Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Acting White: Racism and Skin Color

The xenophobic events in South Africa offer a good of example of how race and racism is a social construct and not one of real physical difference (Pres. Mbeki pictured). The killing of black immigrants by black South Africans, or the tribal killings between black Kenyans, are every bit as racist as whites killing blacks and vice-versa. The same was true when the English and Irish fought decades ago. The truth is that when we decide to kill someone because they are different looking, acting, sounding, or otherwise, we are hiding our true motives inside a bottomless trick-bag of superficial differences.

Furthermore, discussions of race issues are clouded by claims of inherent evilness, that hide true agendas. Black Americans look away from the issue of African-on-African violence with the same enthusiasm the group focuses on white misdeeds of the past instead of black dysfunction of the present. In fact, blacks and Africans have always exhibited the same behavior most deplored in whites, with the matter of degrees dictated only by available technology. However, to acknowledge this would eliminate the ability to guilt whites for simply doing what humans have always done - kill each other for self-serving reasons.

Whether you like his presidential package or not, Obama is the first candidate with an appeal to whites and blacks. Blacks were skeptical at first, because they have been conditioned by the Reverends in the us-against-them format. But by staying on message, and with help from Hillary and Bill’s race-baiting, Obama was able to scoop up the black vote to go along with disaffected whites. He has his faults, but his extension of Rodney King’s ‘can’t we all just get along’ into ‘working together’ is a hit. Unfortunately, while race issues threaten blacks, race is not the number one threat to this country’s future and this leads to questions of whether we are over emphasizing race.

We are living in a global mess, void of leadership. There is terrorism, energy politics, war, trade imbalances and deficits, immigration battles, and recurring natural disasters coming at us at every turn. But many in the world ask, smartly, how can they follow the US lead when our own 'house' is in such disarray? And this is why getting on a better racial footing is so important. Call it a precursor, or central to our future, either way it goes to credibility.

James C. Collier

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Acting White: Stereotypes and Lateness

Last week I was a guest on KDHX St. Louis. One of the hosts asked me about a popular blog site, www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com. I like the site because the blogger talks about white stereotypes with dead-on accuracy, and humor. Now if he was black and talking about blacks, he might need a bodyguard. The truth hurts, and black truth hurts more.

The story of the blog is that real stereotypes are accurate and we should not be so afraid of them. Sure, the format sometimes gets hijacked by fakes with selfish agendas, but this trickery is obvious. Stereotypes help us quickly communicate and act. While we might not want to embrace them publicly for obvious reasons, they give us feedback that we should not ignore.

Let’s consider lateness. On the show, I made a point that black people are accurately stereotyped as late arrivers. This does not mean that other groups are never late, but blacks seem less discriminating about their lateness, and the damage is much greater than the group believes. US society is monochronic, where events happen in linear and dependent fashion. Lateness completely threatens the workings of societies like ours. If we were polychronic, like most developing nations, issues of lateness are easily placed among greater challenges, like limited infrastructure, disease, malnutrition, infant mortality, and such.

The challenge is that most black stereotypes describe trailing behavior, whereby low assimilation of accessible technology precipitates under performance. White stereotypes, at least the ones that get the most airtime, tend to describe leading behaviors, so they digest a little easier even if they are not flattering.

The next time you see/hear a stereotype, look for the grain of truth. If what others complain about in you is the same stuff you say about yourself, in private, don’t shoot the messenger, consider getting a new address.

James C. Collier

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Acting White: Angry Politician, Side Bar #5


Hillary is angry. Despite the complex arguments for her getting out/staying in the Democratic race, it is much simpler. The longer she stays in now, the more she hurts Obama, and helps Hillary. It's not about the party, it's about her.

If Obama loses to McCain, she can run in 2012, her best option. If she helps him beat McCain and he governs well, she has to wait until 2016, and try for the more difficult two-peat. If she helps Obama win, but he tanks in the job, the Republicans will sweep in, and her next chance is 2020, her worse option. So, putting her interest ahead of the party, she needs to help him lose and she needs to stay close to the voters. So on to the convention! Oh yeah, she likely won't take the VP slot even if questionably offerred, as it provides less than ideal room to undermine Obama's candidacy. I might be wrong, but not inconsistent with her reputation.

