NPR: Post-Post-Black is The New Black

Post-Post-Black is The New Black

Farai Chideya So, Barack Obama gave his big speech on race today, which we have amply covered online and on the air.

He broke new ground, according to some of our on-air analysts (and many others on many networks), in speaking of his ties and loyalty to black America, while trying to fend off the idea that he absolutely had to disavow the critique of America as racially destructive offered by his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Although it's been building for some time, today officially marked the end of Obama's campaign as a non-racial or post-racial candidate.

But, are we surprised?

What I mean by that is, are we surprised that the (presidential) race cycled back to ... race?

Think of the terms bandied about early in the campaign:
Color-blind.
Non-racial.
Post-racial.
And (my favorite) "Post-Black."

Those are all ways that people have looked at the evolution of race in America.

But as l'affair Wright shows, it's awfully difficult to escape race. It's sticky. It follows you, no matter whether you are Minister Farrakhan or Clarence Thomas.

So, can you really be "Post-Black?"

I don't think so.

Instead, I reckon we're in the era of Post-Post-Blackness, the time when many of us who have thought (however fleetingly) that race could or should be erased realize it is with us indefinitely.

And maybe that is not a bad thing. After all, race could be (but too rarely is) value-neutral. We could live in a country or a world where race was a cultural signifier but not steeped in inequality and blame games. In that case, there wouldn't be a need to be post-racial.

Is it race we are trying to escape, or bias? That's the question that remains after this phase of the presidential election; and how voters interpret that question could profoundly shape the outcome of the race.

Farai Chideya

Tags: Barack Obama

6:28 PM ET | 03-18-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Farai,
I am wrinting a piece on race in america and trying to get my fellow high school seniors to care about this vital issue of racial division do you recommed any literature or people i could interview across the united states?

Sent by Nora Lucas | 9:22 PM ET | 03-18-2008

Farai, I am a new listener of your show, but I absolutely love your insightful commentary and discussions.

After listening to the portion of your program about Obama's speech I logged on and read his speech in its entirety, because I think your guests were correct--it's important to hear the whole speech.

I was truly moved by Obama's words. I feel humbled, and in a way relieved. Obama put into words so many emotions and beliefs that I have felt and tried to share with others for so long, yet with little result or understanding. His words on hope and believing in change resonated within me, and I came to realize how cynical and distrusting I have become of America and its politics in the past 8 years.

But Obama has slowly begun to change that. I feel comfort in having hope again; I feel that maybe there is a chance my love for America won't be smothered by a never-ending cycle of stereotypes and misconception and a lack of compassion. Maybe it is okay to hope again, to believe that we can unite and accept and embrace our differences.

If Obama is willing to believe in the power of hope, I want to believe with him.

Sent by Matthew Limpede | 11:11 PM ET | 03-18-2008

Post Black, isn't that what Ralph Ellison was talking about when he wrote The Invisible Man? Whatever you want to call yourself Mr. Obama, you got my respect for stepping up in the gauntlet. He gave an interview where he said something that will stay with me. He said, "The black community doesn't look at america and see marching bands playing John Phillip Souza. Blacks look and see jazz music with some blue notes."

Sent by Hopkins | 1:14 AM ET | 03-19-2008

I thnk it is a beautiful thing that most of us recognize the truth and power or Barack's words. Now comes the hard part - we need to continue this discussion (across racial lines), confront our prejudices and start to build some bridges. Otherwise, the mainstream media, ignorant bigots and race baiters will continue to win.

Sent by Stefani Z | 3:22 AM ET | 03-19-2008

Quincy Troupe mentioned a conversation he had with John Wideman about how the NY Times never hires black writers to review books by white authors. Personally, I'd like to read an Edward P. Jones (post-black) review of Ian McEwan's Chesil Beach or the new biography of Thomas Hardy by Claire Tomalin. I don't think he studied "black writing" with Wallace Stegner.

I've read a couple of nonfiction books about Africa written by black Americans who were stationed there as bureau chiefs for major American newspapers. One of them is now stationed in Asia, by choice, it sounds like, although he notes that the newspaper wanted him to remain the head of the Africa bureau. What's wrong with post-black journalism?

Sent by Mike | 9:05 AM ET | 03-19-2008

I believe Mr. Obama has begun charting a course for racial healing in this country. Along the way, though, he indicts our current discourse and especially the role of the media. I am a Christian White male Republican. I've recently been reading a lot of Black blogs and listening to Farai's great show. I have to say that the type of comments coming from these sources, even authors that seem to be self-styled radicals, almost always seem to be coming from a constructive spirit. What comes across to me is a basic humanity, an attempt for genuine engagement.

Frankly, even Reverend Wright's more objectionable comments, as much as I disagree with them, strike me as one valid form of prophetic discourse when put in the context of his larger positive ministry. I am ashamed and angered at the attempt to cast Wright as unfit for polite society based on just a few statements. If Barack Obama???s association with Reverend Wright causes him to lose the nomination or election it would be a sad day indeed.

I know some people might not like to hear this, but I cannot say that the same degree of humanity comes through consistently from White commentators, especially when dealing with issues of race. One of my favorite NPR radio hosts (I won???t mention his name), who is usually one of the most fair-minded interviewers I know, reacted very strongly to the Wright controversy. What bothered me was that, contrary to his usual practice, he did not seem to connect Wright???s controversial statements with the larger personal and political context. Perhaps he was upset because Wright???s statements fell outside of the rules of polite discourse. I don???t know. However, it seemed to me to be a rare failure of empathy for this host.

My exposure to some Black media, especially that coming from post Baby Boomers, shows me that humane and passionate dialogue is possible. I can only say, keep up the good work, some of us are listening and learning.

Sent by Steve | 6:09 PM ET | 03-19-2008

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