Obama's decades-long support for the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, combined with his refusal to completely disavow this man, suggest that beneath his calm exterior, Obama may be seething with racial resentment. So far he has managed to conceal it, while his wife Michelle Obama lets out the occasional petulant outburst. But inner rage is the only explanation for why the Obama family is so close to Wright. He articulates their deepest feelings about race in America, feelings that they know are imprudent to air politically.
Yet what do the Obamas have to feel resentful about? They are one of the truly privileged families in America. They both got an Ivy League education. They had the benefit of top graduate schools. They have held enviable jobs such as Michelle Obama's hospital post that pays more than $300,000 a year. They live in an upscale neighborhood very far removed from the drug and crime-infested ghettos of Chicago. So what do these two have to whine about? Would they trade places even for a week with a working-class white family?
Well, the standard answer goes, it's still painful despite one's advantages to live in a racist country. But how can America be a racist country if Obama has a serious shot at the presidency? How would it even be possible for Obama to win predominantly white states as he has been doing in the primaries? Would a racist country be likely to have allowed affirmative action and preferential programs to blacks in university admissions, job hiring and government contracts for nearly 40 years?
The Obamas seem to be experiencing what Ellis Cose years ago termed "the rage of the privileged class." Cose accurately identified the rage, although he could not diagnose its source. For many black leaders, there is one obvious source: white racism. Several years ago I debated Jesse Jackson at Stanford University and challenged him to show me a racism today that prevents his family or mine from achieving the American dream. Jackson admitted he couldn't, but then he said this merely showed that racism had gone underground, it was covert rather than overt, racism had now become institutionalized. To italicize his point Jackson went into some impressive rhyme schemes: "I may be well dressed, but I'm still oppressed," and so on.
The racism may have largely disappeared from view, but the rage of the privileged class is real. I think I know where this African American rage comes from. Imagine if you were Michael Jordan and someone said to you, "Every time you reach to dunk the ball into the basket, let's lower the net by six inches." This is basically what affirmative action does: it gives historically disadvantaged groups a break to compensate for the effects of past and present racism. Whatever the justification, however, the effect of such policies is to completely discredit the achievement even of competent beneficiaries. Michael Jordan's claim to be the greatest basketball player ever would be utterly destroyed if he played by a different set of rules as everyone else. And I wouldn't be surprised if Geraldine Ferraro were on hand to say, "Jordan only got where he got because of the color of his skin."
Consequently those who stand to benefit from racial preferences, as the Obamas may have done in gaining admission to university and graduate school, typically accept the subsidy while at the same time resenting the implication that they have gotten an unfair leg up. Their seething anger, however, is not directed toward affirmative action or toward the liberal paternalists who have implemented it. Rather, they ascribe generic blame to societal racism. In this weird framework, more affirmative action is then demanded to fight this unseen bigotry. Needless to say, the rage shows no signs of abating and only intensifies.
Want to learn more about all this? Read my book The End of Racism, a national bestseller which offers a vision for how we can truly transcend this destructive racialization of our society. Don't buy it to pay me reparations for the colonial subjugation of my ancestors over many centuries. Buy it because it's really good stuff.
Reader Comments ( Page 28 of 29)
406. The real problem is that every candidate has to associate himself or herself with some wacky Christian sect to get elected.
Captain Negative at 8:31PM on Mar 27th 2008
407. Let's suppose I get my girlfrisne pregnant. Assume she wants the child, but I don't. I try to persuade her to get an abortion for two months, but am unsuccessful, so I proceed to punch her in the stomach. Assume that my strike terminates her pregnancy.
The question now is, what am I guilty of?
The supporters of abortion can only say assault, perhaps adding property damage. But these two alternatives -- especially the latter -- strike one as absurd. Clearly I'm guilty of more than this.
They cannot say I'm guilty of murder. If they do then the only difference between my strike and a woman's willing abortion is the power the woman has over the fetus, by virtue of the fact that it is in her body, and thus dependent on her. But this clearly won't do -- if this is the case, then you're claiming that one's power over another is sufficient to distinguish murder from an innocent act.
It seems to me that you have two choices, both untenable:
1. Admit that I'm guilty of nothing more than assault on my girlfriend, or perhaps of damaging her property
2. Admit that the woman's power in this case is sufficient to take an act that would otherwise be characterized as murder and render it innocuous.
Tiny Tim at 9:13PM on Mar 27th 2008
408. And didn't affirmative action help you? How else would a decendant of Dalits(which all Christians in India and Pakistan are)get accepted in an Ivy League school.
