Obama's Crisis and MLK's Hard Truths

Millions of Barack Obama's supporters are asking, "What does he do now?" Everyone following the presidential campaign has heard sound bites of his pastor Jeremiah Wright condemning American racism and imperialism in the harshest tone possible. In response, Obama has once again been forced to distance himself from a close associate, but this time he has had to do so more forcefully and urgently.

The first thing we need to do is to put this development into context. On the surface level, it is a critical moment in a bitterly contested campaign that has devolved into a back-and-forth match of denouncing and rejecting surrogates. But on a deeper level, it is a reflection of how Obama's success has forced him to rise to bigger and bigger challenges. And for this reason, a moment like this was sadly inevitable, for there is no Obama path to the presidency that does not require him to rise above charges that he is unpatriotic or that he is a black extremist. Such is the inescapable reality of running for president as a progressive African American whose formative experiences came as an inner-city community organizer on the South Side of Chicago.

When confronting a moment of crisis, great leaders are those who can see through the fog of conflict and contradiction to envision a concrete path forward for the nation. What must also be understood is that great leaders do so not as individuals; they do so with the encouragement, involvement, and constructive criticism of millions of supporters. This is why there is a need not only for Obama and his aides to do some serious strategizing. Anyone invested in the short-term and long-term success of his campaign must do some soul searching and some deep thinking about the past, present, and future of America.

To challenge Obama and his supporters in this way, regardless of whether it is fair to do so, is to provoke an unprecedented debate that escalates the stakes beyond any election in recent memory. In order for his campaign to move beyond this crisis, he must do far more than prove that he does not stand for inflammatory rhetoric. Obama must redefine the meaning of love for America. And he must tell Americans how and why it is essential that creating a brighter future necessitates that we be honest about our past.

The last great American to recognize and embrace this titanic challenge was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And so we must turn to King. We honor MLK with birthday celebrations. But do we really recognize what made him the most profound political and philosophical voice of the past century in America? Particularly during the last few years of his life-as the Northern backlash stunted the progress of the Civil Rights Movements, Nixon's Southern Strategy was taking root, the cultural revolutions of the sixties advanced, the antiwar protests began to overflow into the streets, and the nation's cities erupted in rebellions-King's search for deeper answers to national and global crises provoked him to confront some hard truths.

Exposing the "unhappy truth that racism is a way of life for the vast majority of white Americans," MLK proclaimed "the disease of racism [had permeated] a whole body politic." While some politicians and other observers cast aspersion on the urban rebellions through a narrow discourse of law and order, he called upon all Americans to see them as products of history. As King wrote in "Showdown for Nonviolence" (1968):

There is an Old Testament prophecy of the "sins of the Fathers being visited upon the third and fourth generations." Nothing could be more applicable to our situation. America is reaping the harvest of hate and shame planted through generations of educational denial, political disfranchisement and economic exploitation of its black population. Now, almost a century removed from slavery, we find the heritage of oppression and racism erupting in our cities, with volcanic lava of bitterness and frustration pouring down our avenues.

But King was uncompromising in his denunciation of the violence that had broken out in "the ghettoes of the North." He didn't just view the violence as counterproductive. King believed it was crucial to tell these "desperate, rejected, and angry young men" that continuing down a violent path would permanently damage their souls. This in turn would damage the soul of a Black movement that had a vital role to play in transforming America.

King resolutely understood that the nation's greatest potential could only be achieved when the American people were ready to confront the hard truths he preached about. And that those who had suffered from the worst instances of racism and injustice had both a special insight into the meaning of democracy and a special role to play in fulfilling the promise of America. This is what made King the bearer of a true patriotism.

Yet, to "maintain his conviction that social change comes most meaningfully through nonviolent action," MLK was moved break his silence on the Vietnam War. Being consistent with his moral vision necessitated that he oppose this unjustified violence that had broken out on a far greater scale and was now threatening to kill the soul of America. It was time "to move beyond the prophesying of smooth patriotism to the high grounds of a firm dissent based upon the mandates of conscience and the reading of history." Thus, King declared, "I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today-my own government."

