When I heard that there was a cartoon in the NY Post that depicted President Obama as a chimp my immediate thought was that I had misheard what was said or the cartoon was being depicted wrong. But my confusion quickly turned to disgust and outrage when I saw the piece.
It is so very saddening and unbelievable that we are in 2009 and we have such blatant examples of racism alive and well in the United States. So much so that one that depicts the President, the holder of the highest office in the US, in such a disrespectful way. I am one that believes that racism will always be a characteristic in our society because it is so deeply woven into the foundation of the United States and continues to be perpetuated in all levels.
Foolishly so, when President Obama was elected many ignorantly proposed that the need for civil rights was not gone and the Black struggle was over. Just the thought of this being the case was a foolish with the realities regarding the history of African Americans and continued discriminatory and racist practices we are faced with. The removal of segregation laws and other barriers did not remove the deep seated belief that many white Americans have of Blacks.
So to now have such a blatant cartoon that clearly disrespects President Obama and all African Americans should be a wake-up call to those that think the struggle for equality is over. To see this cartoon in a presumably credible national publication is very alarming. For them to feel free to print it so boldly seems as if they had no fears of retribution and that it was okay. But perhaps this is one of things you have to be Black to understand. Actually no, anyone should be able to see the disrespect and racism! Considering the long standing historical reference of African Americans as apes/monkeys, the cartoon is truly offensive. To deny the reference to President Obama is to insult the intelligence of those offended. President Obama is the lead author of the stimulus bill, so why wouldn't one automatically think the chimp in the cartoon that is laying on the ground with two gun shots represents him, especially when the caption says, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."
The only positive that I can see from this cartoon is that it publicly displays the feelings that many whites try to deny. Perhaps these feelings are so deep within their subconscious that they trick themselves into believing they are not racist.
Such hateful and racist thoughts and actions must come to an end!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Weight of My Race
I recently attended a community meeting that opened my eyes to a sad reality. Attending public meetings is something I do on a regular basis through my job. I was one of a handful of African Americans in attendance, this too was routine for me so it didn't bother me. The meeting changed from routine when half-way through the presentation an African American man made his way to the front of the audience, about two rows in front of me so I had a clear view of everything he did. Someone entering an event late in itself is not a problem, but it does become problematic when that persons arrival causes unnecessary disruption. Specifically, this man rudely crossed someone to get to a seat and began indiscretly talking in a very deep voice as the presenter was still trying to give his presentation. I guess this would have been okay if he would have quickly settled down, but this man continued to rudly talk trying to inappropriately ask questions and getting indignant when kindly asked to be quiet.
My attention went to this man and stayed on him because I felt embarassed by his actions. As an African American, I felt embarassed by the actions of another African American in a room filled with predominately Whites. Why is it that I had to take on the weight of his actions? If we were White, would I have felt embarassed and taken his actions as a personal reflection on our community?
I continued to stare at him hoping that I could make eye contact with him and somehow convince him to calm down. It got to the point that I was hoping that somehow through my stares he would feel my energy and understand the signficance of his actions. His behavior was so disruptive that security was called in to monitor him. I honestly had wished they would have taken him out to end my embarassment. My reaction to this situation puzzled me to the point that I had to share the story with my mentor. She immediately assessed the situation in all her wisdom and put into words what I knew to be true but couldn't seem to come at peace with or articulate as clearly.
Most Whites have very limited exposure and involvement with African Americans; unfortunatly when they do the representation of our race is often not positive. The negative perception of us is applied to the whole as a result. In constrast, African Americans have far more exposure and involvement with Whites. As a result, we are able to see the totality of the group as opposed to just a narrow view. We are able to desern that the negative actions or views of one White does not represent the actions or views of them all. But this is not the same for most Whites. If they see one African American acting rude and disorderly, this becomes their default view of all African Americans. This is a sad, but true reality.
My attention went to this man and stayed on him because I felt embarassed by his actions. As an African American, I felt embarassed by the actions of another African American in a room filled with predominately Whites. Why is it that I had to take on the weight of his actions? If we were White, would I have felt embarassed and taken his actions as a personal reflection on our community?
