Originally written 2-9-09
Supposedly the inauguration of Obama heralded in a new era for America: Now that an African-American has been elected president, our country has moved beyond race.
With all my heart, I wish this were true. Pardon my challenge: I cannot help but remember that only three months ago, people were told that if they did not vote for Obama, it was only because of his skin color. His terrorist connections and his views of infanticide, gay marriage, unconditional talks with dictators and mandatory redistribution of wealth couldn’t possibly have anything to do with it. Many claimed they were voting for the man precisely because of his skin color. They made no bones about it. They bragged about it. They reveled in it. They also spoke sanctimoniously to any who dared vote against Obama. Such a backwards-thinking person was quickly accused of racism. He was lectured in the most patronizing ways. My favorite was Ron Howard, making a commercial with Andy Griffith in which Andy tells young Opie that some people wouldn’t want a black president and how wrong that is. Since so many of us grew up on Andy Griffith, we were given the cue to pay attention. The Fonz made a similar commercial. Evidentally the idea was; “Don’t think! Just listen to Opie, Andy and the Fonz! Boys and girls, racism is bad!” Thank you, my old television chums. Without you, we never would have known that.
In any event, Obama did win. Does this mean we can now move beyond the barriers and stop calling America a racist country? Has this watershed event taken us to the Promised Land? Is it really the result of some kind of recent epiphany, that Americans are willing to accept an African-American leader? If so, how do we explain African-American Supreme Court Justices, senators, congressmen, mayors and military officers? How do we explain two consecutive African-American Secretaries of State? Why do we give out Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress to African-Americans? Why has 24 been such a popular television program? A somewhat conservative series from the somewhat conservative FOX Network, 24 had a black president for several seasons. True, this was fiction, but the guy was portrayed better than any real president in recent history. I am unaware of any hate mail sent to the producers of 24 and if there was any, it wasn’t significant enough to make major news.
The truth is, our country held a civil war to end slavery well over 100 years ago and discrimination has been against the law since the mid sixties. Individual racists still exist and they always will in any society but we Americans as a nation have NOT been a racist country for quite some time. One might think we would have celebrated long ago.
I am reminded of the night Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002. She stopped the music, saying we had waited over one hundred years and therefore, she would take as long with her acceptance speech as she wished. I guess she forgot that Sidney Poitier won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field in 1963 and that Denzel Washington won Best Supporting Actor for Glory in 1989, long before he won again, (this time, Best Actor) for Training Day in 2001, the year before Hallie won hers. Not to mention the numerous times African-Americans were nominated. In fact, Morgan Freeman was nominated for Driving Miss Daisy, the same year Washington won for Glory. Oh wait! Those were only men. OK. Whoopee Goldberg won Best Supporting Actress for Ghost in 1990, not that this was all that new or novel of an idea either. As far back as 1939, when the Oscars hadn’t even been around for that long, Hattie McDaniel won Best Supporting Actress for Gone With the Wind. I guess “Supporting Actress” doesn’t mean a whole lot. That’s why it was special when Hallie won “Best Actress” period! Oh sure, two black men had already won “Best Actor” but now it was a woman. So what happens when a black actress wins again? Will it once more be history making, since Halle Berry is half white and therefore, she doesn’t really count all that much?
Come to think of it, Obama is half white too. Are we going to be going through all of this again in a few years? Will the race baiters really be satisfied? I can just hear them now. “Since Obama’s mother was white and since his father came to America voluntarily from Kenya, the country will not really be rid of racism until an actual descendant of slaves becomes president and this time he must not be half white. He must be completely black!” Or maybe we’ll be reminded that only half the country voted for Obama, so clearly, CLEARLY this means that half the country is still racist, maybe even three quarters racist, since some of those who did vote for Obama may have been persuaded only by Obama’s white half.
I’m waiting, just waiting to hear a Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, or Rev. Wright make such a comment. Indeed, we already came close listening to Rev. Lowrey’s inauguration exhortation for white people to “become right” and for yellow people to “become mellow,” whatever on Earth that means.
Martin Luther King dreamed of a day when color wouldn’t matter. Yesterday’s celebration seemed to emphasize how much color does matter. I can still appreciate the pride and excitement felt by many African-Americans and others who enjoy watching history unfold. I would love to join the chorus. How wonderful if Obama’s presidency does translate into a realization of King’s dream! Yes, the election of Obama could put race behind us once and for all, but I’ll believe it when I see it. There are too many “Civil Rights” leaders who would find themselves no longer needed. Nobody likes to feel he’s out of a job and delicate flames are still easy to fan.
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