Race: The Conversation

I've heard it said many times since Barack Obama's extraordinary speech earlier this week that his words served to open the door to a long-postponed national dialogue on race. I agree--both that the need for dialogue has for too long been swept under the rug, and that a door has now finally been opened. But the opportunity will be lost unless we can agree on two essential propositions: that we will tell the truth, and listen to the truth.

Neither one is easy. To tell the truth, we must first belly up to it. Too often--I speak here for myself, but I suspect for many others, too--when truths are uncomfortable, I find ways to hide them from myself. As I suspect you may have done, I have acquired considerable skill in this clandestine art. Denial is one fine option, one that all good addicts know. And most of us have our addictions, whether to alcohol, narcotics, nicotine, sex--or , let's face it, Jesus, good works, patriotism... We can be as addicted to a benign image of ourselves as thoroughly as to heroin, and that image can be equally seductive and deceptive.

We sometimes need help to see ourselves. Some choose religion or therapy. I myself have chosen meditation and the Buddhist teachings in the attempt to keep myself honest about my own faults and self-delusions. This is what listening is all about--whether to myself or others. Listening is about going deeper, about going beyond the first levels of deflection and deception, about always challenging the next assumption that comes to mind and asking the next question. I know that I am capable of endless mind-ruses when it comes to hiding from a truth about myself that I do not wish to hear.

If it's hard to listen honestly--and skeptically--to myself, how much harder it is to listen to someone with whom I totally disagree. I tend to agree with myself without a problem. When someone tells me black is white, it drives me crazy. But sometimes, in fact, it is. In their view. To remind myself of this, I keep a quarter in my pocket. On one side it's painted red, on the other side, blue. If I hold the blue side up for someone else to see, they'll tell me quite rightly that the quarter is blue. But then they tell me that I'm crazy or deluded if I insist that it's not blue, it's red--until I turn the quarter around for them to see the other side. Then they get the message.

So unless we learn to listen to those crazy folk who persist in saying that quarter is blue, we'll never get anywhere, with race or any other subject. What's maddening, though, is when you show them the red side and they continue to insist it's blue. In which case, they're not seeing what's out there, in front of their nose: they're seeing what their mind says--and the mind is a powerful, powerful tool. It is powerful beyond any rational argument. I don't happen to think that the current occupant of the White House is an idiot, as some people do. I think he's simply blind to any other view than his own. He is incapable of the kind of listening that I'm talking about. Show him blue and he'll keep saying red--until, as they say, he's "blue in the face"!

If we're to engage in this conversation about race that Obama started, then, we have to learn first to take the blinkers off--or the earplugs out--and to understand that others may see things very differently from the way we do. Then the conversation starts, a true dialogue from which a better mutual understanding could eventually spring. Until we're ready to be honest about our own beliefs and prejudices, though, and until we're ready to really listen to others, we might as well forget it.

I'm hoping that Obama's hope is not a vain one, that we don't sweep our national problem with race and racism back under the rug. Or, as he nicely put it:

NOT THIS TIME!

Comments

[RG986xx]

I've posted this before on another article but feel it fits here also. It's time to discuss racial and cultural differences and similarities.

Another person posted a comment and said "Everything can be touched except a heart that has hardened. There is no hope for the hate filled heart." Here's my response to her comment.

Everything can be touched except a heart that has hardened. There is no hope for the hate filled heart.

I am Japanese, Caucasian and Native American who grew up in Georgia in the 60's. I remember the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement. I saw and heard things from the White people that would make you cringe...not only towards Blacks, but towards me and my family. My parents married during the Korean War. My Japanese family accepted my father because of me and my siblings. My American family accepted my mother for the same reasons.

