One of my favorite publications for updates on news and issues relevant to the black community is The Root. Earlier this week I found myself perusing the website for hours and an article entitled "Race Card Fraud" by Thomas Sowell caught my attention. Sowell's article begins with condemnation of the NAACP for claiming the Tea Party is racist. Now, I am not writing to speak on my feelings about the NAACP or to discuss whether or not I agree with the organization's allegations against the Tea Party. Instead, I would like to address Sowell's suggestions that President Obama is somehow hurting our country's racial climate.
According to Sowell:
"Among people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008, those who are likely to be most disappointed are those who thought that they were voting for a new post-racial era."
Upon reading this statement I wondered: How many black people (and ethnic minorities in general) voted for Obama because they thought we were moving into a POST-RACIAL era?
In order to understand why I take issue with Sowell's assumptions about Obama and post-racialism, let me explain how I feel about the term post-racial. On the surface, the term may sound inviting. However, despite a supposed emphasis on lack of racial differences, I feel the philosophy behind post-racialism shares the same laissez-faire racist attitudes of "colorblindness." In other words, post-racialism masks itself as equality when really the goal is to make privileged people feel less guilty about their advantages over everyone else. This ideology can be deemed racist because it trivializes the social meaning of skin color in our society. Therefore, the post-racial society of which Sowell speaks is one where black people and other oppressed minority groups will finally just shut the hell up about discrimination because no one "sees" race anymore. In a TRUE "post-racial" society, people would not be offered privileges or denied privileges based on skin color. While that situation would be ideal, it would be almost impossible in this country. Before we reach post-racial status, we have to acknowledge that racial inequality STILL exists in 2010 even though we have a black president. Minorities (not just blacks) DO NOT have EQUAL (and I stress the word EQUAL) access to opportunity.
Sowell goes on to discuss how Obama is clearly the opposite of the post-racial President his supporters thought he would have been:
"There is not now, nor has there ever been, anything post-racial about Barack Obama, except for the people who voted for him in the mistaken belief that he shared their desire to be post-racial. When he leaves office, especially if it is after one term, he will leave this country more racially polarized than before."
Can we really blame racial polarization on Obama? Is Sowell serious? I'm no historian (at least not a professional one), but I would argue that indigenous genocide, slavery, and the systemic oppression of minority groups have contributed more to racial polarization than ONE BLACK PRESIDENT who has been in office for less than two years! I think that Obama's presidency has resurfaced racial tensions because oppressors are afraid that Obama will empower the oppressed, and the oppressed are afraid that he won't. I do not believe we can fault Obama for equality struggles as old as this country.
Ultimately, I feel post-racialism in our country's present state remains an illusion. Before we can move to a POST-racial era, we must address and offer valid solutions within the RACIAL era (right now) in which society assigns social advantages and disadvantages according to racial groups.
3 comments:
This is extremely true. It's so much easier to place the blame on Obama. Everything is blamed on him! The ironic thing is, what I will agree with Sowell with, is that Obama has brought BACK TO THE SURFACE America's attitudes towards race. The general public has pushed those issues "under the rug". And last time I checked, the NAACP nor the Tea Party has no serious connection to Obama. So how is he getting blamed for this is beyond me. However, his mere presence brings a lot of issues dealing with race, gender, and class to the forefront. No other president has done that. After all, they all fit the "mold". I mean, God forbid, according to the general public, black people have equal access and President Obama is evident of that. However, they fail to realize that Obama is a MINORITY even in OUR community. What they also fail to realize is that this "post racial" society will never exist as long as there is straification attached to racial differences. And quite frankly, I WANT someone to know I'm black. In a "post racial" society, no one recognizes my race. But I WANT my race to be recognized. However, I want people to RESPECT my skin color and not deny me access simply because of my skin color. Otherwise, I have no problem if you recognize my race and color. Because I love it. :) But I digress, great article Ashleigh! :)
I completely agree about taking pride in being black. I think Michael Eric Dyson said it best, "I don't want to give up my blackness. I want you to give up what you think about my blackness."
Completely agree with you ashleigh. I would like to suggest a book i think you might enjoy. It is called "white like me" by tim wise. It is actually a white man trying to explain this concept to other white people. How this "color blindness" only ignores the subtle racism that goes on today. I have so much more to say, just not the time to type it. Love this entry.
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