I teach civil rights and am therefore a little more than typically interested in the racial and gender issues implicated in this year's Democratic nomination process. In my classes, which I have been conducting for about twenty years, sometimes in large cities and sometimes in small towns, I rarely meet a person who publicly speaks in racist terms or seems to have no understanding of the brutal history of racism in America. People generally "get it" although I am sure they may be less willing to share biases in such a forum (usually sponsored by the workplace).

I am also quite aware that we have come a long way and that even the most racially prejudiced among us are not so sinister as those of years past.

But what an interesting thing it has been to see, hear, and read about the reactions of "whites" to Obama. What used to be socially hidden, has begun, more and more as the season progresses, to come out in political commentary and reactions of everyday people to his candidacy.

Never mind the voting statistics indicating that the more rural and south you look, the less popular he is among white voters. People are speaking right out loud about what can only be interpreted as "white pride," and are revealing themselves to be "offended" by expressions of African-American anger.

Even feminists are doing it when they get wrapped up in Hillary-mania and forget that women and minorities have usually fought together for justice, not as foes.

Don't get me wrong, people have every right to be offended by whatever they want to be offended by. But I confess to feeling very uncomfortable when I hear a college student outraged by Senator Obama's description of his own grandmother as a "typical" white person who held what, in her generation, were certainly were "typical" racial fears and prejudices. I could see the young man today on Hardball looking visibly angered and hurt by this outrageous insult to his race (white) when he tried to get Senator McCain to denounce the Obama remark. (McCain, to his credit, didn't take the bait).

It has arisen most openly in the Reverend Wright debate in which white Americans seem visibly shocked that black Americans, especially older ones who lived under Jim Crow, still harbor lots and lots of resentment. What a surprise!

I truly believe that a "conversation about race" is a good thing. But the one I saw moderated by Brian Williams the other night was hardly thorough. It was a forum for folks like me who seek understanding and change.

The real conversation, involving Americans from all walks of life, is apparently much farther away, and will be difficult indeed. One of the first steps in such a conversation is for people to listen "outside their own autobiographies" as Steven Covey says. When I do that, I find it pretty difficult in this country to worry about my "white identity."

Maybe it will take an African-American President to get people to be less "uptight" (I show my age) about really hearing our brothers and sisters across racial lines.

As a Bruce Hornsby song says: "That's just the way it is...things will never change...but don't you believe it." Let's work to make that last bit of Hornsby hope justified.

As a woman, you would think the gender issue would be what catches my attention in a year such as this. But I am fascinated and horrified by the way race is playing out.

I had my first real experience with racism when I was 17. It was 1977 (yes, I am old) and my mother had just moved us from Scottsdale, AZ, to a small town in East Tennessee to be nearer to her family. The year before, the high school football team had won the division state championship, due in no small part to the efforts of twin brothers on the team who just happened to be black. Football is huge in East Tennessee, even on the high school level. These twin brothers were pretty much the town heroes. We were all seniors in high school that year. I had a brief flirtation with one of them. It never got serious, more because I always had the feeling that it was never more for him than trying to get in my pants, which is pretty much typical for most high school young men anyway. But I did dance with him at the Home Coming Dance and right in the middle of the dance floor I planted a big kiss on his lips. For a few nights following, I received midnight phone calls at my house calling me a "nigger lover" -- including one from a voice I thought I recognized as someone who claimed to be a friend. Even my mother was talked to at work about my behavior.

Later experiences included black people who were socially acceptable because they were hard-workers who were truly trying to make a decent life for themselves. The implication, of course, was that these were not the typical qualities one would find in a black person. My former mother-in-law from Baltimore was proud to talk about her "little black friend" from work, but of course she didn't want black people in her neighborhood because it drove property values down. When my ex-husband's youngest cousin started dating a black woman, the family decided they would just ignore his behavior because he was most likely just bringing her around to agitate his mother. It never entered their minds that he might actually like her.