Not out of hatred but out of love for humanity, King condemned an American military campaign that sent its soldiers "to slaughter men, women and children" and construct "concentration camps we call fortified hamlets." He added his assertion that such dehumanizing actions were not just the outgrowth of a failed war; they also fit a historical pattern shaped by the ideology of colonial domination. As King stated in The Trumpet of Conscience (1967):

The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just. A true revolution of values will lay hand on the world order and say of war, "This way of settling differences is not just." This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.

Still, King insisted that the hard truths of American racism and imperialism could never serve as a justification for any action driven by anger. In his quest to build the beloved community, he called for those in his movement to channel their energy into a new love for America: "I say to you that our goal is freedom, and I believe we are going to there because however much she strays away from it, the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be as a people, our destiny is tied up in the destiny of America."

Thus, King remained a bearer of faith and hope, even as his forceful stands caused him to lose support from moderate and liberal politicians, even as his "controversial" actions led many of his fellow civil rights leaders to distance themselves from him, and even as he recognized that he was endangering his own life. He was far from naïve.

What King recognized was that the promise of America could only be fulfilled once we overcame the perils threatening to undermine that promise. As he concluded in "Showdown for Nonviolence":

The American people are infected with racism, that is the peril. Paradoxically, they are also infected with democratic ideals-that is the hope. While doing wrong, they have the potential to do right. But they do not have a millennium to make changes. Nor have they a choice of continuing in the old way. The future they are asked to inaugurate is not so unpalatable that it justifies the evils that beset the nation. To end poverty, extirpate prejudice, to free a tormented conscience, to make a tomorrow of justice, fair play and creativity-all these are worthy of the American ideal.

We have, through massive nonviolent action, an opportunity to avoid a national disaster and create a new spirit of class and racial harmony. We can write another luminous moral chapter in American history. All of us are on trial in this troubled hour, but time still permits us to meet the future with a clear conscience.

The sad reality was that not enough Americans were ready for King's message in 1968, and his opportunity to press on further was stolen from us. Forty years later, race relations have improved in some notable ways. But with another war raging, the economy potentially on the brink of a major collapse, and an environmental crisis of epic proportions, the challenge to build this country anew is even greater.

Barack Obama is not Martin Luther King. But, in my lifetime, no other American politician to reach Obama's current level of stature has hinted at the capacity both to understand the hard truths America must confront and to acknowledge the tremendous struggle it will take to unite Americans of all races to fulfill King's promise.

I will not venture to predict what will happen in upcoming elections. The questions I want to see answered are: Can Obama deliver a message of love for America that will at last liberate us from our fears and divisions? And, if so, is the America of 2008 ready to receive it?

Comments

[bauersox]

"racism is a way of life for the vast majority of white Americans," MLK proclaimed "

It was hyperbole when King said it, and it's hyperbole now.

[RC4Obama]

RE: We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian. Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.

[RC4Obama]

My comments were truncated.
Please see: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/johngramercy

[stanjz]

We just had a guy come on Barack's website and claim that men in suits rarely rob people, but it's people in do rags et cetera.

Men in suites foreclose on your home. Men in suites charge you 35% interest on your credit cards and force you into bankruptcy. Men in suites lay you off your job and ship it overseas. They lie about stock, dump it, and thousands of their workers lose their life savings.

Men in raggy clothes or however he pictures muggers, usually only take what's in your wallet. Men in suites take everything you own.
Many people attacking Obama are not only racist, but very foolish too.

[GnitenGoodLk]

Rise above it. This country is way off kilter after being under Republicans for so long.

[Suprshrink]

Since I have grown so cynical over the course of this primary, I don't even want to hear Obama's speech. It is clear to me that he plans his speech for tomorrow in Philadelphia for several reasons:
1. He wants to address the largely African American population to preserve his base of voters
2. He wants to use his speechifying to avoid direct confrontation.
3. He wants everyone to wait with anticipation for his words to come trippingly off his tongue.
4. He wants to give a new twist to the JFK speech.

