Most everyone born in the shadow of the Civil Rights Movements of the 1960’s was taught from an early age that we should not judge a person by the colour of their skin. We all bleed red. It is our character alone that should define us. Right?
Wrong! The rules have mysteriously changed.
Just as we get a whiff of a strong, attractive presidential candidate who just happens to be darker hued (not that anyone noticed, of course), we are now told that there’s a clause to consider. He has to have the right pedigree.
Barack Obama, because he is not the product of slaves, is just not black enough. Therefore he is incapable of truly knowing the black experience, and any white person who might vote for him is doing it only in an attempt to assuage their guilt over slavery (because it’s just not possible for a white person to happily vote for a black guy simply on his own merit).
White self-congratulation is, evidently, what it’s called. And how fucking insulting is that?
Debra Dickerson, in the following interview clip, actually says at one point, “It’s not about character, it’s the content of our history and our culture.”
History and culture may, indeed, play an important role within and amongst the people in Ms. Dickerson’s kindred group, but even white people have distinct histories and culture. And the greater American public, black or white, barely has the time or inclination to devote to studying campaign promises and ballot initiatives, let alone the minute distinctions of a candidate’s lineage.
It IS about character. It should begin and end with character.
The black community has the chance to make history on an unbelievable scale, to inspire millions of desperately impoverished urban kids with the notion that they, too, could grow up to be president, yet they are messing around with this piddling, ridiculous bullshit?!
I really can not believe it. Neither can Stephen Colbert and he nails this woman unmercifully.
Video here
And Radar’s take on it here
