Now that the Democratic presidential campaign has moved beyond Iowa and New Hampshire, race moves to center stage. Indeed, the mainstream media narrative that Sen. Barack Obama "transcends" race is the real fairy tale.
More than 100 years ago, W.E. B. DuBois wrote that "the problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line." The political sparring over whether Sen. Hillary Clinton made racially insensitive remarks about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shows that race remains a problem in the 21st century.
On "Meet the Press," Clinton complained that "the Obama campaign is deliberately distorting this." She added: "I think it is such an unfair and unwarranted attempt to misinterpret and mischaracterize what I've said."
Obama shot back: "Senator Clinton made an unfortunate remark, an ill-advised remark, about King and Lyndon Johnson. I didn't make the statement. I haven't remarked on it, and she, I think, offended some folks who felt that somehow diminished King's role in bringing about the Civil Rights Act. She is free to explain that, but the notion that somehow this is our doing is ludicrous."
It's ludicrous for Obama to think he can have it both ways. He hopes to stay above the racial fray at the same time his campaign plays the race card in South Carolina, where African Americans make up half of Democratic primary voters.
Obama must walk a fine line as he holds out to white Americans the promise of absolution for racial injustices. As Rutgers University historian David Greenberg recently wrote: "Ultimately, it [Obamamania] is a fantasy of easy redemption. America's racial history -- mixed into our culture at its foundation -- will be with us always, even as personal prejudice recedes and inequality is chipped away. For all we know, a President Obama might make the so-called underclass his top priority."
If Obama successfully navigates the racial shoals, he may indeed be a "Magic Negro."
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By: anabanana on 1/21/2008 3:47PM
1968: Martin Luther King shot dead
Is it possible that after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness that God is about to lead the people into the promise land? Is it a coincident that 2008 marks 40 years since the death of Dr King? For 40 years black folk have been vacillating between accepting the limitations that "old pharaoh" has historically imposed upon them and turning the page and accepting the limitless possibilities that their God has promised them. I have been trying to understand why a people would not epect that the challenges that confront it is a part of its destiny? Why a people who overcame slavery and Jim Crowism would falter and stumble at the injustice and inequitable treatment from a system that was not constructed with their participation in mind in the first place? For the system was constructed to use them, not for God's glory (despite its protestations to the contrary) but for its own benefit and glory. Why then would the people turn back and look to such a system to do what is best for them? Rather than moving forward this people has been negligent in some instances, complacent in others, and down right complicit in the destruction of their own future well-being. The people allow their children to believe in idols rather than in their God. They allow them to believe that their God is comparable to someone called Santa Claus. They do not instruct them nor do they live by example for them. They do not fight for their children but rather allow them to fight for and kill themselves. Why, I ask? Why? It seems to me that they have come to prefer to point their fingers and blame others rather than taking a good long look at themselves and doing those things necessary to usher in the inheritance promised to them. This people has to be the most ignorant (i.e. uninformed) group of people on the face of the planet, despite the fact that it has access to more information. This people look for what is easy. They rather parrot what they hear others say rather than taking the time and becoming informed and learned for themselves. I can imagine that they are just like the biblical Israelites who wandered in the wilderness for forty years. I can imagine that just as the biblical accounts record they too were confused and irresponsible. After centuries of brainwashing only a remnant of that people held on to their real identities. The majority of the people got their identity from their benefactors- old pharoah and the Egyptians- and to their detriment these identities were identities that made them feel powerless, and left them dejected and unimaginative. But along comes Joshua. Joshua who was familiar with the Egyptians and their system of oppression too, but who did not accept their distorted caricature of who he was or what he could be; but rather he looked to God. He looked to God for his identity and for his possibilities. He believed that he was more than a descendant of former slaves. He had faith in God. He had hope for the fulfillment of Moses' dream. He believed that he would cross over into the promise land. So I pose this question for your consideration. Is Barack Obama this generations' Joshua? Is it a coincident that Barack Obama, a man of hope, a man of dreams and a man of vision has been raised up by God 40 years after the death of Dr. King? Is it a coincidence or is it possible that God has selected this man Barack to usher the people into the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream? I pose this question to you and beseech you to imagine; to believe. Not so much in Barack Obama, but in the power of God and his ability to raise up a man, a twenty-first century Joshua to usher in the fulfillment of the dream.
'I have a dream".
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By: Solomon on 1/21/2008 4:54PM
I agree with you in principal #7. Send your comment to Bill Clinton so we can get on with getting rid of the old way of doing things to a new day. Name calling and ticky tack name calling is a diversion to what is important. Support the candidate that adresses the ills in AMerica as mentioned in your statement. Old Washington brought us to where we are now, and that is a sad state of affairs for the American economy.
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By: John L Harris Sr on 1/21/2008 5:41PM
MIND MANIPULATION SO WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?
Given the state of Black America or even America as a whole, Dr. King must be turning over in his grave.
HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=VUBO4E77ZXO
Clearly there is a lack of clarity, knowledge, wisdom, or understanding when allowing others to provide a dualistic ideology of self and his/her surrounding, causing him/her to believe that that he/she is something that he/she is not but what do you expect? To raise your child[ren] where black females' obvious desire is to emulate white women and males coveting a jailhouse slave mentality with the belief that this is a way of life, what do you expect? However, there are issues far more important such as, the First Commandment with a Promise seen and felt daily which most Blacks believing themselves to be some so-called African-Americans that does not historically exist. While following an individual failing to be truthful to him or herself least of all to his/her followers, what do you expect?
