The phenomenon of Barak Obama has to be met by minorities of all types with optimism. Obama's success has indeed given what it advertises and that is hope. Hope in the sense that no matter what race, or as his opponent has also demonstrated, gender, anyone can aspire to become president.
But what does the Obama campaign do to the industry of the politics of racial equality? This is the curious question posed by Melanye T. Price writing for the Hartford Courant (Sunday March 16, 08). Having attended a rally to hear Obama in the Hartford XL center (civic center), at first she is please to see that the attendees "represent every demographic imaginable'" and notes that this amalgamation of people have become "unlikely allies, holding places for bathroom breaks, scouting the best entrance and seats and discussing Obama's appeal." In spite of this Price sees a "danger" of Obama's success even if he becomes president:
While racial inequality remains a central feature of American life, black candidates who directly attack that inequality are sure to repel many white voters and candidates like Obama will be more successful. Likewise, protest-oriented (read "angry") black grass-roots advocates may find it difficult to gain political traction in post-Obama America. If Obama is the new prototype for black political activity-less focused on race, less angry, more hopeful, "clean and articulate" and so on-what will this mean for focused efforts to combat racial inequality?
Shouldn't it undermine the whole premise of racial inequality altogether? Is racial equality less important then being "angry" about racial inequality. This is akin to saying that the danger of ending the Vietnam war is that it will stop the "focused efforts" to "combat" for peace.
There are other dangers that price points out. If Obama loses then if "...African American candidates cannot crash the privileged gates of political power, who will? Put simply, I am not sure that blacks can take this kind of rejection...Blacks are told 'no' in myriad ways in life, and it would be especially painful to have Super Obama rejected as well."
Instead of the inspired Hope that Obama raises the specter of his candidacy seems to be a lose-lose situation. If he wins then he neutralises anger and the fight for equality (bad), if he wins then the rejections is more then blacks can bear. Price doesn't see that these dangers are at odds with each other, put it this way, if he loses then the anger industry is alive and well. Obama is on his way to be nominated by a major political party for president, that he has done so coming from humble beginnings and with little seniority in politics ought to be looked at as a good thing but Price is demonstrating that the politics of racial inequality is more important then racial equality itself.
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wow. I know that this is way after the fact, but great article and really good points raised.
Obama is caught in the middle of the past and the future....what was, what is, and what can be. No matter what the outcome, someone is going to lose. The "angry" black politicians will lose some wind from their underneath sails if he makes it...their rhetoric has no place in his vision of a new, less race conscious America. And if a black man makes it all the way to the presidency, then what is there really to be angry about??
If he loses, well, then hope does die for a multitude, and that will reinforce and continue to foster racism in America as we know it, as well as giving fuel to those who've already decided to be in the "why try, whitey is gonna keep me down anyway" camp.
It will be the election of the centuries, no doubt, and even more fascinating to watch play out as the dust settles, no matter what the outcome.
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