All or Nothing

I’ve asserted time and time again that “race matters,” but given the recent happenings it’s also important to be clear that it is not “everything.” It seems that our default is to claim colorblindness or name race as the cause and cure. The dichotomy that race means nothing at all or drives one’s every move is false. In order to be an inclusive society, we must recognize what an individual’s race and ethnicity might bring while at the same time connecting with what is common among us.

Colin Powell has the right to break with the Republican Party without it being attributed to his race. Interesting that When Colin Powell was in lockstep with the Republican Party, he was “a fine American.” His race didn’t matter. However, when he breaks from the party he must have done so because of his race. The contradiction and convenience of this appraisal should be clear- never mind the thoughtful critique, which prefaced his announcement. Seriously, Powell could have made the same comments and ended with supporting McCain, and there would have been no mention of his race in the post-hoc analyses.

Voters in western Pennsylvania have the right to support McCain without being considered racists or rednecks. If we are willing to be honest with ourselves, all areas of our country have stories that we would be embarrassed to tell related to racial hatred. There is nothing that makes this area of the country “more racist” or “more American.” Again, that sort of either/or, us/them, right/wrong dichotomy is limiting in the long run. No wonder, as a country, we continue to grapple with how to truly become a multicultural society.

Until we are willing to recognize racial and ethnic identity as an important yet not all-encompassing part of peoples’ lives and motivations, we will remain trapped in this dichotomy. Identities are complex. Think about your own experiences that have shaped who you are. It wasn’t just your gender or simply your socioeconomic status. How offended would you be if with every move you made, someone assumed it was because of your class? Religion? Or gender? “That’s not ALL of who I am!” you would shout. So why, then are we intent on pigeonholing others? One answer is that it’s easy. Another is that we are too scared to really get to know the “other” to be equipped to understand them as more than their label. Perhaps Obama’s race was one factor in the many that Powell weighed. Perhaps the same is true for some voters in Pennsylvania. My assertion is that we cannot immediately vilify them if it is nor assume that race is the only factor at play.

It makes sense why some Whites fear people of color in positions of power if the assumption is that one can only act in the interest of one’s racial or ethnic group. If that were the case, then men would only lead for the betterment of men, and the rich only to further promote the interest of the rich. While in some ways as a country we have lived through this worst nightmare, we have also shown the potential to seek the greater good. For example, while it took time and failed attempts for women to receive the right to vote, it was men in political positions of power that made the decision. Those parts of our history would suggest that one does not lead from only one aspect of his or her identity. Fear of the unknown, or perhaps what is thought to be known, is the only reason I can think that people would believe that race would be any different.

Powell got it right when he discussed the inherent falsehood of what has been espoused by some Republicans. He discussed the attempt to use Obama’s Muslim father as slander and a reason to distrust his intentions as president (Notice I am not articulating that McCain, in particular, stated these assumptions. In fact, he stood up for Senator Obama. Rather it is the tone in which numerous members of the party- which McCain has been chosen to represent- have pushed to keep raising these questions perhaps to raise doubts and sway votes. But I digress.) Powell’s response was poignant in that he stated, “The correct answer is that he is not a Muslim…. But the really right answer is, ‘what if he is?’” Powell points out that the fact that the question itself is amiss in that it capitalizes on our fear of difference. If we deconstruct the insinuation, it suggests it would be dangerous and scary if a Muslim ran our nation, because (fill in the blank). As if that person’s faith would rule every decision and those outside of the faith would be persecuted. Were all non-Catholics persecuted after Kennedy bucked the trend of Protestant presidents? No. So why should we make such false assumptions now that we are possibly on the precipice of another change? Perhaps it is the visible nature of this change. We couldn’t literally see Kennedy’s Catholic-ness, but you can’t miss Obama’s skin color. One can only hope that just as we got used to expanding our conceptions of our leader in the 1960s, we might be able to do the same if Obama is elected.

