Obamanation

I am so tired of everyone constantly telling me how racism can't still exist because of the fact that we have a black president. Yes, we have a black president. His name is Barack Obama. He has a "black name." He has a black wife. In 1896, he would have been seen as fully black because he is more than 1/16th black. He is a black man. He is president. But you know what? He didn't get 100% of the vote. Some of that 46% of voting Americans who voted for McCain voted for him because he isn't black. Some of the 2% who voted for one of the "other guys" voted for them because they aren't black. I don't believe that every white person in America is racist, but every person in America, Black, White, Latino, Asian, etc. has preconceived notions regarding other nationalities. And some people act upon those racial prejudices which are negative, thus making them racist. The fact that our president is black does not mean that everyone's attitudes toward race have changed for the better. If anything, some people have become more outwardly racist because how highly upset they are that a black man is president.

It is no longer socially acceptable to be a sheet-wearing, nigger-hanging, Hitler-hailing racist. Now they wear suits with shirts, ties, and cufflinks. They sit at corporate tables and decide how to market liquor in the black community or how many minorities can sit on the Supreme Court before it is super saturated. They focus on the punishment of prisoners instead of their rehabilitation. They are more powerful than any before because they have realized that this type of racism is less offensive and more effective than that of the past.

Just because Bill Clinton smoked marijuana, are all white people "potheads?" Just because Monica Lewinsky had sexual relations with Bill Clinton, does that make all white women home wreckers? So why do people think that because Barack Obama reached the highest (visible) level in the American political system all blacks are on the same level that he is. One of my closest friends was pulled over two nights ago for no reason other than the fact that he was a young black man in a nice new car. He was detained by the officer for an excessive amount of time, accused to having drugs, and forced to listen to racist comments only to be told that his license was suspended and that his mother would have to come and get him. The next day, he called the Department of Motor Vehicles and the officer "must have made a mistake" because my friend's license was indeed valid. Some people might say this could happen to anyone, which is true, but it happens a lot more often to a certain group of anyones. My friends' last name is not Obama. My last name is not Obama. Most black people are living without the benefits that have been afforded to the Obama family. For many of us, things have not and will not change. No, we're not dying at the hands of white supremacist groups, but we are living at the feet of an oppressive society.

And the worst part is that we continue to support a system that we take little to no part in. Who founded Nike? 2 old white men. Who buys the majority of Nike's shoes? Young black people. Who owns Black Entertainment Television? Viacom, which is controlled by Sumner Murray Redstone, an 86 year old White man. Our own images of who we are as a collective people is owned by white America, as it was before Barack and as it will be after his term(s). So until we are truly in control of how we are represented, we will always be defined by those in power. Until we have an equal hand in our own economic welfare, we will always be at the mercy of the dominating society. Notice that I said equal and not upper hand. I do believe in a handout, just in being on an equal playing field.

God bless America. God bless its citizens. God bless its president. But don't for one second believe that this country is not racist because one man was voted in at this nation's face for the next 4 to 8 years.

Today is the day; how are you going to act?