The problem is I just don't believe him. He said he had known Tony Rezko for 20 years but did not know what he was doing. He said he would engage in new politics but has deliberately steered the race between him and Clinton into a commentary on racism. He said he does not take money from special interests but has collected donations from some of the most powerful financial companies. He even took donations from Exelon after he watered down legislation to protect Exelon from failing to advise the citizens of Illinois of the release of radioactive substances into the air. And he said he never knew the sentiments of his pastor of 20 years, the man who performed his marriage ceremony, baptized his children, and served as an advisor to his campaign.

I'm sorry. I just can't believe him anymore.

[GnitenGoodLk]

Well, polls are showing Obama's support base solidified, and he gained delegates out of it, and those who weren't sold on him to begin with stayed solidly against him. Seems this election has been highly polarized. so much is riding on it. Shame. This was supposed to be an election the Dems couldn't lose.

[Hawise]

There is no such thing as an election that Dems cannot lose, that IS a fairy tale. The Dems eat their young and only the strong and disillusioned survive.

[nisha]

That's rough-- especially as I bet you can still believe Slick Willy Clinton's version of recent history, and continue to imagine that Hilary runs alone. I haven't yet seen either of them admit that Clinton and his Administration led the deregulation of the banking industry that has gotten us into the present mess. I bet you believe that the barrage of small lies of gesture and intonation these two have perfected are somehow more honorabe than disavowing an aged pastor's last hurrah.

[Owlygirl]

Wow, pespectives such as yours would have been so helpful during the civil right's era. You probably would've found a reason to excuse many a wrong. "Aged pastor's last hurrah," indeed. How benign you want it to be. But I guess reverse racism and a divisive message is A-okay by you, huh? Thank God Obama has responded more appropriately and honestly than you. Hate language in any form is wrong. He knows what's what.

[Hawise]

You do realize that you can be disillusioned by both Clinton and Obama for different reasons and then make a choice based on factors that have nothing to do with either? They are both conservative in their approaches and have glaring problems in differing areas but they are the choices and demonizing either is a lose-lose game.

I really don't see how Bill Clinton is such a factor, he will be taking the volunteer job of First Spouse and probably sent on good will missions around the world, where he is popular and his philanthropic work will help improve America's reputation abroad. Michelle hasn't defined how she would act as First Spouse but so far seems to be either a Hilary redux or a Rosalind Carter with a degree.

The financial mess is all the fault of people who wanted to believe in free money and endless upward mobility and are now paying the price. The fact that repeated Congresses have allowed bad lending practices to fester is hardly the fault of One president. This was a long time in the making and a short time in the breaking.

[Nommo]

So what?

[GnitenGoodLk]

What a wonderful post. In these cynical and violent times this message is so critical. My support is unwavering.

[americaforme]

If you have your mind focused on STUFF, you cant listen to what really moves Obama on health care, and Social Security..­.I listened, I heard him dodge the issue of chopping into an allready depleated Program for the poor in retirement. Reagon turned Greenspan loose stealing social security funds, in the 80'sand Clinton did nothing in the 90's to replace it. As far as I am concerned, we didn't have a balanced budget, because the moneys was never replaced. I refuse to feel guilty for the Feds. debacle and the central bank getting our social security money through Greenspan.­..Obama you think like a rich boy, I do believe you have not a clue what it feels like to be the have nots..Heal­th care shouldn't be the project of your wifes Ceo, in a major hospital WE NEED AMERICAIDE, for everyone..­.Are you afraid to face the AMA?..

[bluegreen]

in his speech tomorrow on this whole subject, i hope obama will talk about his unique position as half one thing, half another: half-islander, half-mainlander, half-kenyan, half-white­...i think the image of a liminal (threshold) figure is a powerful one, if he can bring that point home. i think it could help, by way of explanation but not dismissal, to touch upon the thorny issue of the historic divisions between african-americans and new immigrants from africa. obama couldn't be expected to show up fresh from hawaii and harvard and go to the south side of chicago and transform historic angers, suspicions and frustrations as well as the traditional means of expressing them. that would have been awfully presumptive of him. i think he esp. needs to talk about anger being a symptom of pain and that with love, moving forward together becomes a real possibility. i think he needs to talk about the generational shift within the african-american community as more blacks realize their dreams. i think he very much needs to touch upon this church's 70 ministries and how they help the community in a practical way. i think he should bring up the pastor's earlier books, both collections of sermons on hope and affirmation, as these are the ones that meant so much to him. he can touch upon the pastor's years in the marine corps as well as the navy. he can remind us that many in this large congregation are soldiers and vets too.