My present husband is a musician who fell in love with soul music at a young age. He was orphaned as a teenager and has no real family of his own, so he has basically been adopted by the family of the black singer he played with for many years. And I've been fortunate enough to have the experience over the last few years of being amongst a group of people who truly don't see each other in black and white. It has been an amazing gift.

Nevertheless, I am pleasantly surprised to see Obama in the position he is in now. I know plenty of white people who, even though they consider themselves free from prejudice, deep down would not want to see this country led by a black man. The fact that he is where he is gives me great hope that the "real conversation" might just be a generation away. The young people coming into voting age seem to be so much more open to seeing across racial divides. I know I am not completely free from prejudice, but I am doing a little better than my parents' generation, who did a little better than their parents' generation. My children are so much farther along than I am. And because of that, I am hopeful that I may get to see us move past the age of tolerance and into embracement.

In the meantime, what I've seen and heard of Obama leads me to believe that he is the best candidate this year, regardless of race, gender, or age.

"Don't get me wrong, people have every right to be offended by whatever they want to be offended by. But I confess to feeling very uncomfortable when I hear a college student outraged by Senator Obama's description of his own grandmother as a "typical" white person who held what, in her generation, were certainly were "typical" racial fears and prejudices"

Here's the thing that you're missing: If a white person started a conversation with "Typical black person" referring to ANYTHING, choice in car, shaving cream, politics...They would be called a RACIST faster than you can say politically correct. Obama was wrong for using the term 'typical white person' in describing anything.

We need to get away from the idea that it's ok for blacks to make stereotypical racist comments, but certainly not for whites.

Oh, I understand what Obama meant, and he made many great points in his speech. But you're correct in that it certainly was an offensive statement.

'Typical white person' is just as insulting as 'typical black person' because it's all stereotyping plain and simple.

Dear brownapril;

Thank you for your story, it is the kind I like to feature in my classes because it is truthful and hopeful. Many caucasian Americans, especially our youngest, cannot fathom your experience or those of other races which are so very recent in our memories. Since I was born in Arizona and my father's family is in East Tennessee, I have a special affinity to reading your words.

John

Dear apropos1;

Thank you for your perspective. It is valuable and frank and I can tell you are sincere.

I would like to ask you to read brownapril's comment above, and consider the vast difference in experience between a white American and a black American, especially those in the age groups of 40 and above.

Steven Covey, who I alluded to in my original post, asks us to "think outside our own autobiographies" when trying to listen without malice to someone with a different perspective. Since I don't know your whole story, I might change my view by hearing more.

But there is one thing we all know from studying very recent American history. Race issues are not going to be viewed the same by black and white until we move far beyond the current ways we talk about race.

For example, in many situations it is perfectly logical to to argue that "what is good for the goose is good for the gander." Thus, a recent immigrant who is exposed to discrimination, might be hope to have some compassion for another person experiencing the same treatment based on race, gender, or sexual orientation -- although their traditions make it very difficult to do so.

But in other situations, when individuals are "not similarly situated" in anyway (as whites and blacks are often not in this discussion) it is not instructive to ask as you -- how would a black citizen feel if we switched the racial reference and described someone as a 'typical black person.'" The two speakers are probably not similarly situated and probably have quite different perspectives. To understand this, we need to know the experience of the speakers and the context of their words.

For example, I might in a very loving way refer to my own mother as a typical Italian-American, meaning she is not unusual in some way that is relevant to the discussion at hand. Then I might say, "my mother is not offended by the "Sopranos," she gets a kick out of it." This, I would venture, would not offend many Italian-Americans unless they placed an interpretation on it that was not intended or foreseeable.

A closer example is the mixed-race American saying in a loving way that his white grandmother mother was raised in a "typical white American family" -- meaning that she did not have the typical black experience in America. He might sya she is "typical" of white Americans. If that mixed-race person were to add: "even she, who I love and respect, harbored some racial fears and prejudices (a fact she confided in me) -- and she loved me more than anything in the world)"-- it is difficult with an open mind to find a racial, anti-white slight in those words. It is instead a statement affirming that we all, from reverend Wright to his loving grandmother, all have some racial progress to make.