Although I don't approve of what Rev. Wright said, I believe Barrack handled the situation beautifully. And by the way, I have heard Caucasian preachers speak the same way. I now live in the Pacific NW and for the past few years, I have heard hatred towards Hispanics, whether they are here legally or illegally. I've heard hatred towards the Blacks, hatred towards the "Indians", hatred towards the "boat-people" and "gooks", hatred towards the "Japs", and we're starting to hear hatred towards the Chinese. When will this all end?

People need to understand that those of us who are Multiracial have lived in this country with a foot in two or more racial groups. It's a fine balancing act, but it gives one a little more insight because on one hand, we're accepted by those racial groups and on the other hand, we're rejected by those racial groups.

If we don't talk about the differences and similarities of all the races, we will continue to spread hatred to our children and grandchildren. This country is a melting-pot and in the 2000 census there were 6.8 million Multiracials in this country. Inter-racial marriages are not going to stop. If your grandchildren are Multiracial, will you reject them? Will you allow others to reject them? No, not any more than Barrack's grandmother rejected him, even though she needed to express to him her feelings about race. We can't change what has happened to us in our past to forge our prejudices, but we can change how we respond to our prejudices now and in the future.

A hardened heart can be softened with communication but there is no hope for changes in our society if our hearts remain hardened.

[Duvigneau]

Well-written, Mr. Clothier. I particularly appreciate the bi-coloured coin analogy.

Amazing how the moment someone asks us to confront racism the guards go up and individuals begin looking everywhere else but within. One can point fingers at rap music all one wants, but it's just another diversion from simply looking in the mirror.

The question of racism certainly doesn't exclude African Americans. In that sense, racism is indiscriminating, for it can take seed within anyone. And Obama is not asking only whites to confront its divisive poison. He is asking it of America as a whole.

Duvigneau

[SteveManz]

I agree with Sentator Obama, we need to talk about race and especially the dehumanization of the racist community in America. Racial discrimination is defined as someone who differentiates on race. Discrimination and differentiation are the same thing and it is pro-choice to allow someone to differentiate (or discriminate) on who they want to associate with and marry. The government has no business to tell someone that they do not have the pro-choice right to select the race of the person they want to marry or associate with.

Racial differentiation (discrimination) is not necessarily a bad thing and is a person's human right when they are given the choice of who they want to have relations with whether at work, home or out in society.

This is not to say that people of different races can not marry. It is saying that those who are hetero-racial (want to associate with other races) can do so while those Americans who are homo-racial (want to only associate with or marry their own race) can have the choice to associate with who they want.

Has anyone ever considered that God, nature, the universe or what ever created us, created the races separated on different continents, separated by vast oceans and expanses of land? Only man made evils such as slavery or colonialism has brought the races together. Again this is not to say that one can not associate with the other, but only to say that those who choose not to should be given the choice. Be pro-choice! :-) It is up to individuals and families to decide how they want to lead their lives not by forceful integration from the government or other harmful policies.

Psychologists already know that "like attracts like" some times this can be if two people have a like hobby or if a couple has a similar personality or cultural background. Also it applies if someone is of the same race and you look "like" someone else. Some bigots in academia insist that it is a learned emotion but they do not offer proof. The "like attracts like" notion in psychology is more accurate. They will say that a homo-racial (racist) person is prejudice (pre-judging) however even when the homo-racial person gets to know many people from another race for a long time, they are still attracted to a partner of the same race. They are in effect exercising postjudice or making an assessment after the fact and after information is obtained.

During Barack's dialogue on race, I would like to point out that we in the racist community are "in the closet" because to admit that we are racist - while not being illegal - invites many dehumanizing remarks and characterizations of us and we are ostracized for who we are.

To condemn someone of their racial-orientation is just as wrong to condemn someone of their sexual-orientation. Racists are of all races and yes even mixed race (they still prefer one race(s) over another race(s). Every open minded individual should reflect on this and be compassionate - not criticize, fear or condemn what they don't understand.

We are here, we always have been and we are not going to let the bigots of the "you have to think like me crowd" force us back in to the closet.

I look forward to Barack's discussion on race!

