Obama's victory a milestone but there is still much work to be done!
I am a white male some might say because of my being white that I come from a position of privilege. Privilege in the sense that I do not have to deal with the many prejudices that exist in America today, I would agree with that assessment. I do not know what it's like to be pulled over by the police because of the color of my skin, I do not know what it's like for women to clinch their purses and pull their children closer to them when I walk by, to be arrested for simply asking people questions again because of the color of my skin, be denied loans, a promotion, a home...all because of the color of my skin.
... Privilege in that it is my responsibility as well as everyone like me to stop pretending or ignoring these issues and to actively speak out against the hatred that exist in America today. Caucasians, myself included, need to take more of an active role in trying to "amend our race relations" or we will never be able to move forward.
Obama's victory is wonderful and is a gigantic leap in the right direction, but let's not be naive we still have a lot of work to do as is evident in the following stories:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1117/p03s01-uspo.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kety-esquivel/threats-of-violence-persi_b_...
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good thoughts
Great post Rich. I think Rich Warden's post on the election as an example of moving to race neutral society was premature. Racial disparities on a whole host of issues still exist and I think its important that we white guys point out these issues and acknowledge that there is indeed a good deal of work to be done. Thanks for this post.
Race neutral leadership
Steve,
My posting was a summary of an article written by a very outspoken female African American journalist based in DC. She was reflecting on what she sees as the emergence of a new generation of black leaders, that the election of President-elect Obama is not the start but the continuation of the emergence of a post-civil rights generation.
She, nor I, thinks this is the end of the racial tensions, but the beginning of the beginning. We have a long way to go, yet what we see is the emergence of a new breed of black leadership that says "No more excuses", we (the black leadership) need to lead our people into a new era. This transition is exemplified in the Rev. Jesse Jackson and his son Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. His civil rights work made it possible for his son to move the agenda to issues in a post-civrl rights era.
As white male, what I am doing is first confronting my own continuing prejudices and dealing with them. Change first begins from within, this automatically changes a relationship. We white guys need to first point out and deal with our own issues. For your younger generation this may be easier than for the older ones. Thankfully you've been exposed to the benefits of more racial intregration, which we old guys have fought for most of our lives. When we die we will have left a lasting legacy, one that personally I am damn proud of.
If all persons, of all races, ethnicities and religions, look at what holds them (us) back internally from fully embracing the benefits of full citizenship to all Americans, God will grace us with achievement of this nations full potential.
Rich
BYW, the success of California's Prop. 8 has raised the issue of black prejudice in regard to the issue of same-sex marriage, which a majority of black Americans oppose. A cartoonist recently posted a cartoon that pointed out that while blacks do support equal rights, they generally do not extend that to gays and lesbians in regard to the issue of marriage. "Yes, us but not THOSE guys."
Odd, in that 40-50 years ago they supported elimination of laws that forbade multi-racial marriages, the very basis of the marriage of the parents of our newly elected President.
re: Race Neutral
Good insights Rich. It's good to know that whites, and especially older whites are dealing with issues of race and bias. Considering the advances from the 1950s to now, your generation should be proud of how far you've gone.
It was good listening to last night's telephone conference and hearing about the state of race in other parts of the country. It's sobering to hear about everyone's experiences of racism that still exists that were exposed due to Obama's candidacy. And to hear about the spike in racial incidents. Here in Silicon Valley, I think we can be sometimes sheltered from blatant examples, though I there are traces of it below the surface. I'll have to check on that African American journalist and her article.
Angelo
What time?
Rich what time is the call? I will do my best to join you...
Tuesday, November 18th, 8:30 EDT
Tuesday, November 18th, 8:30 EDT
Hope you can join us!
Obama and race relations - tomorrow's conference call topic
Richard,
Good segue for tomorrow's Theology Panel discussion. What impact do you think the election of Sen. Obama will make? Join us won't you? 218-339-2500 access code 727705*
Rich