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Racism directed against President Obama; 2009-SEP

Response by Michael Steele, Jim
Wallis and this website's webmaster.

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2009-SEP-16: Response by Michael Steele:

Michael Steele is the chairperson of the Republican National Committee. He appeared on CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. CNN Transcripts lists the following exchange:

BLITZER: "There is an element -- a tiny element, I should say, a small fringe element out there -- and you're sensitive to this, I think -- that -- that does have racist views of the president."

STEELE: "Well, look, hey, they have the racist views about me. I mean they're -- they're racist, if that's the case. But that has not been the nature of this policy debate. And that's where I have the problem with the [former] president's comments, because he's elevated it to the point that is it now, you know, a reaction to everything. Everybody who has this negative approach or view on this subject is a racist. And that's not where we are. That's not where the country is. And I just thought that the [former] president was out of line. And I think that he takes this to a point and to a level that is not reflective of what's been transpiring in this debate."

BLITZER: "The..."

STEELE: "My second concern, Wolf, is that when you go down that road, when you just look behind every corner and see race and racism -- now, that's not to say it doesn't exist. Lord knows it still does. And I've had a problem with this post-racial attitude that some in the Obama campaign, now in the administration, have tried to -- to hoist out there. But when you go down this road and you start just willy-nilly, as I believe President Carter has, throwing race out there, you diminish real instances of race..."

BLITZER: "All right..."

STEELE: "...racism that needs to be addressed." ₁

2009-SEP-17: Response by Jim Wallis of Sojourners:

Sojourners is a socially active Christian group who "... sojourn with others in different faith traditions and all those who are on a spiritual journey." They "... seek to discover the intersection of faith, politics, and culture."  ₂ Their "... mission is to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world." ₃

Jim Wallis is Sojourners' editor-in-chief and chief executive officer. In his "God's politics" blog for 2009-SEP-17, he wrote an entry called "What?! Racism still in America?." It is copied below:

"Here we go again. Some people raise the issue of race (this time about the ways others are talking about or treating the first black U.S. president) and the media goes crazy. 'What racism?' many of the pundits cry. 'Didn?t we just elect this black guy president?' (Implying 'Doesn?t that prove that racism is over in America?')"

"So let?s all just take a breath here, as we always need to do when talking about race in the U.S."

"A few simple points:"

"First, on Nov. 4, 2008, the U.S. did what only one other country I know of ever has ever done ? elect a president from a minority race in a country with a different majority race. (Peru is the only other country I can think of to have done that, electing as their president Alberto Fujimori, who is of Asian descent, in a predominantly Hispanic country.) That a still majority white U.S. would elect a black man as head of state was stunning to many ? and, I must admit, to me. Frankly, it made me think that the country was better than I thought it was. That historic accomplishment is a sign of great progress and a hope of better things to come for racial equality and justice in the United States."

"Second, the majority of Americans, and even of white Americans ? whether they voted for Obama or not ? seemed to feel proud and positive that the nation had finally reached this amazing milestone. Having elected Barack Obama made most Americans feel good about themselves and about their country on that Jan. 20 Inauguration Day. The new president?s approval rating climbed up to 70% in the week after the inauguration, which obviously meant that even some of those who voted against him were impressed by how he was handling his job at the outset."

"Third, there are many people, most of whom voted against Obama, who have basic disagreements with the president on substantive political issues. To disagree with a black president on policy questions does not mean that you are racist. The 20% fewer people who now approve of his job performance did not suddenly turn into racists. And my conservative friends who admire Obama personally but disagree with him politically can hardly be called racists".

"But fourth ? and importantly ? there was, and is still, a hard core of racially-motivated white people in this nation who did vote against Obama because he is black, and who virulently oppose him as president because he is black. And that racist core of angry white Americans resides on the extreme political right of U.S. politics. The Far Right in America have never supported racial equality. Their political representatives voted against both the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965, and most have never repented for it. And, let?s be honest, the loudest voices of right-wing talk radio and cable television appeal directly to that core with subtle and not-so-subtle racial messages, as has the right wing of the Republican Party for many years."

"If you were paying attention, you could see signs of that underlying racism at the most heated town meetings this summer. Of course, not everybody who attended, or even was mad about health care or the government at those meetings, is a racist ? most of those people weren?t, but some of them clearly are. There were blatant signs of racism at some of the town meetings and, indeed, many signs that carried overtly racial messages."

"I see those racial subtexts in the intensity of the attacks on Obama ? not in the disagreements per se, but in the viciousness of the rhetoric. Racism is often about disrespect, and many African-American citizens are now feeling that the black president in the White House is being disrespected. I also see it in supporters of the new 'birthers' movement, who try to stir up doubts about Obama's citizenship. I see it in the furor over the president speaking to the nation?s schoolchildren about studying and working hard. And, agree with me or not, I saw it in the disrespect shown toward a black president by a white Congressman from the South, whose less than enthusiastic apologies have now turned him into a fund-raising martyr, cheered on by a defiant rebel yell against the man (or is it 'boy'?) in the White House.

"We have all witnessed or experienced situations where someone has 'played the race card' in inappropriate or unfair ways. And racism is not the cause or explanation of every social problem. Nor are legitimately different points of view obvious signs of racism. President Obama has not played the race card, expecting only to be treated as a man ? not a 'black man'? and to be judged as a president and not as an 'African-American president'."

But let?s be honest. We all know racism still exists in the U.S. today. We know there is a hard core of our white fellow citizens who simply will not accept their black or brown brothers and sisters ? especially one in the White House. So while we should not call every disagreement an issue of racism, it is time to call out the racism that indeed does still exist ? that wounds our soul as a nation, and that obstructs the promise of the United States."

"Share or bookmark this post" ₄

We assume that Wallis' instruction to share this post on the Internet means that we have permission to post it here.

Webmasters opinion: bias alert:

I am not particularly qualified to write about racism. I have taken no academic courses on the topic. I am not a member of a minority race where I live. I am not even an American -- I live in Canada. But ignorance has never slowed me down from posting my opinions in the past.

"Isms" and phobias have had a strong following throughout North America: including sexism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and now just surfacing: transphobia. But things are changing. My gut feel is that the rate of change in American culture is exceeding many people's comfort level, and some are having real difficulties coping. Some long for the good old days when prejudice against women, racial minorities, and sexual minorities was considered normal, natural, supported by the Bible, and codified in law.

A lot of folks develop their beliefs about other genders, races, nationalities, sexual orientations, and gender identities early in life and don't change them afterwards. I was born in 1972 and am now 72 years-of-age. The changes during my lifetime have been immense: research showed that homosexual orientation is not a mental illness, racial segregation was partly dismantled, feminism rose, immigrants were permitted to imigrate in large numbers from Asia, interracial marriages were legalized, private same-sex acts were decriminalized, same-sex marriage was legalized in some states, etc.

In many areas of North America, it is now not acceptable to be overtly racist -- particularly for politicians. The number of voters offended by racism probably exceeds the number of racist voters. Many people are distressed at the concept of a biracial president leading the country. However, they cannot openly state this. So they distort, exaggerate, and attack his policies. What gives them away is the intensity of their hatred.

I fear for America.

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. "The Situation Room," transcripts, 2009-SEP-16, at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/
2. "Sojourners' History," Sojourners, at: http://www.sojo.net/
3. "Mission," Sojourners, at: http://www.sojo.net/
4. Jim Wallis, "What?! Racism still in America?," Sojourners, 2009-SEP-17, at: http://blog.sojo.net/

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Copyright © 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Written 2009-SEP-19
Latest update: 2009-SEP-20
Author: Bruce Robinson

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