Ethicalego Speaks

Sen. Barack Obama presented himself a presidential candidate without racial identity and loyalty. This self-characterization riled some old guard civil rights leaders, political commentators and hidden racists. They refused to allow his escape from a racial identity because this idea of humanness absent race may undermine the foundations of America's race-based society. They had to take him down.

Obama ignored their taunts designed to draw him into a race-based defense. Nevertheless, they persisted and they found his vulnerable spot by attacking his religious choices. So, early last week Obama stood before the nation self-identifying as a black man and reading his black apologist speech before the nation.

Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. talked about racism in sermons over the years. Now newspapers and political commentators characterized them inflammatory, racist and unpatriotic remarks. By association, they tagged Obama with the same transgressions, because at one time Rev. Wright was Obama’s minister. This allegation was a close hit that could tarnish his image. So, Obama had to respond.

Obama responded with a politically inspiring speech. Skillfully, he explained a religious connection and spiritual belief that did not include racism. Revealingly, he explained how some people’s inability to escape feelings of past racial humiliations motivated bitterness in older blacks like Rev. Wright. Inspiringly, he cautioned Americans not to allow the exploiters of racial discord to derail America’s movement toward social harmony again.

Obama said everything in that speech that he needed to say to help preserve the momentum of his presidential campaign. He showed how masterfully he responds to crisis. Even his political opponent Sen. Clinton admitted the need for the speech and she praised its thoughtful presentation. Seemingly, Obama escaped this attack against his political goals. However, he escaped at the cost of his nonracial political image.

Obama yielded to the forces of racism to survive politically. He assumed the role of black apologist he rightly shunned before as inappropriate—“For the men and women of Reverend Wright’s generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years.”

At the expense of Rev. Wright’s image, Obama supported the self-delusional rationalizations America uses to excuse racism—“But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America – to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality.”

Obama made an error when he said that Rev. Wright simplified issues of race and distorted reality. Race, racial stereotypes and bigotry are by nature simple issues. Some people unnecessarily complicate them to continue acceptance for racism in America.

American society always used white and black racial labels to indicate racial supremacy and racial inferiority. This meaning never changed although many people who use the labels convince themselves they have another meaning. However, I never heard or read an alternate reason for using those labels that did not come from a philosophy of racism. Nevertheless, many Americans still rationalize the labels are not racist.

Obama judged Rev. Wright a delusional and the distorter of race. However, he was the delusional, distorter of race in his speech. Obama, labeled himself a black man with a white mother and black Kenyan father. By doing so, he obeys the rules of racism that say the child of a mixed race marriage takes the race identity of the racially inferior parent. This rule obviously promotes ideas of white supremacy.

News articles and commentators enforced this racism rule. They labeled Obama black from the beginning of his campaign over his objections. I did not read any article that labeled him white. It was a rare event if it happened.

In addition, news article and political commentators persistently reported election results in racial categories. This practice screamed to America that voters and Obama’s skin color should matter. American society always used black and white racial labels to point out white supremacy and black inferiority. Therefore, those news media practices were as racially inflammatory as Wrights remarks. Probably, nobody noticed, because for decades the news and entertainment industry conditioned Americans to accept this indirect promotion of race as nonthreatening.

Obama’s speech was successful because it supported generally accepted, convoluted concepts about race. I do not defend Rev. Wright’s remarks. However, he only said without guile what news commentators say all the time indirectly. Most Americans want an end to racism, but America's twisted concept of race confuses them. The three presidential candidates and President Bush could help end this confusion by issuing a joint release condemning the language, labels and practices of racism.