Obama thinks the discussion of race is long overdue in this country. That’s a discussion I don’t mind having. I – and I think most Americans – are appalled and embarrassed at this inequitable attitude in our history… one where we separated the value of mankind based on skin color, nationality or gender. And all are prominent in our past.
But since the middle of the 20th century, the US has made great strides towards correcting what was an undeniable wrong. As we look around and see the past and present prominent members of the Bush administration in positions of power held by those “of color”, one would think we have moved beyond race, and into competence and qualifications. Indeed, most of us thought nothing about Condi or Colin Powell being black. We thought most of, and admired them for, their competence. The same could be said for Alberto Gonzales as AG.
I have continually worried that this President-elect thinks of himself first as a hypenated “black American”, and second as an American. And that worry came not because of his mulatto skin color, but from his own words. Since his well received but (IMHO) disturbing “A More Perfect Union” speech on race, that nagging perception of mine that Obama – himself – has not risen above color increases. And if our President-elect cannot rise above race as an issue, how can we, as citizens?
[Mata Note: I say “disturbing” above because the below paragraph in Obama’s speech emphatically states that he believes the dreams of the white community has come at the expense of his own, and the black community.]
In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination – and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past – are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds – by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.
So I’m going to go out on a limb here, and deliberately… and willingly… touch the forbidden subject of Obama’s administration and race.
As of this point, we have had nothing in his transition period to turn our thoughts to Obama’s race, or his thoughts about race. His appointments appear to be based on established Clintonistas rather than color. We know he’s a huge supporter of affirmative action policies with one “improvement” – and that is to widen the criteria of the affirmative action beneficiaries. I had seen no emphasis on race, as much as I see an emphasis on class (often based on race and nationality).
So we’ve not gone down the “race” road in quite a while. Why? It’s just not come up with any issue and/or appointments at this early stage.
Until… subtlely… now. While I desperately want to believe that my new President will think of himself as an American first, I am already seeing the reality that Obama still has the race bug embedded in his own heart with his inaugural plans.
First… I must say this. I absolutely revere all our military… most especially those of the WWII generation. I am the daughter of a WWII veteran and “Rosie riverter” wife. My father, now 93 (and I am so lucky to still have them both at this writing), often speaks with unbelievable clarity of that war. He may forget names and faces. But WWII? It’s as if it was yesterday.
So it comes with a sense of pride that I see Obama plans to honor the Tuskegee Airmen with an invitation to the inauguration. I’m not sure if that includes the inaugural ball, but certainly the ceremony.
For those of you who may not know, the Tuskegee Airmen were the all black 332nd Fighter Group, formed as a result of an order by Franklin D. Roosevelt to create an all black fighting unit.
Prior to World War Two, the U.S. Army Air Corps did not employ Negroes (the respectful term in that era) in any role, a policy which found its justification in a racist and inaccurate report written in the 1920’s. However in 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the Air Corps to build an all-Negro flying unit. The presidential order caused the Army to create the 99th Pursuit Squadron. To develop the Negro pilots needed for the new squadron, the Air Corps opened a new training base in central Alabama, at the Tuskegee Institute.
These American heroes didn’t get their confetti parades and the public accolades they deserved on their return because of the nation’s racial prejudice. There is no justification in my mind for this. But, today we are a different generation, and were raised with different attitudes. The bias of my parents era is unimaginable to me.
In 1948 President Harry S. Truman desegregated the military with Executive Order #9981 , and the Tuskegee Airmen troop was not only officially invited to the swearing in of Truman, but also included (today) 92-year-old Spann Watson, an airman from Westbury, N.Y., as one of the pilots honored to fly above Pennsylvania Avenue for his inauguration.
Each individual of the 332nd is fascinating… all truly trail blazers of their time. Read more of their bios here.
The honor of the fly overs, and the invitations by Truman… in that era… was timely. It was a bold and definitive statement by a President that the era of discimination that had reigned supreme should come to an end.
Is that where we are today as well? Obama, repeating Truman’s inaugural honors, makes me wonder if that is what he believes.
The Tuskegee Airmen deserve the honors awarded to every WWII veteran… and other veterans, for that matter. But why… in today’s times when race division is not, and should not be forefront… does our President-elect seek to honor a generation of men based first on color? What of the other WWII veterans of different nationalities (including Japanese) or the women?
I might have stopped there, thinking it was coincidence, had that been the only “festivity of color” planned.
Also Wednesday, Obama aides said the inauguration will be a four-day affair, replete with the traditional balls but also featuring service projects to honor Martin Luther King’s holiday.
Why does Martin Luther King now enter the inaugural festivities? Because of Obama’s “theme”…
“At this moment of great challenge and great change, renewing the promise of America begins with renewing the idea that in America, we rise or fall as one nation and one people,” Obama said in a statement released by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. “That sense of unity and shared purpose is what this inauguration will reflect.”
The event’s theme – “Renewing America’s Promise” – is the same one used for the Democratic National Convention in Denver and for the party’s national platform. It’s a nod to the optimism that Obama tapped into during a marathon campaign.
Does Obama see “America’s promises” – which apparently he believes needs “renewing” – as floundering for Americans of color? Is this what it is all about? And if it’s unity as a nation “as one” he seeks, why does he honor those of color, emphasizing our painful divisions that we so desperately try to leave in the past?
We’ve come a long way since the days of separating mankind. We are closer today to a nation of “one people” than we have ever been. Or at least I thought so. Apparently our President elect does not and believes it needs “renewing”… and does so in some very bizarre ways.
I could not agree more with celebrating WWII vets., and honoring citizens like Dr. King. But I also think they should be celebrated as examples of the best of America – all colors – that we’ve enjoyed. Not celebrated and singled out for their color.
Thru my life, my friends, and my work cohorts, are racially and culturally diverse. Even my family today – the first generation of native born Americans starting with my parents – is a potpourrie of humanity. I rarely think of race and culture… until someone reminds me, that is.
And I have to wonder, just why does Obama persist in reminding us, even in such non-descript ways, by choosing individuals or groups of black Americans to raise up as examples? Does not the very nature of this attention scream “race” … and not an American as one… in it’s very foundation?
Open discussion here… keep it civil please. But I suspect, with this President, we may find ourselves in this discussion more often than not over policies and events. And somehow – here in the 21st Century – I wonder if that’s not a step backward in progress.
Vietnam era Navy wife, indy/conservative, and an official California escapee now residing as a red speck in the sea of Oregon blue.