President Obama Criticized For His Subtle Approach on Race

My wife's copy of Essence magazine arrived in the mail today. On the cover this month are Barack and Michelle Obama. Mrs. Obama is hugging her husband and both have big smiles. "Fixing Our Schools, Saving Black Boys, Educating Sasha and Malia," reads the headline.

By appearing on the cover of this magazine geared toward black women, the Obamas are basking in the glow of their adoring black public. Seriously, 96 percent of African Americans approve of the job President Obama is doing.

However, some blacks don't think the President is returning the love. There has been criticism from some blacks that President Obama is not moving to strongly address racial issues.

According to the New York Times:

On Capitol Hill, members of the Congressional Black Caucus have expressed irritation that Mr. Obama has not created programs tailored specifically to African-Americans, who are suffering disproportionately in the recession.....Some black scholars say Mr. Obama has failed to lead on the race issue. The Kirwan Institute, which studies race and ethnicity, is convening a conference on Thursday to offer policy prescriptions. After analyzing the State of the Union address, the institute's scholars warned that "continued failure to engage race would be devastating." Michael Eric Dyson, a Georgetown University sociologist and longtime supporter of Mr. Obama, is exasperated. "All these teachable moments," he said, "but the professor refuses to come to the class."

President Obama has a simple explanation that makes sense:

"I can't pass laws that say I'm just helping black folks. I'm the president of the United States. What I can do is make sure that I am passing laws that help all people, particularly those who are most vulnerable and most in need. That in turn is going to help lift up the African-American community, he said in an interview with American Urban Radio Networks.

I'm not sure if African Americans thought they were electing a Black Panther or the President of the United States. Part of the problem is that this country does not want to hear honest dialogue about race.

I remember when President Obama was running for election, and I told some of my African-American friends that he was going to be handicapped when it came to directly dealing with race. For many Americans, the fact that we elected a African- merican president should end any discussion about race. We are supposedly post-racial. Not long in to President Obama's term, I was proven right.

When asked about the Henry Louis Gates Jr. controversy, Obama said: "I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there is a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact."These simple-- yet undeniably true-- comments about race almost derailed President Obama's proposal to reform health care in this country. It was good to hear President Obama speak the truth, but health care reform is something that African Americans, suffering from unemployment and health disparities, desperately need.

President Obama's election is a powerful symbol and should be used to motivate African-American youth.

"There is an entire generation that will grow up taking for granted that the highest office in the land is filled by an African American," Obama told The Washington Post. "I mean, that's a radical thing. It changes how black children look at themselves. It also changes how white children look at black children. And I wouldn't underestimate the force of that."

And for every black leader criticizing Obama's approach to race there is one that approves: The Rev. Al Sharpton, who is working on an education initiative with President Obama, told the New York Times that "the president is smart not to ballyhoo '"a black agenda.'"

"I think there is a carefulness - not a reluctance - but a carefulness about what should be said going forward," Harvard law professor Charles Ogletree told the Times.

We should expect the first African-American president to address race, but I'd rather see action as opposed to rhetoric.

The truth is that a lot of the proposals that would benefit African Americans would also benefit middle class and poor whites. Better health care is not a need limited to African Americans. Neither are better schools, money for college or low cost loans to start small businesses.

When president Obama leaves office, I'll be much more impressed if African Americans have made some substantial progress on these issues because of his proposals than if he's just spoken eloquently about them.