The Future of Black History?
“If Obama were to somehow prevail on election night, I would be OJ Simpson-acquittal shocked…The awe part wouldn’t kick in until a few months later…If he actually lived aaaall the way from election night to the inauguration, I would be so awed I’d lead an anti-affirmative action protest in front of the NAACP’s national headquarters.” — Sean Gonsalves
I wrote that in December 2006 and if Obama’s campaign continues to roll, I just might be in front of the NAACP’s Baltimore headquarters in the days following the inauguration of America’s first black president.
That’s if (I said IF), Obama wins — and survives all the way to the inauguration.
I know. It’s a horrible thought. Survive all the way to inauguration? But, honestly — are you telling me it hasn’t run through your mind, especially with all of these comparisons to JFK and MLK?
I wasn’t even alive when John and Martin were around and I’ve wondered, once or twice, whether Barack should move around a lot – maybe throw in a head-fake, here and there — whenever he speaks in public.
Recognize: it takes courage to be in Obama’s very public place. Even a soldier like Colin Powell said no to that call.
In the May 1996 issue of Ladies Home Journal (what can I say, I read a lot), Powell’s wife, Alma, put into words the echo that still emanates from the Lorraine Motel balcony, 40 years after King’s murder.
“You think everybody loves Colin Powell,” she said. “Everybody doesn’t like Colin Powell…I don’t want to describe the hate mail we’ve gotten…A black man running for president is going to be in a dangerous position.”
Not that I’m trying to divide Obamanation, as the superdelegate situation has the potential to do, but, in case you haven’t noticed because of the unfolding Obamanomenom (or maybe you’ve just been feeling Barackward lately), this is Black History Month.
But, let’s do this the left-handed way and look beyond black history to imagine the future of black history, which is to say American history. For you righties, I’ll translate: Instead of thinking about historical “progress” as if it moves forward in linear fashion, let’s think about history as a geometrical shape, like a circle.
Recently, among my multi-racial circle of friends, political discussion turned to the Obama effect on the future of black history. If Obama is elected, does that mean black history (in America) has come full circle?
Of course, an Obama presidency would not put an end to racism, especially the institutional kind. But it would likely mean whatever political support that remains for affirmative action and other race-conscious policies will dry up like a raisin in the sun.
So, on the one hand, Obama in the White House is not quite the same thing as making it to Martin’s mountaintop. I mean, unless a person thinks African-Americans are inferior, which is the very definition of racism, you can’t say were beyond “the race problem” when black folk are disproportionately in jail, out of school, unemployed and in debt. And none of that is likely to significantly change under an Obama administration — without a mass movement behind it, as Barack has pointed out ad naseum on the campaign trail, even if the point is lost on those who criticize his hope talk.
On the other hand, an Obama presidency would definitely be a huge leap forward on several fronts, to the point where it could very well signify the Civil Rights Movement (dormant since King’s death but still very much alive in our political culture), has come full circle.
And that would be a good thing because when Martin was on the mountaintop, preaching the night before his assassination, King looked to the future of American history and saw beyond the color line — to the horizon of economic justice.
“It’s all right to talk about ‘long white robes over yonder,’ in all of its symbolism,” he said. “But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here. It’s alright to talk about ‘streets flowing with milk and honey,’ but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can’t eat three square meals a day.”
So like I was saying, if — if – Obama wins, and the ghosts of black history don’t condemn us to repeat the Sixties, I guess I’ll be in front of NAACP HQ in the days following the inauguration, holding a sign that’ll read: “No to race-based affirmative action.”
The other side will say: “Yes to a class-based affirmative action.”
Sean Gonsalves is a syndicated columnist and assistant news editor with the Cape Cod Times. He can be reached at sgonsalves@capecodonline.com
If Obama wins will anything change other than skin color?
He’s against single payer.
Against ending the death penalty.
Against scrapping NCLB.
Very pro-Israel.
Against ending the illegal trade embargo on Cuba.
His top three economic advisors are conservative free market ideologues.
He’s taking advice from the guy started the stupid policy in Afghanistan that ended with blow back on 9/11: Zbigniew Brzezinski.
His health care and sub prime crisis plans are even worse than Hillary’s.
He’s for increasing military spending.
He’s for increasing troop levels.
He’s not calling for a roll back of the American empire which has over 700 military bases world wide.
He’s against the living wage.
And on and on down a how list of typical progressive, actual change, positions.
Go to blackagendareport.com and blackcommentator.com and get educated about this guy.
One man, now running, is far better for America than Obama: Ralph Nader, an actual change candidate.
Whatever Alma Powell says, her husband lost it when he was conned into whoring for the oilmen at the UN.
Lets see how much traction Nader gains with the population that elected the status quo in 2004 and that so far rejected all choices for change (Gravel, Kucinich, Paul).
See you in front of the NAACP Sean.
Yeah, formernadervoter, Obama is bowing and scraping to all the Right folks. But he’ll never catch up with Hilary, when it comes to kissing ruling class ass.
This horserace is being drawn out to provide entertainment for the masses, to distract them from what’s going on behind the curtain.
In the end, Hilary will be enthroned on the Imperial Presidency Throne.