Inclusiveness not only means accepting people along with their differences. It means recognizing that all motivation does not come from that one aspect of who they are. It means doing so without pushing them to abdicate membership in those groups. It means moving beyond dichotomous thinking to complexity. We can’t invoke race when it is convenient and ignore it when it’s a nuisance. While these dynamics are severely heightened during our election season within a two-party system, I believe they are partly responsible for why many find it difficult to envision a diverse and inclusive society.

Connecting the Dots

Can we please stop acting surprised that race matters? It’s been a focal point in the media’s recent discussion of the election- mostly that some people consciously or unconsciously will not vote for Obama because of his race. Don’t get me wrong. I agree that race is a relevant construct in our present day. However, the media’s sense of shock that their own pumping of negative stereotypes of Black men in particular, and African Americans in general, just might have an impact on the way some perceive Barack Obama is exasperating.

Research has found that not only are images of African Americans skewed negatively compared to the portrayals of Whites but theses images affect viewers’ attitudes. So, those who watched more television were more likely to judge stereotypical representations of Blacks as more realistic. That means that we start to believe the images we see are accurate portrayals rather than distortions. They become self-fulfilling stereotypes. We are then more prone to attend to attributes and individuals who fit our ideas rather than those who disconfirm them. You can easily do your own study to replicate the findings of research that found Blacks were overrepresented as perpetrators of violence by watching your local news. Even though statistically, Whites are more likely to be victimized by other Whites, media and news sources over represent Blacks as criminals thereby increasing fear and mistrust. Therefore, we should not be surprised when some White voters express uncertainty about Obama based on race. If all we take in about Black men is even half true, Obama must be dangerous.

Add to the equation that we live in a segregated society. So much of our knowledge about those who are different from us comes from the media. If you live in a diverse city or an integrated neighborhood, you might be disregarding me at this point. Stay with me. Even if where you live is racially diverse, calculate the percentage of people you have invited into your home that are of a different race or ethnicity. When we fail to have close relationships with people who are different from us, we rely more heavily on the images in the media. How else would we know about the other? For a large number of American’s these circumstances are their reality.

Media images are powerful. If you are still in doubt, consider the field of marketing. Corporations understand that imagery and messaging are key. Otherwise, they would not be spending millions to attempt to sway you to see things from their perspective.

When you put all of these pieces together- negative representations of Black men paired with the omission of positive images, segregation, lack of personal relationships across racial lines- it should not take long to understand why some Whites are skeptical of Obama. They just don’t feel like they can relate to him. They believe he is not trustworthy. He will not represent the interests of all of Americans. He’s a dangerous choice. I’m not leaving people of color out of this analysis, because they are just as susceptible to the negative imagery. Despite the increased likelihood of encountering opposing evidence, when these negative images are internalized, people of color can harbor those same beliefs. They become unable to see a person of color as capable of more than what is perpetuated in mass media. They become skeptical of the “exception.” Barack Obama becomes more than Barack Obama. He becomes a proxy for all of our ideas about Black men. We lose sight of the fact that his mother is White- that his grandmother, who was integral in raising him, was also. People have trouble seeing just him for who he is, and his message gets clouded by their expectations and misperceptions.

Related, I am not arguing it is an appropriate way to select the leader of our nation, but many have expressed affinity for a politician simply because he/she seems like “one of us” that they could “sit down and have a drink/coffee” with the person who seems “down to earth.” Personally, I think this argument is problematic for a number of reasons. However, examining the current issue at hand, it serves as another example of how race might influence voters. Insert images of Black men for Barack Obama and you have certain defeat. It’s the same reason the McCain/Palin ticket is attempting to link Obama to domestic terrorists. Who wants to sit down to for coffee with “that one?”

I am well aware that there are numerous Americans who will cast a vote regardless of race. But for those who are still caught up on Obama’s race, these dynamics very well might be a factor. Can we be honest with ourselves and stop acting surprised and clueless that these issues exist? Yes, race still matters. No, we are not immune to media imagery. And we continue to do our share to perpetuate it.