I continued to stare at him hoping that I could make eye contact with him and somehow convince him to calm down. It got to the point that I was hoping that somehow through my stares he would feel my energy and understand the signficance of his actions. His behavior was so disruptive that security was called in to monitor him. I honestly had wished they would have taken him out to end my embarassment. My reaction to this situation puzzled me to the point that I had to share the story with my mentor. She immediately assessed the situation in all her wisdom and put into words what I knew to be true but couldn't seem to come at peace with or articulate as clearly.
Most Whites have very limited exposure and involvement with African Americans; unfortunatly when they do the representation of our race is often not positive. The negative perception of us is applied to the whole as a result. In constrast, African Americans have far more exposure and involvement with Whites. As a result, we are able to see the totality of the group as opposed to just a narrow view. We are able to desern that the negative actions or views of one White does not represent the actions or views of them all. But this is not the same for most Whites. If they see one African American acting rude and disorderly, this becomes their default view of all African Americans. This is a sad, but true reality.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
My Hope
Now that the great United States of America will have a African American in the highest office of the country, my hope is one that Obama's presidency will be a shinning example to my fellow African Americans that yes we can. Yes we can break out of the norm and exceed expectations. We do not have to let our roots determine what our futures will be. Yes we can step up and out of the ghetto ways and lives filled with excuses and self-imposed limitations. Yes, we can gain the necessary education and skills to achieve our dreams.
It is my hope that Obama's presidency will be a wake up call for African Americans of all ages that we can indeed do better and that we will indeed do better. It is my hope that we will become the best that each of us can be. That we will remove the mental shackles that hold many of our back from our greatness. Obama will make this country better on national level, it is up to us to make our homes and communities better. It is time for us as a people to step up and claim what is to be ours. History has proven that we have to fight for every advancement. We can no longer afford to sit back and what for others to do for us or do right by us. If we indeed want a brighter future, we have to be the change we are fighter for.
It is my hope that Obama's presidency will not just be a wake up call for African Americans, but also a wake up call for all of those that still view us as second-class citizens. We are a great and might people, Obama is just one public example of intelligence and integrity.
It is my hope that Obama's presidency will be a wake up call for African Americans of all ages that we can indeed do better and that we will indeed do better. It is my hope that we will become the best that each of us can be. That we will remove the mental shackles that hold many of our back from our greatness. Obama will make this country better on national level, it is up to us to make our homes and communities better. It is time for us as a people to step up and claim what is to be ours. History has proven that we have to fight for every advancement. We can no longer afford to sit back and what for others to do for us or do right by us. If we indeed want a brighter future, we have to be the change we are fighter for.
It is my hope that Obama's presidency will not just be a wake up call for African Americans, but also a wake up call for all of those that still view us as second-class citizens. We are a great and might people, Obama is just one public example of intelligence and integrity.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
I proudly excercised my right to vote!
Today I voted for Barack Obama in the presidential election through absentee voting. This meant me getting up early on a Saturday morning and standing in a line during a cold morning in Milwaukee. Yes, maybe I would have preferred to be still snuggled up warm in my bed but my need to vote became more important than my want to be slumber.
I have been a consistent voter for as long as I can remember. My participation in the voting process is not just during presidential elections such as this year, but doing every local race as well. As someone who studies African American history, the act of voting has gone from being just a simple act of exercising my right as an American citizen. Instead the act of voting for me is the act of responsiblity I have as an African American. Each time that I vote I feel that I am paying toward the debt that is owned to the countless brave souls who fought to make sure African Americans were no longer just allowed certain rights, but we be given full rights as we too are citizens of the United States of American. We were once legally considered less than human, but my ancestors fought for our full recongnition. So my vote today was another payment, another payment for the tears that were shed, the lives that were lost as a result of beatings, hangings, and other acts of brutality, the emotional and physical harm inflicted with the water hoses and dog attacks, etc........
The Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 granted African Americans full civil rights, prior to that legally African Americans were considered 3/5 of a person and in 1869 The Fifteenth Amendement forbad deniel of the vote on the basis of "race, color or previous condition of servitude". But the amendments seem to be worth little more than the paper that they were on because it took many more years for the amendments to be fulfilled because others did everything they could to prevent us from voting. The ending of the Civil War marked another pushing of our rights seemingly just in theory. We were not allowed to fully vote until after the Civil Rights movement and we still do not have full rights in all area of our society.
