Barack and the Election: My morning thought

I had a morning thought today, as I slept like a baby last night. It was in response to a question about an article I recently wrote for BlackProf.com, a site for black professors. The question was quite valid: What would I do if I were in Barack Obama's position?

The question and reply are cut and paste below. I should begin by saying that I remain adamant about the fact that many interpret black love to imply white hate. But that is what oppression is all about. If a husband is used to raping and beating his wife without resistance, any resistance that occurs is going to be interpreted as a violation of his rights. I have had thousands of white students over my 15 years as a professor, and I've loved every single one of them (except one guy in 1998....he was (excuse my Chinese) an asshole). People don't realize that calling me a racist for standing up for black people is actually the conditioned psychological training they've received from a highly racist society. Fear of labeling by people of color keeps us from doing what is right.


The black community is in shambles, this is because of 400 years of slavery and oppression. If making that statement and fighting to fix the situation has me labeled as a racist, then so be it. But recall: a man who sues the family of the man who raped, murdered and robbed his mother is not a rapist and thief himself. That is the flaw in that logic.

The email is below. Enjoy!

Reader Comment to me

I believe Barrack has been wittingly placed between a rock and a hard stone i.e.

Either have his candidacy racialized (process that is already in motion) and lose the nomination or election for sure.
or
Renounce his blackness and win ‘mainstream’ validation, then maybe just maybe “they” might give him the ‘prize’.

Given the dilemma, I believe Barrack needs more empathy than castigation from “his people”.

Maybe I should ask Dr. Watkins and Terrez this question. What would you or should anyone do if in Barrack’s position?

Seize a once in a life time opportunity of becoming president (a milestone in the history of African Americans and Americans at large) and publicly disown any form of blackness that make the white mainstream uncomfortable - no matter how true - the truth does hurt?
Mind you, they have the numbers (votes) and everything does come with a price.

Or


Forego the opportunity of becoming president because you woun’t lose the “black thang”? White will never understand why AA can’t get over their past and embrace (like other Americans) the “can’t-we-just-get-along” philosophy.

Mind you America might one day elect a latino, asian or native american president and AA’s might live to ‘regret’ the opportunity they missed of “making it in the big leagues”.


[reply this comment]

Boyce Watkins reply on June 3, 2008:

You may click on your name and/or comment to edit. ( 11 minutes)

Hey brother (or sister),

you make a very good point, one that I agree with 100%. I don’t demonize Obama for his choices, per se. I only ask: where does one draw the line? If a woman wants to desperately get married, does she drop her panties for every man that comes along?

I make that strong analogy above because there is a mentality in the black community that says that white validation means everything. Obama will get far more respect for being President than he ever would for being a strong black leader and helping black children. I would get far more respect for being president of Harvard than I would for being president of Spelman College.

One cannot fight oppression and simultaneously remain addicted to the need for validation from the oppressor. Black people NEED whites to tell us that we are smart, that we are good, that we are important. That is why we consider being President of the United States to be one of the, if not the most significant achievement in history for a black man. I do not agree. If a wife is being abused by her husband, she can’t say “get your damn hands off me” and then turn around and say “Do you still think I’m pretty?”

If the wife above can’t find a safe place to keep her self-esteem, her abusive husband is going to use that against her. White America does that to black america. When we do things they find objectionable, they collectively say to us, “you see, that’s why we think you people are savages.” We then work hard to adjust our behavior because we fear being told that we are not pretty enough for our oppressor. I even saw where one brother on this blog mentioned being “embarrassed” by the behavior of other African Americans. On the other hand, I rarely hear white males show any concern for how they are perceived by us.



You asked what I would do if I were in Obama’s difficult position: I would figure out where I am going to draw the line. I am not sure if any Jewish candidate would allow the American people to force him to denounce someone who speaks out against those who claim the holocaust never happened. A Jewish candidate would not denounce someone who believed in unconditional support for Israel. I doubt any Jewish candidate would miss the birthday celebration of Rabbi Leo Baeck or Dr. Otto Hirsch, great leaders during the Nazi Holocaust. However, Obama felt comfortable missing the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr because he was worried about what white America would think about him attending this legitimate event.

As African Americans, we have to figure out where our own line of self-respect is going to be drawn. The presidency is not worth teaching every black child in America to give away their dignity to obtain it. I would be just as proud of Obama if he were to drop out of the race and use his amazing fundraising ability to raise half a billion dollars to educate thousands of black youth at an HBCU. That would have a far more direct and powerful impact on the black community, in my opinion, than being another president who embraces the same old policies as the presidents before him.

I am sure Obama knows where he is drawing his line. As this election progresses, I am curious to see if he ever takes any stand against the attacks of the right wing. From what I’m hearing from journalists behind closed doors, the attacks are only going to get more vicious. Michelle Obama is next on the list, and the attacks are going to paint her as a racist. For some reason, many associate black love to imply white hate. Again, that is the same double standard we’ve always dealt with: when we integrate and demand fairness, people claim that we are co-dependent whiners. When we become independent and work toward unity, strength and self-love, we are called racists. The bottom line is that this country has been trained to hate us, and there are some who will get angry at us no matter what we do. That’s why we must learn to truly love ourselves. If we do that, then we can reintegrate into white America from a position of strength.

OK, this is my morning thought. Now it’s time to get back to work!