black…MYstory

I commend Barack Obama for trying to run a “post-racial” campaign, one in which he wants to people to see his ability and not his color. However, I also find this both naive and troubling. First of all, I have yet to meet a truly “color-blind” person. Now, I have met people who don’t choose friends, associates, employees, business partners, etc. based on color and look at the characters, qualifications and capabilities of the the people with whom they choose to enter into relationships. However, people see color. It’s a very visible characteristic and, therefore, not easily ignored.

Unfortunately,in America, we have many inferences made about people based on skin color. If you happen to be black, you are often assumed to be less qualified, less educated, morally-deficient and of lower intelligence than your white counterparts. Often, to be black, is to be placed outside of the mainstream while simultaneously being criticized for not abandoning your identification with other black people and adopting more “mainstream” values.

Obviously, America has never definitively addressed the issue of race. This is why some issue flares up every few years that futher stirs the troubled waters of race. In our communities and workplaces, we (kind of) debate the current issue for a week or so (or longer if it’s O.J. Simpson), talk about the need for a national dialogue on race and wait for it all to blow over. We all do it, black people not excluded.

This is why I find it no surprise that quite a few Obama campaign supporter are seeing, firsthand, how deep some racial hostilities run.

In addition to some not-so-subtle statements made to them by voters about why they would not vote for a black candidate, others are dealing with vandalism and bomb threats to campaign offices.

We can always hope for and push for a post-racial society. I want it for my son and will strive to make it so. However, we are not there, now, and trying to ignore the issue certainly won’t get us there.

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