Danyal at 9:01PM on Mar 27th 2008
409. tiny,
your question is well put. now the biggest proponent of abortion on this blog is probably LINDA, LINDA in some past life was a nurse. she contends that the fetus is nothing more than a parasite!!!! this is her own words not mine. is this what the pro-abortion people really think or is this just LINDA? i do not know. but a parasite? this is how she views human life? its scary what the left really thinks
brian at 9:53PM on Mar 27th 2008
410. tiny,
have you noticed no abortion approvers want to tackle your question? wonder why?
brian at 9:59PM on Mar 27th 2008
411. All people are equal.
CatholicCrusader at 10:01PM on Mar 27th 2008
412. to #409,
does that include those that are in the womb?
brian at 10:19PM on Mar 27th 2008
413. The blog, and the comments that followed it all illustrates exactly what Mr. Obama spoke about in his discourse on Race in America. He is not filled with rage, he merely illustrated where some of the rage that both races feel comes from. Our country was built on the backs of black slaves...when they were supposedly freed...they were still treated like slaves or persons not worthy of the rights that white americans took for granted. I grew up in a town where white people moved off my block when we moved on. Property Value...its a mixed nieghborhood now...whites on one side of he cross street...blacks on the other...but I dare anyone to walk down that street and try to figure out the black or white side. I guess I can relate to what Mr. Obama says because I live it. My mother would die if she new I was posting, she grew up in a town in North Carolina where blacks were not allowed in town after dark...it was an unspoken law. When she answers the phone at her employers home, she still refers to herself as the girl that works there...Wake up people, Obama is not a racist or filled with rage, he just sees things as they are. The fact that he did not denounce the man because of his point of view does not speak to any kind of rage, but rather it speaks to strenght of character. I have friends who share the Minsters point of view, I dont agree with them, but they are my friends and we agree to disagree...What kind of man would he be if he turned his back on someone just to garner public praise. He didnt do the political thing he did the right thing. I can respect that. At least he isnt making up stories about snipers...or down playing his drug use by saying he didnt inhale...Obama bothers people because so far...he's been honest.
Mocha at 10:23PM on Mar 27th 2008
414. @ Paul at 7:40AM on Mar 26th 2008
*Sigh* - Paul, you're an idiot, plain and simple. Ashley is a real girl, and she lives in Florence, South Carolina. Damn, do your HOMEWORK before you SHOOT YOUR MOUTH OFF!!! Geez...
ana at 10:24PM on Mar 27th 2008
415. mocha,
a very honest post and well done. good luck with your friend obama, i hope he beats hillary all the way back to arkansas where she really belongs. the deomcratic party ought to ask her to leave qas she is surely a disgrace. as for how you grew up are you not glad things are changing? are you not glad you have it better? as for how this country was built,it was built on alot of things. there are many cogs to the wheel. hang in there, you have the right idea. the black community does need to ask the rev. wrights of the world to ease up on his speech, it hurts the message
brian at 10:51PM on Mar 27th 2008
416. If well meaning liberal dupes are foolish enough to vote for Obama, then they will get what they deserve when gangsta rappers spread into their nice quiet little towns. Idiots.
Joe Blow at 11:30PM on Mar 27th 2008
417. Once again someone of Arab decent criticising Affirmative Action.
What a hypocrite you are.
Your race enjoys all of the benefits of America and never had to fight for any of them.
And many Arabs are more racist then any other Americans.
Do you publicly condem the violence of Islamic fundametalist.
Why not earn your place here by starting with that
Bob at 12:13AM on Mar 28th 2008
418. After voting for over 30 yrs. I cannot believe in a country this size, there is NO true candidate, Clinton acts like a spoiled brat, Obama is a racist, a wolf in sheeps clothing, and McCain is just another idiot like G.W. Bush!!! God help us all!Skalska8
B.Lacey at 12:50AM on Mar 28th 2008
419. After reading all the comments, I, born on the 4th of July, all american, son serving our country(only son), I am sickened at anyone for would support the rediculous people running for the most important office in our country. WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!! Does anyone KNOW what is going on?????? God Help Us.....Skalska8
B.Lacey at 12:51AM on Mar 28th 2008
420. OVER 90% OF BLACK PEOPLE VOTED FOR OBAMA.
WHO ARE THE REAL RACISTS??!
FLLady at 1:16AM on Mar 28th 2008