This was the essential message of Obama's remark about his grandmother. Yet you heard a racial stereotype, the opposite of what I heard. Only by trying to hear those words "outside your own autobiography" can you grow to appreciate the power and sincerity of his story rather than finding offense in it.

Talking about race is hard. Obama has expressed a hope that we will be strong enough and compassionate enough to do it. You sound like a smart, analytical person who can at least process your feelings through a disciplined process of "active listening." The steps are to listen and paraphrase the other person's words in a generous and empathetic way, and to give the other person the full benefit of the doubt.

Many people will not be ready to engage you in this respectful conversation. Heaven knows I have been rebuffed many times by folks on both sides of the racial divide in my attempts faciliate discussion. But don't give up. You and I can hold ourselves to a standard that insists on a good faith, loving appreciation for the other person's perspective and experience.

In conclusion, when it comes to race, try to appreciate the vast chasm of experience and memory that a black American brings to this discussion. I think you will see that Barack Obama is one example of a very respectful communicator who is at least trying to bridge, rather exacerbate that chasm.

Thanks again for your thoughtful comment.

John Adkisson

apropos1 wrote:

"Here's the thing that you're missing: If a white person started a conversation with 'Typical black person' referring to ANYTHING, choice in car, shaving cream, politics...They would be called a RACIST faster than you can say politically correct. Obama was wrong for using the term 'typical white person' in describing anything."

That's absurd. Of course there are typical people in every group and sub-culture, in the U.S. or any other country. There are typical levels of income, education, and typical views about politics. If there were not, we could never market a product, or set a school curriculum, allocate funding for local hospitals and utilities, or begin to predict how an election might go.

People in large groups are predictable and they have typical and atypical members. It is not hard to identify a typical member. Obviously, some members of a community are highly atypical and will defy expectations. Obviously, we should not be prejudiced against people (or in favor of them) based on statistical averages or the responses to political polls, or the kind of foods that sell well in local grocery stores. (These are all predictable attributes of any given community.) But to deny, for example, that most white women support Clinton in this campaign, and the majority of black voters support Obama, would be to engage in politically correct nonsense.

People who get bent out of shape by innocent -- and accurate -- comments about "typical" individuals should grow up. Get real! Life is full of real problems. Stop getting upset about imaginary problems. Now if Obama were to go around making highly baseless and prejudiced generalizations, such as: "typical white people don't care about blacks" or "typical black people commit crimes" -- that would be something to get upset about. That would be a different story.

John,

All of us are impatient by nature. When we perceive a wrong, we want it righted now -- not later.

I am afraid that we will not entirely erase racism from our society within our own lifetimes. It is important to remember that we are building a society to last beyond one lifespan. None of our founding fathers are with us any longer, and yet America continues. Some changes are only realized on a generational level.

I may be frustrated with the state of our society, but I maintain hope for my children and my children's children's children. Some may call me cynical for believing that this is our fate. Some may call me naive for believing that we are making progress. But I will keep the faith and carry on.

That Reverend Wright and older black americans harbor resentment is not a surprise to anyone. No american could have missed the anger many blacks feel about the discrimination of the past. However, when Reverend Wright and many other blacks believe that the american government purposefully and with evil intent injected drugs and the AIDS virus into the black community.... Well yes that was a rather sobering surprise.

Dear Nightswimmer;

I'm with you on that.

John

Hi ThatSo;

If you were to ask Wright in a non-preaching moment if his sermon was to be taken literally on that point, I would be also surprised if he calmly said "you bet." (Although Dennis Kucinich did claim to see a UFO.) Much of the black theology preaching style is rooted in over the top stuff tied to scripture, that I have never related to or understood when I have attended black churches. Nevertheless, I don't get up and walk, just as I have watched people speaking "in tongues" in an attempt to understand and respect their reality. What is important to know, however, is that this language, and even this unsupported theory is prevalent, just as similar wild stuff is uttered in some evangelical churches.

Obama is literally the opposite of this in his style and his beliefs, and he has said he never heard this particular preacher utter this particular statement or his "GD America blast." Obama has been able to be exposed to this and come away with an entirely reasonable and inclusive set of beliefs.

