the Democratic Party for president of the United States. It was my birthday the next day, and I recalled those days when the relationship between faith and politics for many black and a few white Christians was that if you stood up for civil rights -- especially the right to vote for black Americans -- it could get you killed. So I was not only blurry-eyed but also more than a little teary-eyed as I watched a young black man announce that he was ready to run for president of the United States, and for most of America to assume that he had a chance to win.

Race was the issue that led to my own confrontation with the church that raised me. It was my "converting issue," though the conversion led me out of the white church of my childhood, not into the church. A church elder bluntly told me one night that "Christianity has nothing to do with racism. That's political and our faith is personal." I was only about 15, but it was the night I think I left, in my head and my heart. And a couple years later, I was gone all together.

The little evangelical church that my parents had started and that was my second home was simply wrong about race -- completely wrong. Race was the issue that fundamentally shaped my early social conscience. What I saw in Detroit and in the country I had grown up to love seemed fundamentally wrong. I learned there were two Detroits and two Americas, one white and one black. And it seemed contrary to the religion my family had taught me to treat people in a fundamentally different way because of the color of their skin. But the church didn't agree and we parted company for most of my student years, with me only coming back to faith after a fresh encounter with the radical gospel of the New Testament. I came back with the realization that God is indeed personal, but never private, and exploring what that means has shaped the rest of my life.

So watching Obama, a black man, win the nomination of a major party for the presidency brought back a virtual flood of memories and feelings. That Barack is a friend of 10 years made it all the more personal. This morning I heard several interviews on NPR with black Americans about their response to Obama's nomination. One older woman said, "A black man running for president, did you hear what just I said? A black man running for president of the United States ...." She just kept repeating the words, and succinctly captured my own personal feelings.

Yes, it is truly historic, and the U.K. newspaper headlines captured that sentiment as did papers around the world. Nothing could change the image of America around the world more than this. But it is more than historic; it is very personal for many of my generation. A new generation just sees this as natural -- he's an inspirational leader who happens to be black, which matters little to them. But for my generation -- I'm dating myself now -- this is a transformational moment, one we didn't think would come in our lifetimes. Race was the issue that changed us, shaped us, determined our path, and even defined the meaning of our faith. Now a black man is running for president of the United States. Amazing grace.

Jim Wallis is the author of The Great Awakening, Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners and blogs at www.godspolitics.com.

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[ApolloSpeaks]

BARAK OBAMA ON GENOCIDE IN IRAQ

On CNN last week, Obama, the self-proclaimed mastermind on foreign policy, said to Candy Crawly that when leaving Iraq he will prevent the country from desending into the horror of genocidal war by replacing US troops with UN forces. So the New Politics Express will use the folks who stopped genocide in Rwanda and Darfur and disamed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hey people snap out of it: the politics of hope and change is hopelessly mired in folly.

[dmthurman]

Beyond absurd logic.

[Joeseo]

Iv'e never understood the criticism of Liberals until now. My prior posting evidently does not comport with their political correctness. Jim's references to growing up in Detroit is ok, my Philadelphia background exposed me to the Corporate American response to the 60's race riots by following social policies of Leon Sullivan and Bill Cosby. That means nothing to them, but whats reality have to do with anything these days.

[Davwbaird]

Jim I know what you mean. I grew up in a Republican home in Flint Michigan. My mother a daughter of polish immigrant and my father from an old southern Scottish family that made its way to Toledo and then my Grandfather to Flint. Racial comments were common and I was disturbed by that.
\
I some how escape Flint and ended in San Francisco and Glide Church. There I left behind the Baptist and found my strength as a gay man with the strong support of the folks who started the Gay movement back in the late 40' and early fifties. Their focus the Council on Religion and the homosexual. The rest is history and now we have a person running for president who is not afraid to say the work gay and Lesbian in his major speeches. We are all from the same mother and many of us hopeful that we will come to our senses.

[dudervision]

I have been a strong believer in Mr Willis since I first hear him interviewed. He speaks a truth that cannot be denied.
I originally voted for Hillary via mail in ballot in the California primary because I felt Obama was just too inexperienced. But when I heard his speech at the end of the New Hampshire primary, I was a wreck. I was honestly in tears. Here was a voice that rang out unlike any I had heard in many many years. And, his phrase that night, "Yes, we can" struck me in a way no other has for many years. Yet, is really isn't the phrase, it's that single word in the middle, "WE".
WE are at a crossroads in our history. If we chose Obama, it will not easy and it will be a tremendous amount of work for every American who cares. BUT, with him leading us, I honestly think we will at least take the first steps to bringing out county, and it's people back from the brink.
Let's get ready to roll up our sleeves and no only say, but really believe, "Yes, we can"!