i remember reading about liminal gods in graduate school and being fascinated by the topic. the word comes from a latin root meaning doorway. traditionally, the threshold was a dangerous but exciting place to be, as you're not quite in one place or another. this sense of danger gives origin to superstitions like carrying a bride over the threshold, to ward off danger. it's also why some pagan homes had an image of a gargoyle over the doorway, as protection. another ancient form of protection was to bury a coin under the threshold as payment to the gods.

i feel obama can use this image of being a sort of liminal figure and pull us all, blacks and whites, through the door together. this could be a great opportunity in america for real dialogue and real understanding, instead of just making nice. not to say people will magically understand each other, but if the attempt is there, on both sides, with humility, that's an honest start, that's the wonderful thing i'd love to see.

of course, the flip side of being this one in the middle, the one who understands both sides, is that you remain the "other" for everyone and wind up alone. but i have faith. i don't see that happening.

god bless everyone!

[poeticjustice4all]

A great speech about love for America and liberation from our fears is nice. But as P.T. Barnum noted, "If you want to draw a crowd -- start a fight."

[Thinkingclearly]

So ...

Are we trying to govern a country, or run a circus.

There's no doubt that Hillary would make a great ringmaster - she's got a theatrical flair, a caustic sense of humor, and can think on her feet, and dresses well. But, don't forget -- She's the most experienced campaigner in American history 3 presidential campaigns, 2 Senate campaigns, 3 (or was it 4) governor's campaigns, and hundreds of fundraisers. 20 years as first lady, and 8 years as a Senator (I guess I don't get wear 35 years of experience comes in - though it might include some of that time spent working for Barry Goldwater).

But I'm looking for someone with thoughtful foresight and insight about situations. Someone who doesn't latch onto the most expedient and focus-group-tested "solutions" that they really have no intention of following through (such as the promise of 200,000 new jobs in New York).

As for the debate on race.. I think in this whole debate about race - we need to remember that just like the over-50 women's vote which Hillary seeks out - there are women who remember and have personal experience with sexism and very obvious barriers to moving up and that's why they latch onto the "it's time for a woman - any woman" to become president.

I think that most of us who are online don't have conscious memories of what it's like to eat at restaurants for "Colored only", or segregated schools. And let's stay objective - women didn't get beaten with billy clubs or firehoses or have crosses burned in their yards for trying to apply for jobs that were for "men only". But that was the experience for Jeremiah Wright and his generation in his first 25 years or so - the years that really form your character and outlook.

I was watching Sean Hannity and his condescending attitude when talking to Rev. Wright and I didn't agree completely or disagree completely with him or Jeremiah Wright - but I could definitely see that what you personally experience forms your opinions.

So when you hear a comment - think about what that person's experiences have been like.

[poeticjustice4all]

Well, if you're looking for someone "with thoughtful foresight and insight about situations," don't look to the man who went to Rev. Wright's church for 20 years but never heard a controversial word. Apparently words matter to Obama -- except the words from his spiritual adviser.

[Skepticat]

Obviously the Rovian smear machine will go into high gear once the Democrats get an official candidate - but SO WHAT?
And just what have those Republicans been doing the last 7+ years that a majority of citizens should WANT to vote for them anyway.
If people are still fooled by wedge issues, gotcha politics, war on terra, neocon economics, etc then the country is doomed no matter who picks up a phone at 3:00 AM.

[changeishere08]

Yep this is exactly right

[mix2007]

The fact that the Democrats, and the Media, constantly roll over and pander to the rightwing is the problem.

