Race and American Life

Faith in the Public Square
Lompoc Record
March 30, 2008

Rarely do we, as a nation, acknowledge the presence of racism and prejudice in our midst. At least we don't do it very publicly. We want to believe that racism is part of our past, but not our present. Unfortunately, there are signs that it remains with us. Consider the whispers that America isn't ready for a black president or a Hispanic president. Is this simply realism, or is it incipient racism? The issue of sexism and whether we're ready for a woman president is related, but somewhat different - and thus fodder for a another conversation.

Due to a combination of a black candidate for the presidency and the much publicized statements by his pastor, Jeremiah Wright - statements that concern White America and its suppression of black aspirations - the issue of race in America has been brought out into the open. And, from what I can tell, we're not very uncomfortable with the discussion. Wright's statements are radical in many ways, but they're also deeply rooted in traditional black preaching. They seem so strident that they seem to undermine one of the premise's of Obama's candidacy, that he is a post-racial leader.

Although he risked being labeled a “race” candidate, Senator Obama chose to address the statements of his pastor and its context - our “racial stalemate.” Much attention has been given to the fact that Obama disavowed the statements but not the man who uttered them, a decision that troubles some.

But that was only part of the speech; the most important elements focused on the deep seated frustration and anger that is present in many of our communities. He acknowledged it, and then invited the nation to begin a conversation that would take us beyond the present distress. Now, as anyone who has paid attention to the controversy knows, the response to the speech has been mixed, largely due to the context and agendas of the listener.

What I heard was a deeply personal and eloquent speech, one in which Obama defended his presence in the church while stating his disagreements with the pastor's rhetoric. I heard him narrate our nation's history with regard to race, acknowledge our shortcomings and urge us to get beyond the controversy so that together we can live out the intentions of the Constitution.

He noted that his biggest disagreement with his pastor had to do with the degree of progress that has been made. As he pointed out, it is the progress that has been made that gave birth to his own candidacy.

While America still has significant racial and ethnic issues to deal with, the fact is, we as a nation have become increasingly diverse, and that diversity is being felt at the highest levels of our society, from corporate board rooms to the highest echelons of government. Consider that in the past eight years we have had two African American secretaries of state. We also have Latino and Asian representation in top positions in the government. Things are changing, but the changes have not come easily.

Despite the progress, the legacy of mistreatment of minorities remains with us. It's a legacy that includes a Trail of Tears, slavery, Jim Crow and the World War II era incarceration of Japanese Americans. There is the legacy of redlining and neighborhood community covenants that were intended to keep neighborhoods from mixing. It's a legacy that gave birth to the Civil Rights movement and other efforts to bring equality to the nation. Some movements have been more strident than others, and all of them have been resisted.

The issue here isn't whether one supports Senator Obama's candidacy. The issue here is whether we are willing to have a discussion that can help us move beyond this impasse. This conversation, if we're willing to engage in it, will have important implications for our future as a nation. From the looks of things, our nation's future will only be more diverse than it is now. Therefore, it would seem to be wise to address the resentment and anger that is lying just below the surface. To do this we'll need to reach across the divides and listen to each other's stories. This won't be an easy road to take, but it's a necessary one. The good news is that, as Obama said in his speech, the barriers that hold people back or divide us aren't unchanging. It is possible to get beyond them, but only if we choose to engage each other in a serious long-term conversation.

Dr. Bob Cornwall is pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lompoc (http://www.lompocdisciples.org). He blogs at http://pastorbobcornwall.blogspot.com and may be contacted at faithinthepublicsquare@gmail.com or c/o First Christian Church, P.O. Box 1056, Lompoc, CA 93438.

March 30, 2008



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