[Sventheswede]

I am a 45 year old white male who grew up in an overwhelmingly white community in the NW. As a child I never personally witnessed the overt racism of the day or the strength of those who put themselves in harms way to stop it. Rather, I saw the subtle, yet prevalent societal racism that was so easy to rationalize, minimize or ignore.

I cried Tuesday night watching Sen. Obama. I was happy that the candidate best expressing my views prevailed, I was overjoyed at what his nomination reveled about the state of our nation, and even though I realized I could never fully understand or appreciate the personal significance of the nomination to African-Americans, I rejoiced for and with them. Yet the tears were very personal.

I thought of my grandparents, decent people, who accepted their racist tendencies as being just part of how their world was. I thought of my parents, who struggled with their biases, were afraid to make waves, but taught their children to be more accepting and bolder than they could ever be. But mostly I thought of my two teenage sons. Even though they were intellectually aware of the racial history of the US and understood the significance of the nomination, they were just happy their candidate won and couldn't understand dad's tears. The idea that they would choose a candidate on the basis of race or gender was unthinkable to them; It is just not part of how their world is.

[rosal]

I love that about young people: They don't see color, or gender. They see who is telling the truth, who is inspiring, and who can turn our country around for the better.
Its so encouraging to see the new generations taking over. It makes me so hopeful for the future of our nation. How lucky we are to be witness of this wave of change and hope.
I am all fired up, and ready to go!
Many Blessings to Our Country!

[tchristin]

Those younger than about 40 years old do not even see Obama the same way those over 65 years do. I think that's progress and something those 65 and older should be proud of. I hope in another 50 years, that generation will look back and wonder what our collective problem was in the years prior to 1968. Aren't we already doing that? But Obama is not just a black man, he is also white. He is both the immigrant and native son. He is the working class kid who rose up to go to Harvard.

Obama looks like all Amercans and has the god-given ability to communicate and inspire a generation. There is really no question in my mind that he should be - and will be - our next President. He will put an end to the politics of division that is destroying our country. And while he neither claims to be or is he - the answer - I believe he has the fortitude and honesty to lead us toward solutions to our most pressing problems.

If you think that's idealistic and naive then I will point to the agents of social change throughout our country's history beginning with the fine brave men who signed the Declaration of Independence.. and in the words of John Lennon .."you may say I'm a dreamer ...but I'm not the only one"

[CrankyCurmudgeon]

Many write about what Obama will or will not do. However, I think if we're really listening to his message we need to think about what we will do for, surely, what is happening must continue whether Obama becomes President our not. I think the most stunning, exciting, and wonderful thing about his campaign is the organization that supports him. His candidacy has created the largest and flattest political organization this country has ever seen. We need to learn from this, to build on it, and to ensure it develops into something that gives greater and greater representation to us, the people who power this country.

It's truly amazing that people of my generation (I'm 61) have grown from the "people our parents warned us about" to "the one's we've been waiting for." I haven't been this pumped in over thirty years.

Let's just remember, while it is well and good to revel in Barack Obama's nomination for President of the United States, he cannot single-handedly do much, especially in the aftermath of this criminal administration we've suffered for the past 7 1/2 years. We, not he, are the change we must believe in.

[Binx101]

Hey Cranky - that was one of the best comments I've ever read here!!

That's precisely the point.

Very well said.

Thanks,

Binx101
The Almost Daily Binx
http://binx101.wordpress.com

[lecraftygirl]

i whole-heartedly agree. i'm in and ready.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

[tdpubs]

Thank you. I've been trying to pass his message on to others so that they understand that this is not some guy coming to save us but instead a call to Americans to get off our collective asses and get to work. We are called into service once again; not to go shopping but to get active in our government.

Reagan told us that government was the problem. He and the Conservatives separated us from our birthright in order to fleece our birthright while giving us "tax cuts." That's like giving your neighbor a brand new Television so that he could enjoy his sitcoms while you steal everything but the couch he's sitting on.

It's time to sound the call to action folks. This is our time.

[arkgrfx61]

For a Cranky Caurmudgeon you certainly do "speak" eloquently and beautifully.
You are absolutely right - Obama can NOT do this on his own...and I feel that we as his supporters are putting an awful lot of pressure on him to do and be everything.
And while I certainly KNOW he is capable of getting much of what we need done - it IS up to us to help him achieve the same goals we ALL want - and that is a peaceful society where we can take care of one another as well as taking care of this beautiful Earth we are beholden to.

[Boadicea]

Hey - can we get a HuffPo pick on Cranky's comment?

This 55+ white woman is fired up and ready to go! In my area, we have a group of Obama woman all middle aged, never got involved before, and we're so organized it's mind-blowing! We're meeting every week now. And some of us were originally Clinton supporters!

Obama will take our district for the Democrats, for the first time in history!

