There is considerable discussion these days about how racism of many undecided white voters might be the factor that keeps Barack Obama out of the White House. This is something worth pondering and an idea that I’ve been thinking for several months now.
In effect, large numbers of white people have conflicted feelings about black people and other racial minorities, just as many black and brown people feel conflicted about white people. And regardless of their political leanings, white people tend to want to be open-minded and accepting of other people who are not like them–and they tend to believe that they “don’t see color.” However, below the surface many of them unwittingly have questions and concerns that often do not become articulated thoughts.
At the same time, large numbers of white people feel inundated with the message that “all racism is bad.” Naturally, they learn a coded language for how to think and act in multicultural situations or whenever one’s behavior and ideas about race might be judged; they learn to say the right thing and appear as though they’re a member of the multicultural team, even if they play for another side. Extensive research on “latent racism” (i.e., the racism that is largely buried just beneath the surface of our waking consciousness) clearly suggests that when the moment comes to pull the lever for a black man, many white people are not going to be able to do it.
Dick Meyer, an editorial director for NPR Digital Media, has written a very balanced piece that suggests that Obama’s run for the seat in the Oval Office may well be derailed by our inability to create a society that is not mired in prejudice and racism. I’d like to think that Mr. Meyer’s research is off base and ill-informed, that he’s digging up divisive issues and playing the race card, and that the American public is progressing away from racism. But from what I know about the sociological underpinnings of racism in our society today, I think he may be on target.
You be the judge:
Against the Grain: Obama, Race and Undecided Voters
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