If Barack Obama fails, what does that mean for racism?
February 7, 2009 by Staff
Filed under News, Weekly Columns
(Akiit.com) With the swearing in of Barack Obama on Jan. 21, 2008-the swearing in on Jan. 20 didn’t count-America has done away with racism and has become a country of only three colors: red, white and blue.
That is what some people in the media would have you believe, but in reality, America isn’t even close to that. And, part of the reason racism won’t end is because of the media.
Obama played a relatively racial free campaign in his bid for president, making it known mostly when referring to being the son of a black man and white women. On the other hand, the media took the race card to a whole new level.
While Obama focused on the issues, it was the media that spent its time focusing on the color of Obama’s skin. More attention was focused on Obama than on John McCain because of Obama being the first serious black candidate for the presidency. Then, after Obama won the election and was sworn in, the media chose to focus on the reactions of the African-American community, instead of showing faces of all races.
African-American director Spike Lee even said during an interview with MSNBC that race was coming to an end in America thanks to Obama.
“It’s a new day, it’s a new dawn. It’s a new beginning,” Lee said. “This is a new America, and America has made a seismic shift, as I said, and I’ll continue to keep saying, as far as race goes.”
The one question no one has seemed to address is what will happen if he fails. Obama comes into the Oval Office in the midst of a depression and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan-to name just a few problems he faces. If Obama can’t fix any of the major problems facing America and ends up leaving office in worse condition, where does that leave race relations?
Right now, Obama holds the future of race issues in America on his shoulders. If Obama fails, Americans might lose faith in African-American leaders and not select them for any position of power, ranging from President of the United States to President of the neighborhood watch committee.
Obama brings promise and hope to a country in desperate need of someone to pull them out of this depression and end the wars; hopefully Obama can pull it off. But if he doesn’t, there is a chance a failed Obama administration could set back African-American’s in the political arena.
Written By Jeff Bennett