Here's how it works:

1. GOP smear artists dream up next scurrilous attack.

2. Rush Limbaugh and Drudge push it.

3. FoxNews picks it up and plays it again and again.

4. CNN and MSNBC copy them.

5. Pretty soon the NYTimes and WaPo start talking about it.

6. Mission Accomplished -- Rightwing spin becomes news.

I think the MSM and Dems have to stop being so cowardly and panicky about the GOP smears. Start fighting back for a change.

[changeishere08]

You are so right mix2007. I am so fed up with MSM. Farce Noise is now "credible". I can't believe the MSM picked up on this smear, high tech smear to discredit Obama via character and integrity. Thanks Goodness for Keith Olberman. At least he's fair and reports the followups without the sensationalistic aspect.

[mix2007]

Obama is being smeared and attacked by the usual Rightwing Noise Machine and the gutless MSM which plays along.

We know the GOP wants to hold on to power forever.

Do NOT let them.

[PROliver]

Fox noise pulled out all the stops tonight. Lead story for both Billo and Shawn. They are so sure of themselves predicting Obama cannot win. They are so disgusting. What can be done?

[Wanod]

To get rid of racism, you don't let it die. That's what wrong with the country now, the majority think's it's dead, and it's not. What has to happen is, shine a beacon of light on it, and let the healing begin. To acknowledge it is to heal it, to deny it is to let it fester just under the surface.

[Nofuzzydreams]

Too many blacks whine about racism rather than just overcoming it by working hard. They also want the whites of today to somehow "compensate" for crimes committed by their ancestors against blacks. Throughout history some groups have been mistreated but those who have been successful in spite of it are the ones that went to work hard and they have been rewarded. Looks like Wright's church is perpetuating a negative attitude. Thankfully many blacks are ignoring people like Wirght and are doing the right thing to get ahead in a world full of opportunit­ies..

[tdpubs]

So how exactly do you overcome the feelings of others by working hard? How do you stop the cops from profiling you or the store clerk from thinking that you don't belong in their store? How do you avoid the higher rates for loans when your family has been shut out of the middle class dreams back in the 50's and 60's because of institutional bigotry?

A centruy ago, the irish and the italians were not considered "white", but if you looked at a crowd of people on the street you would not be able to pick them out and condemn them today. They were able to assimilate over the years.

Some of us just don't have that advantage yet. Remember that black people were being sold only 145 years ago. It was a legal instituation for 400 years. I understand the anger and the ignorance, but this just might be a great time to shed a bit more light on the matter.
Peace.

[gomonkeygo]

Thank you. Very inspiring, very moving. Thank you.

[quijotesca]

Thank you for your wonderful blog. I have been enduring 3 hours of cable news comments. It is the Roman circus. Fortunately I had earlier seen Obama on Cspan addressing a group at a PA community college. I think tomorrow he will do well. He has such dignity and aplomb. Regardless of the attacks people that see him or read his books love him. He represents our salvation in this whole racial morass.

[mimundo]

I certainly believe Obama will be able to deliver the message of love for America becuase he lives it. However, I'm not sure we Americans are ready. I base my opionion on the fact that I have read many blog postings from people and watched many pundints on MSNBC, CNN (Ican't stand the FAUX NEWs Channel) read opt-ed articles in The Washington Post and New York Times, and there are so many people willing to condemn someone based on 30 second sound bites.

There are a lot of hate mongers in America. There are also people of all walks of life in America in denial about the issues of race and class. In order for us to be ready, we first must be aware and accept that there is a problem. We all must be willing to speak truth to power and not just put that responsiblity on one person.

Obama's candidacy will be OK. Obama represents the future. It's time for the baby boomers to pass the torch. We need a pardigm shift in order to create a harmonious world order! I am confident President Barack Hussein Obama's administration will facilitate the process.

[changeishere08]

Loving your post. Please for your sanity, stop reading and watching the news. Take it in short doses. The ignorance and double standards displayed will drive you nuts. The rational is beyond irrational from bigots, racists, and this is in the democratic party. I don't give a rat's ass about the neocon Repubs

All I know is that I'm sick of weak democrats not fighing back. The younger generation is exactly what the old guard needs in the Democratic party to stimulate moving forward. Lets just see exactly how far the dems get without the support from the black community, new voters, and young ones.

GOBAMA!!