If they decide on martial law, then Obama will be assassinated. There will be riots, white folks will be scared and martial law will be declared.
How many people now raise hell at the outrageous fact that the US has more people in prison than any other country on the planet, and that African Americans are disproportionately imprisoned? And this started with the original American fascist, Ronald Reagan?
In 1970, the US had 500,000 people in prison and the numbers were proportionate to the numbers in society. Now it’s 2,000,000 and there are way more blacks. Katrina showed us how the ruling class treats its non-imprisoned black population.
It’s nice that regular Americans have moved beyond racism, but they aren’t the ones who run things.
Formernadervoter, I guess you can change your screen name now that you have a chance to vote for your guy once again. But apparently that doesn’t bring you quite enough joy, because I see that you couldn’t resist exaggerating and mischaracterizing the positions of my guy, Barack, along the way.
Let’s see: Ralph had the choice of (1) running for President again, or (2) using his fame — and probably considerable money — to form a powerful new group to lobby Congress for changes that would have made it possible for Obama to move further left (as most Common Dreamers would probably like).
But I guess there’s something irresistible about Ralph’s pipe dream of the Oval Office. What a nauseating waste of time, effort and talent.
I doubt that it is Pebbles (Hillary Clinton) that is fueling all this talk about the assassination of Bam Bam.
The only time race is going to come into this really is when Obama is judged on whether he lives up to the hype. One is not so much measured in office based on one’s opponents but on how much one lives up to one’s promises. All future Black candidates will be measured against this descrepancy in a way that we would not do to future white candidates.
We will never say “Oh don’t vote for Edwards because look what Bush did in office” but we will do that with Obama.
Getting back to Black history - here is Naomi Klein’s husband talking about New Orleans and about how the gutting of affordable housing both increased homelessness and decreased the number of Dem voters in the State:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gHK-qgIEr-g
Adele: This is Ralph Nader you’re talking about. He already did the powerful lobby thing and has come to the conclusion that it doesn’t work. He doesn’t have enough money and isn’t corrupt which is what you need to be effective in Washington. Hence his choice.
AdeleTheCzech–
exactly what lizard said. do you actually think nader or anyone who supports him expects to get anywhere close to the white house?? the point seems to be lost on nader haters. if anything, enough support at the polls might qualify him for federal matching funds in the future. the point is to remain standing on principle, no matter who the latest incarnation of democrat corporate rule is. its a shame that obama dismisses nader as a “spoiler” and bush-enabler. its the organizers, mobilizers, human rights activists and 3rd party advocates that make an obama nomination even possible. obama talks about the power of the people, but he’s slowly becoming what the people will need power to resist.
Obama, Clinton or McCain. Pepsi, Sprite or Seven-Up. Mass marketing works. Campaign spending limits now!
A shot was taken at Barack this morning, by Kristol in the NYT’s;
Which is where the assasination will originate, the ‘neocons’ who don’t genrally need guns or knives in America, they have the msm.
Although Wellstone should not have flown that day…
Anyone that achieves the Presidency has been fair game for any nut with a grudge, It certainly has not been based on race. Reagan, Ford and Nixon are the last Presidents that survived serious assasination attempts, all white and all Republicans. It can happen to anyone, no President is exempt. Let’s not get too paranoid.
thank you adeletheczech, for speaking the truth, no matter how painful it is for some to swallow. it doesn’t matter which articles we read any more on cd, there’s always the hype from nader’s supporters to be found. how about, since he’s running now, having his own site where all the rader supporters can post their comments, maybe calling it “wet dreams”.
mr gonsalves, i am still waiting for you to write an article of merit. of substance. as speakthetruth said, america was not ready for a black prostitute to be president. wtf???
ladies home journal?
He should’ve appeared on the annual “State of the Black Union” discussion broadcast on C-Span last weekend. Clinton was there and of course she had damage control to attend to, but Obama should take nothing for granted. He has to watch a certain cockiness that killed Kerry when he was AWOL on the campaign. Does he fear that attending such events would alienate white or Latino voters? It is not an honorable strategy and I feel his non-presence was an error in judgement.
Of late I have noted much ageism and whether it is McCain or Nader who is the target–it is a shameful display of contempt for humanity. As someone over 50 who knows the contribution that Nader has made and continues to make over his life, I have nothing but true respect and admiration for his accomplishment, sacrifice and ongoing courage in his willingness to continue to fight the real fight that matters.
It is all about setting the issues for Ralph this time around - that’s all. Ralph is only in the race because Edwards is not.
McCain’s plan A is to win.
McCain’s plan B is to limit Obama to one term.
Plan B is to induce Obama to overpromise now so as to increase the likelihood that people are let down later. In other words, to make Bam Bam the Bob Rae of American politics.
Does Pebbles also have a plan B? I am sure this is not the last time Hillary plans to run for office.
l am a white 61 year old middle class male and l am tired of Obama being labled BLACK. He is as much white as black so at best (or worse) maybe he should be called a man of color. We at one time prided ourselves for being a melting pot and believed this gave us strength not weakness. Look what seperationism is doing in the rest of the world. Come on people we are in this boat together and if we don’t all bail we all sink.