Yes. I did not think I would have to ask that question but
as I continue to study and have conversations with people I find plenty who
think racism has disappeared into the night. The prevailing ignorance is
centered amongst a number of factors, but I want to focus specifically on one; the
election of Barack Obama in 2008. In my interactions with a lot of White
people, and experiences imparted to me by a number of Black and White
colleagues, the notion of “we have overcome” pops up. What I mean by that is
that the election of ONE Black man to the highest political office in this
country (and perhaps the world, depending on whom you ask), has brought us out
of racism. We finally slayed the beast known as racism and everything is okay. Now
we can hold hands, talk about how much we all love Martin Luther King, and
maybe play a little Gladys Knight in the background. Sounds silly doesn’t it?
The era of post-racial America has emerged (read sarcastically) but the
endeavor is wholly short-sighted. The goal should be a post-racist America but
I doubt it will ever be achieved.
The following is
brought to you by the letter R. Think Sesame Street.
As I was sitting in the doctor’s office, an older, early
50s, White male came in and sat next to me. The television in the waiting area
was tuned in to Fox News and this particular gentleman became very chatty. The
usual chit chat about what you do professionally, how long you’ve been in
Atlanta, etc, are formalities but what has increased is the need to tell me
what you think of Obama. The gentleman continues with “I don’t mean this to
sound racist, but I don’t like Obama”. “It’s not a Black thing, but I feel like
he doesn’t understand my country.” First, do you KNOW the man to say that? Has
Obama come to your home and slapped you across the face? Second, YOUR COUNTRY??
Third, what’s up with the qualifiers? Maybe he thought I would beat his ass. I
responded with a simple question, “Why?” The man claimed that Obama does not
share the correct vision for America. He said Obama does not understand America
is built upon individual liberty and ingenuity. The man is correct with respect
to ingenuity. America was very clever in enforcing and legislating chattel
slavery, specifically with the slave codes of 1793 as one example, to the continued
disfranchisement of Black people in the North and South, and even to the segregation
of military forces which inspired numerous calls to action by Black leaders in
1940 with regards to treatment, placement in posts, benefits, etc. The
individual liberty belief is laughable, historically inaccurate, and flat out
bullshit but conservative (and I mean that in the worst way you can imagine)
White male historians, and those who wish to present historic fiction, love to
push the individual liberty myth. The man went on to opine that he knows a
number of Black people, whom he calls friends, who know the REAL truth about
America and share his passion for this country. I nodded and thought to myself “this
man represents a large number of Americans, and we are fucked.” I did not have
time to knock down every single one of his statements but I did leave him with
one question; how can you talk about this country being built on individual
liberty when slavery was codified into law which dictated public policy?
Shocked!!!
Recently, an Arkansas representative made some racist ass
comments about Black people being better off because of slavery. Benevolent
slavery if you will. John Sununu, a senior advisor to the Romney campaign,
suggested that Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama was done solely
because Obama is Black. If that’s true, Powell should have endorsed only half
of Obama but let’s not be too technical. Such commentary is meant to undervalue
Powell as a man and to render his remarks as complete hogwash. The move is part
of a concerted effort which has historical antecedents that aims to devalue
Black life. This is not the first time nor will it be the last that some racist
ass White dude says some foolish and racist shit about slavery or about Black
people. The historical record reflects such attitudes in newspapers, law, public
policy, misuse and abuse of science/medicine, literacy tests, etc. If you are
shocked by the seemingly upfront and boisterous attitude by these racist people,
I suggest you do some research. Go on over to the Auburn Avenue Research
Library here in Atlanta, and you will see exactly what I am talking about. It’s
not new and the only thing that has changed is the cast of characters and the
technology that is used to present the beliefs.