Yes We Can take back our government from the corporate lobbyists.

And Mr. Wallis, you're right about the youth. My daughter gives me a blank look when I mention Obama's blackness. Her fellow law students are all colors, all genders.... that's been her world. She knows no other. To her Obama is a brilliant leader; his blackness is about as relevant as what kind of underwear he wears.

Fellow boomers, we aren't perfect, but one thing at least we did right - through struggles and conflicts, we raised our children to be open and tolerant, by providing them with the atmosphere to grow beyond our own prejudices.

That's no small feat. Let's pat ourselves on the back.

[pahpah25]

i never expected to see , in my life-time...a woman and a black man in contention for the nomination of a major political party..especially after watching how GERALDINE FERERRO was villifed..not too log ago......even if hillary did not get the nod..........she has demonstrated that women can indeed aspire to the highest office and the next one to do so will probably get it...it will probably be a democrat woman as republicans seem to favour old worn-out men rather than their younger counterparts.

[goldstategirl]

There are sooo many good ladies ready to go, Dems and GOP ladies so really...there could be a GOP rebirth with more moderate youthful ones leading the way..maybe? no? Well, whoever's best for the country. Honestly though we've got hordes of lady govs and senators and such so t'll probably be more than a few top contenders next cycle.

[crislevin]

any suggestion to mix politicians as saints is insane, Mao was charismatic. so what? Politics are nasty, and Obama is no saints.

[buggedabouttheus]

Amazing Grace indeed. A prayer long given up by those no longer around to see it is being answered. What this country has taught me is have hope, faith, and believe in the inherent goodness of people. This is a change I can believe.

What brought me to tears was how the rest of the world rejoiced for us. Our standing in the world will rise again.

Thank you for such a beautiful column.

Church will be a great place to be on Sunday!

[Krikkit]

Yes, there seems to be a disconnect between unfolding reality with older folks. It isn't strictly a generational thing, but the trend is clearly there. I suspect it may have something to do with emotional entrenchment that happens when fighting against overwhelming odds for so long; when victory finally arrives, it isn't recognized at first. I suspect the same sentiment, "We didn't expect to see it in our lifetimes" was expressed when those voting rights laws were first passed.

Our nature is to believe it when we hear it and then when we see it and then when time has passed and it isn't taken away again. It just takes time, sometimes a generation.

[Preya]

I think you're wrong about the younger generation not viewing this as a transformational moment. We have older people in our lives, parents, etc, who remind us that we should not take our freedoms for granted; more than that, we have grown up in an education system that has helped us see the discrepancies, the inequities, and has helped us understand institutionalized racism. We have seen African-Americans, and other minorities marginalized, accepted in certain contexts (sports, entertainment), but not others (politics, academia), so NO, this is an amazing moment for us too!

What's awesome about Barack, though, is that he is black, AND he is white. He is truly a bridge between cultures. His candidacy is much larger than him. He is symbolic of this country's heritage, and offers the promise to fulfill the deferred dreams of the 60s. WE may not have lived during that time, but we understand, with more gravity than you give us credit for, the power of this moment.

[billpeppin]

It may, or may not, be of some interest to you all that I entered this campaign
season as a Kucinich supporter, then an Edwards supporter, and came over
to Obama as a "lesser of two evils" kind of choice. But since I first heard about
the stuff he was saying, and saw how he was acting, I just never think of him
as being a "person of color," but rather as a person who appears to have the
PERSONAL qualifications to be a real leader, a real uniter, and agent for real
change, even if I disagree with many of his hawklike positions to do with Iran
and Israel. You have to like somebody who can disarm those who oppose
him, and has throughout this campaign been personally gracious to all of his
opponents including HRC. (Some campaign zealots have not served him by
certain boorish behavior they misguidedly exhibited.) Others have said it: he
gives hope that none since JFK has given us. First time in my 65
years I have come to support a candidate for president with energy,
enthusiasm, and optimism. Barack Obama is a Obama-08-sign-in-front-of-house,
worthy-of-contributing, worthy-of-politically-active-support kind of guy. I'll be
working actively for him and for Cindy Sheehan as well. I think it's going to
take a young guy with LOTS of energy to deal with the economic/environmental
shitstorm heading our way for the next ... years. Obama 08!!

[brighterside]

Rev. Wallis's book God's Politics is like a blueprint on how we Americans can take back our government from those right wingers and republicans. Its very prophetic since what he described in his book seems to be taking place in America as we speak.

Wallis makes a lot of sense and he even challenges the faith community. A challenge to see things differently and not take what the status quo gives. As a young man at the age of 30 and a strong supporter of Obama, I just wished that maybe Obama would have gone to his church instead. I think he will fit right in on what Rev. Wallis's preaches.