What is really surprising (and reflective of the racial discussion we are having) is that Obama is expected reject his whole church or its pastor as a human being simply because people in it who he knows and loves are wrapped up in essentially irrational beliefs. The answer is "of course not" unless he believes them too or we expect Catholics, Jews, Mormons, Pentacostals, or Southern Baptists to leave their faiths because some of their leaders espouse nutty things. And they do.

It is the "blackness" of the message, in my view, that really scares us, not the irrationality of it -- otherwise I dare you to sit in any pew in America and say you agree with everything that is said.

What's fascinating is that you don't even seem to realize that it's all the worse if he really knows that he's spouting lies and bullcrap. It's one thing if he really believes the US government invented AIDS to genocide black people. That just makes him a monumental moron and worthy of our pity. It's another if he realizes it's a lie and then uses it to manipulate and indoctrinate others in racist hate. That's just contemptable. There's no f-ing excuse for it and he deserves to be hoisted by his own petard and verbally beaten like a pinata.

If you want to see open racism in this country and even find people willing to defend it and make excuses for it, places like Wright's church are a good place to start.

Dear henwy;

You are entitled to your viewpoint but re-read you post for its parallels to Reverend Wright's irrational anger. You sound just like him but from an angry white guy perspective. If you do not have as a goal to bridge the huge chasm between folks like you and folks like him -- then there will always be folks like you and folks like him -- until we die out and our kids have a new chance.

If you are not interested in the conversation on a civil, empathetic level -- that's your choice. But may you be alone in your angry rant.

John

Oh yes, the angry white guy perspective from the guy who isn't white. Epic fail there, buddy.

As for this bridge you're talking about, it'd be perfectly fine if it didn't have bigots like Wright trying to tear it down. The fact that he's breeding others like him with his words of hate and racism is what will kill the chances for racial harmony and equality.

Quote: "If a white person started a conversation with "Typical black person" referring to ANYTHING, choice in car, shaving cream, politics...They would be called a RACIST faster than you can say politically correct. Obama was wrong for using the term 'typical white person' in describing anything."

I agree with this.

There is something very anachronistic in Obama - I am left wondering why he buys into these stereotypes.

It's hard for me, as a black man, to be inspired by him, mainly because his vision of America seems to be so bleak. It's like his roots are tied into an America that doesn't incorporate Dr. Martin Luther King's dream or Malcolm X's redemption.

This is all personal opinion, but Clinton, to me, really seems to believe in achieving the best and that everyone can achieve an ideal is more inspiring to me than Barack; Obama seems tied into believing the worst and then trying to get better. It's like the difference between saying "There is no difference between people - the only difference is that we were raised in different places, with different values and we can all work together" and "There are differences between people - but we have to work together, so we need to get past these differences." As I said, it's all personal opinion, but Colin Powell's book made me feel hopeful...when I read Obama's books, I just felt a profound sense of depression.

With regards to Rev. Wright and the AIDS comment: I would say it depends on his audience. Do they expect him to tell the truth or be hyperbolic in claims like these? Due to the fact that they're not all gonna be of the same mind, I'd refrain from making the comment.

I'd also have to agree with the sentiment that a white person would have been labelled a racist for claiming traits to be typically black. That is not at all to say I think they're racist and that the use of a phrase "like typical [blank]" should be disallowed. I'd agree that depending on the context, they can mean a multitude of things.

In a more extreme case, compare the response to the decision by the DA to try some of the girls as adults in the recent Florida group beating with the DA in the Jena 6 Case doing the same for Mychal Bell (who was 45 days removed from the age of consent and had 4 previous arrests). Again, I think in both cases the DA should be allowed to make the decision, I'm merely pointing out there was a great degree of difference in response. And not in favor of the white people.

I'd agree with the idea that we have to take different perspectives into account and weigh them accordingly, but only to the extent in which it is required: to the extent and the situations in which black people are still disadvantaged. If it is not necessary to look outside my biography, I feel perfectly fine treating a black person exactly the same as I'd like to be treated.