Barack Obama has been praised and pummeled after delivering an impactful speech that brought the “racial collide” to the forefront of American consciousness.

Circulated via the Internet by a John McCain staffer like a blazing hot product’s press release, a snippet of video showcasing a caustic sermon by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the recently retired senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ where the Illinois Senator is a member, prompted his courageous exposure of racism’s reality. We may have come a long way but it doesn’t take Rhodes’ scholar smarts to acknowledge the existence of social toxicity, past and present.

While U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, the highest ranking African-American in the Bush cabinet, has declared Obama’s speech important, the “typical white person” packaging of racism as illustrated in his white grandmother’s fear of black men ruffled more than a few feathers. Far from racist, the “typical white person” statement oozes reality for many African-Americans.

What I find more offensive, however, are scores of whites who purport to have black friends publicly but allow the N-word to fall freely from their lips in racial solidarity with their peers privately.

If you’re African-American attempting to survive and thrive in a “white is overwhelmingly right” system, surely you’ve had a bevy of “TWF” experiences. My all-time favorite is “you don’t sound black.” The last time I looked black was a color not a sound.

Wake up white America and smell the latte or lay drenched in your denial.

You're just like a typical black person.

How wrong you are. There's nothing typical about me. Can't deal with the truth?

Swoosh.

I guess you just didn't get it did ya?

I prefer intelligent dialogue over sarcasm any day.

How come you aren't typical but white people are?

Some whites are systematically stereotypical in their perspective with respect to those that don't look like them. I am no different from most as I am product of my vast experiences. Assuming you're white, would you say that some blacks are systematically criminal?

I'd say this:

48% of 15-19 year old black girls have 1 STD.

52.2% of homocides are committed by blacks.

50% of black people don't graduate H.S.

Say 50% of white people today feel like Barack Obama's grandmother did/does.

So who or what is typical? A Jewish grandmother who makes Matza balls for dinner? An Italian mother who makes pasta? A drunk fighting Irishman?

Although you've not planted the impression that these statistics emanate from any sociological studies you've conducted, your experiences, if any, would certainly spark greater interest. Now that is typical - the reliance on statistics to formulate a stereotypical opinion!

While you are upset about how one group of Americans is stereotyped, you turn around and talk as though it is OK to stereotype another. Individuals should be judged by their actions/behaviors, not by their skin color. Until everyone, regardless of color, reaches that consensus nothing can change.

Also, I must add that I am white and have NEVER heard the N word used in conversations where it was considered acceptable. This is a word that should not be OK to say no matter who you are or what racial group you belong to.

You need to get educated. Being naive to facts is a bad place to be when trying to understand circumstances.

<link>

<link>

The graduation stats are contested

<link>

Like so many here you need a clue. I'm mocking your typical use of the word typical and being unable to define it. :-)

I did not discount the statistics. But if we rely strictly on statistics to base our opinions without the benefit of experiences, intelligent dialogue is lost here.

"What I find more offensive, however, are scores of whites who purport to have black friends publicly but allow the N-word to fall freely from their lips in racial solidarity with their peers privately."

Yet such is the standard defense of bigots. "Some of my best friends are ____." People should be categorized by their ideas, not use their "friends" as human shields....

Hearing the N-word in rap music and singing along constitutes the same thing. In fact, non-black consumers are responsible for crowning several hip-hoppers cash kings.

"Hearing the N-word in rap music and singing along constitutes the same thing."

I don't know what your point is.

Interestingly the only time when I use the N-word is when I am quoting someone as to illustrate a point about the use of the word. Mostly this is about the extent to which hate speech is protected and usually I am quoting the US Supreme Court majority opinion in one specific case.