Yes, I voted for Barak Obama. Not because he is an African American, but because he is indeed seems qualified to be president. He has never been president before, so of course no can say with 100% certainty that he is fully qualified for the job. This would be true for anyone applying for a job, whether to be a nurse, teacher, policeman and event president. One never knows how they will perform on a particular job until they do it. It is my belief that Obama is what this country needs in the post of president now because of his unique combination of intelligence, strong values, solid character and emotional fortitude. This country desperately needs someone who will lead this country with the well-being of the least amongst us and the masses as a priority as opposed to one who will lead this country motivated by their own ego and greed for self and the elite.
So voting for Obama today gave me pride because within my life time the dream of seeing an African American become president is almost realized. But this dream is more gratifying due to the strength of Obama and the true hope that he gives this country. I voted early because I plan to be canvasing the streets for the Obama campaign on election day. As I completed my ballot, I wanted to just stand there and savor the moment; savor the sight of seing Barack Obama's name on the ballot. But the lines were long so I had to move along quickly. Voting early meant I missed the satification of being able to put my ballot in the machine and seeing it dislay my number. But voting early also allowed me to have the peace of mind in knowing if something unexpectedly would have prevented me from voting on Tuesday, by ballot as already been accounted for.
It is my hope that on November 5th I will awake to good news for not just African Americans, but for this country as a whole. Yes, President Barack Obama will be very good news to wake up to!
I have been a consistent voter for as long as I can remember. My participation in the voting process is not just during presidential elections such as this year, but doing every local race as well. As someone who studies African American history, the act of voting has gone from being just a simple act of exercising my right as an American citizen. Instead the act of voting for me is the act of responsiblity I have as an African American. Each time that I vote I feel that I am paying toward the debt that is owned to the countless brave souls who fought to make sure African Americans were no longer just allowed certain rights, but we be given full rights as we too are citizens of the United States of American. We were once legally considered less than human, but my ancestors fought for our full recongnition. So my vote today was another payment, another payment for the tears that were shed, the lives that were lost as a result of beatings, hangings, and other acts of brutality, the emotional and physical harm inflicted with the water hoses and dog attacks, etc........
The Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 granted African Americans full civil rights, prior to that legally African Americans were considered 3/5 of a person and in 1869 The Fifteenth Amendement forbad deniel of the vote on the basis of "race, color or previous condition of servitude". But the amendments seem to be worth little more than the paper that they were on because it took many more years for the amendments to be fulfilled because others did everything they could to prevent us from voting. The ending of the Civil War marked another pushing of our rights seemingly just in theory. We were not allowed to fully vote until after the Civil Rights movement and we still do not have full rights in all area of our society.
Yes, I voted for Barak Obama. Not because he is an African American, but because he is indeed seems qualified to be president. He has never been president before, so of course no can say with 100% certainty that he is fully qualified for the job. This would be true for anyone applying for a job, whether to be a nurse, teacher, policeman and event president. One never knows how they will perform on a particular job until they do it. It is my belief that Obama is what this country needs in the post of president now because of his unique combination of intelligence, strong values, solid character and emotional fortitude. This country desperately needs someone who will lead this country with the well-being of the least amongst us and the masses as a priority as opposed to one who will lead this country motivated by their own ego and greed for self and the elite.
So voting for Obama today gave me pride because within my life time the dream of seeing an African American become president is almost realized. But this dream is more gratifying due to the strength of Obama and the true hope that he gives this country. I voted early because I plan to be canvasing the streets for the Obama campaign on election day. As I completed my ballot, I wanted to just stand there and savor the moment; savor the sight of seing Barack Obama's name on the ballot. But the lines were long so I had to move along quickly. Voting early meant I missed the satification of being able to put my ballot in the machine and seeing it dislay my number. But voting early also allowed me to have the peace of mind in knowing if something unexpectedly would have prevented me from voting on Tuesday, by ballot as already been accounted for.
It is my hope that on November 5th I will awake to good news for not just African Americans, but for this country as a whole. Yes, President Barack Obama will be very good news to wake up to!
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