From the Garden of Eden to America today here is one area that the enemy continues to effectively infiltrate and systematically destroy. Depression and anxiety, separatism and hostility with children dying at an alarming rate and earlier than his/her parents all fostered based on an ill-conceived notion supported by a socioeconomic system caring nothing for the family or family values. Which continues to promote in every lifestyle inclusive of a demonic educational system, a greed based bias corporate structure, an inept judiciary, an ill-equipped clergy, political and social leaders sending false and misleading messages to the populace. While rejecting the reality, the very notion of God and in so doing have destroyed homes and families for the sake of personal gratification that glorifies the enemy, Satan, so what do you expect?
An enemy whose sole purpose has been to destroy families however whenever and wherever possible and nothing has benefited his plan more than an adulterous and promiscuous social system such as in America today and taught by so-called educators who teach nothing more than death and destruction leading towards an even greater recession yet to come. Families and family unity has been and is an essential part of life and the loss has devastating effects on the quality of life as seen and read about on a daily basis. It is a sad state of affairs when a country, any country is racially segregated based on a bias cultural identity causing even further segregation based on a bias sexism having an even deeper impact and destructive tendency destroying family and family values. So what do you expect?
A few cultural anthropologist or sociologist would attempt to get you and your children to believe otherwise nevertheless the particulars speak far above the deceptive behavior even in the midst of a select few attempting to re-write history to appease a portion of humankind while rejecting others and claiming all in the name of humanity. Still, what do you expect?
Nevertheless, if the truth were told there is not one justice of the Supreme Court or any other who can refer to the Word of God taught within Judeo-Christian or in some cases, even Islamic beliefs in rendering practically every decision made. Appeasing the enemy would be more to the point. 'Be not deceived...whatsoever man/woman sows that shall he/she also reap.” So, what did you expect?
Sadly, is America reaping what has been sown because of the destruction of family, family values and a wholesome Godly environment? -- John L Harris, Sr. author of the Decimation of America by its own hand! ISBN 0-9761112-8-4
How can you for it is illogical and I will not vote for nor endorse either Hilary Clinton or Barack Hussein Obama because neither has demonstrated having the best interest of the United States of America as a whole in mind and heart and both are merely opportunist. One based on her husband's legacy. The other on the color of his skin while claiming to be Christian yet failing to comprehend, endorse or recognize that which has brought Black America through nearly insurmountable obstacles while denouncing the existence thereof as the founding roots of the very country he wants lead. Who is the fool and what do you expect? Therefore, to deny sexism and racism are a part of these individuals’ endeavors and the hearers’ perception would be to further perpetuate an already existing deception but again, what do you expect?
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By: Nik on 1/22/2008 12:52PM
Charlene Norman...whoever you are your comments are completely unfounded and ignorant. I hope that you are not an African American openly speaking out against Barack Obama. DO YOUR RESEARCH! You contradict yourself, is his step dad Pakistan Muslim or an Indonesian Muslim. You lost me there for sure! You obviously have misguided ideas about this man and on top of that you are very maliciously posting misinformation. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. The facts are quite a different story however. Sure, when President Clinton was in office he did an excellent job and did a lot in the interest of average American people. This is now a different day and age. This country is a Democratic Republic is it not? We do not need a dynasty here. If Hillary Clinton is the next President then we are just putting the same system in place that was here when her husband was president. Some people may want that but not me. I want true change to take place and Barack Obama is the best candidate for that. Obama 08’!
Here’s an article you might want to read regarding the lies that have gone around about him being a Muslim:
WHEN Barack Obama, America’s newest presidential hopeful, was hit by allegations that he had attended a radical Islamic madrasah school as a boy in Indonesia, the claims spread like a virus through the media and internet.
It was a lie — the school was barely more religious than British church schools — but it was also a sign that Obama’s chances of winning the presidency depend to an unusual degree on his life story and character.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2569704_1,00.html
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By: Ebony on 1/23/2008 1:34AM
My vote is for Obama. What has Clinton done for blacks? When Bill Clinton was in office he turned away the haitians,did not help Rwanda which cause over 800,000 people to lose their lives , and he was notified of the potential of the Iraq war. He is not black because he blows the saxophone and has an office in Harlem.He is not black because he grew up poor in AK. and was raised around blacks. He did not marry a black woman and have black kids. He married a upper middle-class white woman name Hilary who was a republican and not the biggest supporter of the 1964 civil acts bill. I did my research and this is very true.He is steady kicking down Obama and some black state reps. are telling him to chill because it is getting out of hand. Yes , Obama is biracial but he considers himself black.He is married to a strong black woman and has a beautiful black daughters.He has worked in the Chicago neighborhoods with heavy poverty for many years. My family is musilum but I am not by my choice which is the same as Obama. He went to Columbia and Harvard which are mainly white schools and he could have picked the white card but he did not. He is a true brother. What is acting black? Drinking beer, eating chicken , and playing the saxophone? If this is what black is about then I guess I am not black.I don't drink, don't play a saxophone, don't eat fried chicken , and I speak proper english.We are like slaves that are fighting for our masters love and support. Black people wake up and support your own. We are the only race that don't support our own. We fought for many years as a people for this dream and now we have it and we are acting like idiots.We actually have viable candidate that is educated, smart,equal opportunity man, cares about the country , and has the same experience as Hilary. Hilary was on corporate boards for many years. She only got involve when her husband was running for president.Don't be fooled and stop acting like dedicated slaves.Sometimes I think we as black people are our worst enemies.Other races support each other and they are moving up while we are still behind.We can't even say nice things about Obama because we have to prove our love for the Clintons.Wake up black america before people forget us!
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