James C. Collier

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Acting White: McCain Says Out Of Iraq By 2013


This is an open call to John McCain supporters. Please help me understand how this pledge appeals to your voting sensibilities. He clearly understands something about you that I don't. This war is costing American lives and bankrupting our economy, for the arguable promise of making us safer. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda continues strong, as does mid-east terror. Are there people who really think "Yep, five more years of this, that's what I want, sign me up"? I want to hear from you, please! (I even updated my drawing of the MAC-man to prove my good faith intentions).

James C. Collier

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Thursday, May 08, 2008

Acting White: The Clinton Question

Hillary Clinton does not think that America is ready for Barack Obama, a black man. Because of this, she says ‘pick me, forget the rules, just pick me – I’m white!’ She says that blacks vote for Obama because he is black, so we should plan for whites to prefer her over him, regardless.

If we believe her appeal, the only sad conclusion on race (in America) is that we are broken-down on the side of the road, in need of AAA. Add in the race-hucksters on both sides, from Sharpton to Limbaugh, and her logic gets more believable. Is the Democratic nomination really a battle between working-class whites and everybody else?

Hopefully there’s more to it. True, blacks are voting for Obama, but perhaps not only because he is black, but because he credibly summons them, like no other, to throw their lot in with whites who also feel left out of the American Dream. And perhaps the cynical working-class white Democrats that Hillary thinks will vote Republican rather than for a black Democrat are not so spitefully stuck in the past. Yes, they want Hillary, but will they stick a knife into their partisan guts to prove her point?

There’s only one way to find out – and we really need to know. Regardless, we will continue to move forward. The question is not direction, but rather how far we have come and have yet to go.

James C. Collier

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Mildred Loving: Quiet Pioneer


In 1958, Mildred Jeter just wanted to be married to the man she loved, and live in her home state of Virginia. But this wasn’t possible. She and Richard Loving, her newly-minted white husband, had to get the Supreme Court to order the state, in 1967, to let the two come home and raise their family.

Perhaps it is progress that today, 40 years after the decision, we are considering a presidential candidate by such a union. But depending on which side you are on, Senator Obama is more or less electable due to his mixed heritage. So how much progress is this really?

James C. Collier

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Thursday, May 01, 2008

Acting White: Who’s Your Baby-Pastor???

Barack Obama’s ‘pastor disaster’ has me recalling the reverends I have known and how decisions to attend a particular church are inherently imperfect. First off, I have difficulty trusting pastors because I can count, on one hand, those who could come close to walking a straight path. Black, white, Catholic or Protestant, they are better at chasing skirts and money than keeping the devil away from the flock.

My favorite minister was a Japanese Presbyterian, Rev. Ichishita. He was a terrible orator, but I liked him mostly because my folks let me ditch school on some Mondays to go skiing with him, and he had no roving eye. There was a ‘white Jamaican’, Rev. Mullings who thought his light skin made him better, in my father’s opinion. My favorite priest was Father Verdieck S.J. a white, chain-smoking theologist who said I could make something of myself. I liked him, but he was exactly the kind of guy the church might send to some backward land to muscle the locals into seeing the Lord their way, or else.

Most people stick with a church, because members become family, warts and all, if only for one or two hours a week. Obama no more agrees with Wright than we agree with the people we marry, work for, vote for, associate with, or fight and die for. We ignore differences until we can no longer stand it. Everyone has their breaking point. I always wondered how non-racist whites could belong to racist country clubs. Sometimes the imperfect answer is that they just like golf - more than they care about certain racial inequality. Not pretty, but true.

For many, enduring insufferable ministers is part of the penance we choose to show God we are team players. But it is not only bad pastors, it can be bad singing, butt-aching pews, poor ventilation, misbehaving kids, dueling cheap perfumes, hypocritical doctrine or the constant haranguing for more money in the collection plate. All in exchange for the salvation of our mortal souls.

I think leaders choose churches to get leverage to lead, including when they are looking to break into politics. The bigger the church, the more votes in the bank. When people keep asking Obama why he stayed so long with Rev. ‘Wrongway’ Wright, I understand. You tune out the pulpit nonsense, you reprogram your kids on the drive home, you smile and enjoy the extended family-ness, you network those members who offer and/or want help, if just for that moment. During this time you are hopefully figuring out who you really are, because once the service is over you are back in the jungle, to eat or be eaten, walking that fine line.

People should give Barack a break - they know exactly why he stayed in Wright's church. That church helped him greatly. We all make these trade-offs every day of our lives. Some deals with the devil sink us, and should. Other's are just part of living and paint us as human. I won't go into Hillary's Bill dilemma, except to say that she would be nowhere without him. Meanwhile, the country crators. We need to move on.

James C. Collier

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