So, when I started this blog I indicated that it would be subject to random musing. Well, it's a random musing kind of day. Let me start with the disclaimer. This is just how I feel. I do not purport to speak for anyone other than myself. So, that being said...leggo...
"Post Racial America" is a liberal guy's wet dream and a reactionary's nightmare. I live here and I can tell you it isn't post-racial at all. I would actually suggest that with an African American POTUS that things are more racial than ever. I am secretly enjoying watching the person reading over my shoulder cringe with disdain. Well, not so secret anymore. Here in the supposedly post racial belly of the beast--Harlem--I am painfully aware of the shifts, changes and growing pains.
Start with the fact that I am sitting in a Starbucks that up until two years ago was a vacant, undeveloped patch of dirt, enjoying a Breve Mistto. My shameless treat to myself on the one day a month I arrive in the city four hours before I need to because the kid needs an education. Now, I am not sure what purpose Starbucks serves in other communities. I know here in Harlem it is more like a community hub than anything else. People bring their coffee and buy cake in an effort to satisfy the cultural conditioning that you can't sit some place where you didn't buy anything. Prior to Magic Johnson, Starbucks was notorious for avoiding communities of color. In many ways, it was the floodgate. Following them was Bank of America, MAC, Chase and Aerosoles just to name a few.
That's a grassroots look. On a broader national scale we post the articles highlighting this "racially insensitive" or that flat out bigoted statement. I think my surprise is about the fact that people are still surprised that a portion of the nation still hates me because of my skin. And why shouldn't they? Newt Gingrich tells them that I have no role models and live on food stamps. Anne Coulter tells them that "their blacks are better." Sean Hannity tells them that the President that looks like me is an "appeaser" and on top of all that Rush Limbaugh says that the nation should fail. So, if I didn't have a healthy sense of self -esteem or if I believed every drug addicted racist with a media outlet I would be fucked.
My grandfather--God rest his soul--used to say "Never be mad when people tell you who they are up front..." Could not have possibly gotten more sage advice from anyone. We have a political party that has moved so far to the right that even its base is wondering "WTF?" We have had senators and congressman say all kinds of outrageous stuff about and to the President. There is a subconscious portion of the Caucasian psyche--in some--that believes that he is somehow undeserving of the post he was elected to. Please note that he was elected by the nation not solely by minorities.
Be grateful that you are painfully aware of who is influencing minds and winning hearts. The likely nominee for the Republican nomination is a man who put his dog on the roof of a van and offered to place a $10,000 bet. When was the last time you bet 1o large on ANYTHING? Shoot, when was the last time you had 10 large period? The very same gentleman who said he wasn't concerned about the poor and was a staunch opponent of the auto industry bailout, and simply can't be human enough to say "Wow, I was wrong about that." ? Scary.
Pay attention people. You are in on the ground floor of the human rights rollback. Voter suppression is at an all time high. Reactionary talk radio is at an all time high. Newt Gingrich says your 10 year old should sweep the school in tribute for his education. Mitt Romney believes that we should be looking for engineering talent abroad while he fails to fund talented students here at home. Rick Santorum stated that he is not opposed to racial profiling. Rich people are complaining about class warfare. Enough already, my ears are bleeding.
If you aren't thinking about what to do to combat the coming wave of anti-everything-but-me then you have cahones like bowling balls and good luck to you. For those of us who are more real world based, we need to start planning. The revolution will not be televised--maybe tweeted--or posted--but not televised. Get it done.