[GwenElle]

If you are going to use psychology to support your premise and your way of being in the world, then please remember that psychology also allows for the very human response that opposites attract, not just "likes". The laws of electromagnetism also allow for this phenomenon. Magnets and the batteries we use in our electronic gizmos work on the very principles of negatively and positively charged particles; the attraction of opposites. Electricity is a basic part of nature, a natural phenomenon, and one of our most widely used forms of energy. True, we get to choose how we will use it, or whether we will use it, but we don"t create it.

Some things in nature do in fact carry a naturally positive or negative charge and therefore have a natural attraction. I think this principle *is* supportive of the point you wish to make. However, I submit that attraction among humans is *not* restrcited to nor has any particular relevance to race.

As for your premise that God put races on different continents, I would also respectfully challenge that notion. By your definition of God's will, only native Americans should be in America. Historically speaking, white people are not in this country because God put them here. They chose to be here. One of the proud stories of American history is that Christopher Columbus traveled from Europe in the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria and "discovered" America. And though the history books have sanitized Mr. Columbus' exploits as a noble adventure, in fact he came here looking for gold and glory, motivated by one of the most human of foibles, greed. Puritans followed a few centuries later seeking the freedom to practice their religion without "government interference". Blacks are here, again speaking historically, because the white man thought it would be a good idea to have them "help with the building of the economy" (sarcasm intended).

The nature and basic definition of racism is to rob others of their right to choose; that has been racism's history. I support fully your right to associate with whom you like. I am sure that any American would. I just don"t think that we have to be polemical to justify our personal (as differentiated from natural) choices.

[truesoccermom]

I am a passionate Obama supporter who thinks he can be the greatest leader of my lifetime. I am sad about the events with Pastor Wright because as much as I and other enlightened Democrats see Obama's brilliance in dealing with the issue, I fear there are many others who are still left with the idea that Obama's "mentor" is an extremist who preaches angry sermons about blacks being victims. While I hope I am wrong in this I think the only way to reach these people (and at the same time silence the hateful right-wing witch hunt about black preachers) is for Pastor Wright to come forward (on Oprah or 60 minutes perhaps). He could explain his background and talk about his struggles as a black man during segregation. He could talk about the Christian and religious aspects of his ministry and explain how he came to know Obama. And finally, wouldn't it be wonderful if he could admit that he too was touched by Obama's speech and recognizes that his past angry rhetoric (preaching as if the country were "static") is no longer helpful and productive in the black community. He could show that Obama is now his "mentor" and demonstrate what a truly amazing leader Obama will be for this country. I think something like this would turn this whole thing around and truly further the discussion that Obama has started. I welcome your thoughts on this.

[GwenElle]

It perhaps would help if we sought out the entire sermons and listened to them in context, not just the soundbites that are being played ad nauseum. I recently heard more of the sermon in which the pastor made the remark, "America's chickens are coming home to roost", and I found his point of view totally credible and fully within the context of what Chrisitian religions, especially the more fundamentalist kind teach.

One could argue whether the Sunday after the event was the most sensitive moment to make the sermon; but I don't think there is any reasonable dispute of the timeliness or the facts contained within it -- that is if you listen to it in its entirety.

As for the sermon in which he speaks the "God damn America" remark, I am in the process of searching out that sermon as well for context as opposed to controversy.

We have as much responsibility in this as does the reverend.

[NeverRepublican]

I'm so happy Obama brings race back to the for-front? Maybe he shold start with rap music and the hip-hop culture for glamorizing..."run'n, gun'n, drugs, ho's and hating cops"...seems like a great place to start for some change.

[truesoccermom]

What you talk about is a cultural issue not a racial issue.

[hippynanainblingland]

And/or we could start with exploring the concept of the welfare queen, or the general view that some of us are more capable of learning than others...

Blessings, Hippy Nana

[Micah616]

Maybe the same could be said about Hollywood.