Monday, June 09, 2008

A pothole that needs to be filled: The intersection of Race and Gender

After a hard fought Democratic primary, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will be the nominee for President of the United States. This marks the first time in history that an African-American has claimed the Presidential nomination on a major party ticket. Although, this is a cause for joy to some, for others it is a time of dejection and disappointment, more specifically, the white women supporters of Hillary Clinton.

In the midst of public scrutiny regarding his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and public comments regarding rural voters, Obama began to lose support among white women. (When Clinton was supposed to have wrapped up the nomination) Many of these Clinton supporters have said they will vote across party lines in November. They would rather vote for John McCain than Barack Obama. Why? They are essentially the same candidate except for the fact that one is a white woman and the other is a black man. What has Obama done differently since February? Has he made a comment? No. Has he proposed some policy that would be detrimental to women? No. Is it just the fact that he is not a WHITE woman? Possibly.

This year’s Democratic Primary did not merely highlight the racial division within the Democratic Party; rather it showed us that racial division still exists here in the United States. It showed us that not unlike the Kerner Commission report, there are still remnants of “two nations.”

Interestingly, the rights, hopes and dreams of African-Americans and women have always been somewhat tied together. Many members of the women’s suffrage movement were also abolitionists during slavery and the Civil War. But when it came time for passage of the 14th and 15th amendments the women’s rights movement did not approve. "As the celestial gate to civil rights is slowly moving on its hinges, it becomes a serious question whether we had better stand aside and see Sambo walk into the kingdom first,” said Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the key figures in the Woman’s Suffrage Movement.

Eighty-eight years ago suffragists had to make another decision: support African-American rights or gain passage of the 20th Amendment, which would give women the right to vote. The suffragists chose the latter and that decision has haunted the woman’s rights movement ever since.

The faces of the feminist movement became increasingly, if not wholly, white and middle-class women who fought for the rights of white women. While these were women out fighting for suffrage, there were other invisible women at home taking care of the suffragists’ homes and children. These women, mostly poor women and Black women, were left off the agenda and out of the fight. (Consequently, although the 14th and 15th amendments granted African-American males with the right to vote, because of Jim Crow and segregation it was not until 1965 that these rights were finally realized.) The feminist movement has been split ever since its leaders decided to support strictly their race and gender and forget the issues of African-Americans. While feminism fought for the rights of women only. “Womanism opposes all oppression based on race, sex, class, sexual preference or physical ability.” The split between feminism and womanism (black feminism) has lived on ever since. It has created a huge pothole in the intersection of Race and Gender that is more evident today, than at any other time since the 20th amendment.

The pothole at the intersection of race and gender needs to be filled by bringing together the historic struggles of women and African-Americans. If you want the right to be represented, then you have to fight for the representation of others. Clinton’s campaign is just as significant and as much of a milestone as Barack Obama’s. Her candidacy is as much a valid movement as his was/is and should be recognized. 17,717,698 is a lot of votes. Those women don’t need to be ignored, but brought into the fold. An Obama/Clinton ticket would be the first step towards bridging that gap and realizing that the strength of any movement for human rights lies in its ability to have a universal message and participants stretches across race, gender, class and religions. One reason the Civil Rights Movement was as successful as it was in no way was it exclusive to a particular race, gender, class or religion. It was about Civil Rights for ALL people.

The pundits and many Obama supporters have said that it would be a horrible idea for Obama to choose Clinton as Vice-President. They say she represents the old politics of Washington. They say that Clinton is too divisive a candidate and that choosing her as Vice-President would go against the “change” message. (Although I can not remember the last time a woman was the Vice-President of the United States.) While it is true that the primaries were hard-fought and sometimes a bit snippy, trying to win an election can be like that. They say her and Obama are not the best of friends. Real change and growth can only take place when people are put outside their comfort zones and forced to think long and hard about what they want and what is really important. Is it about identity or policy? What is more important? Personal relationships or working relationships?

Now, I am in no way saying that Barack Obama NEEDS to choose Hillary Clinton as his Vice-President. Obama can win the election on his own merits with someone who “balances” the ticket more like Joe Biden (D-Del.), Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) or Ed Rendell (D-Pa.). However, he cannot win without her full support. She is too significant a figure, not only in the Democratic Party, but in the feminist movement.

Two extremely intelligent, skilled and caring public servants can now bridge that rift, created eighty-eight years ago. Two senators, who have unique voices, yet share the same belief in human rights fort ALL. It is time for Obama to address all of the misogynists. It is time for Hillary Clinton to address all the racists. Together they can have a unified message that resonates with everyone. Men women, whites, minorities, rich, poor, immigrants, etc. That message can be stronger than any message about policy. If you can change the way people think, you can change the way they act. As Barack Obama said in Minnesota the night he clinched the nomination, “Millions of Americans cast ballots for the first time, voted in records and inspired a nation… let us work together and chart a new course for America.”

--Akil E. Kennedy

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Have We Turned The Corner?


Dear America,

“An election is a bet on the future, not a popularity test of the past.” – James Reston

I started this primary season with a reason to hope. For the first time in history an African-American and a woman both competing seriously to be the Democratic nominee for President of the U.S. I began as a Clinton supporter. I knew her and her politics. I knew her husband. All I could think was “who is this Obama character and why would he want to be President now?” I questioned his speeches about hope with calls for more substance and policy. “He’s a rookie!” I would tell my pro-Obama friends and colleagues. “He should try to be VP if anything.”

In traveling from school to school I saw young people around the city involved in the political process. For the first time (more then when George Bush stole an election) I have seen high school students engaged and passionate about the outcome of elections. And not just black students. White students as well. The young people. The next generation. All with a vision of the future that was so much brighter and optimistic than I had. Seeing them made me hopeful. And after doing some more research on Obama and his policies (particularly education) and watching his decisive wins in February and March I decided to switch candidates. I realized that the next President is not going to be able to fix all of America’s problems. No one can in 8 years. What they can do is change the trajectory of America with regards to its politics and foreign policy. And yet, that hope has been somewhat tempered over the past few months with the ongoing nomination fight and the comments of Reverend Jeremiah Wright.


“The President is the only person who can change the direction or attitude of our nation.” – Jimmy Carter

But, even with this nomination on the brink of becoming a reality, I am still afraid. I am afraid that my beloved country has not turned the corner. Although I’ve never lived through dogs and fire hoses being turned on peaceful marchers, I am scared because there are still people who yearn for those times. People who, in their minds, still live in the “Old South”. Dixie. Those people whose attitude about minorities and equality has not changed. They exist in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and every other state in this Union and to deny it would be to deny the history of the United States. Although this mindset exists in a minority of Americans, it still exists and it is still powerful. The “American mind” can be very weak. It has been and can be easily manipulated by those in power. There are those who do not want to see the attitude of America change. They are perfectly happy with fanning the flames of racism and sexism in this country because it works to their advantage. It keeps people ignorant and scared of any change.


They show pictures of Obama in traditional African garb or loop the same 3 minutes of an old angry pastor in church. They say Barack HUSSEIN Obama to scare people into thinking he has a connection to Saddam Hussein. They go on the news and scream that if Hillary Clinton isn’t the nominee, they are voting for John McCain!! “I just don’t trust him,” and “Isn’t he a Muslim?” they say.


“All our great Presidents were leaders of thought at times when certain historic ideas in the life of the nation had to be clarified.” – FDR


If Obama is the nominee it is something so much bigger than you or I. It is so much bigger than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. It is bigger than black and white. Whether you are a “patriot” or a dissident, this election represents a paradigm shift. An understanding. A reaching across the aisle that is not just Democrat to Republican. It is reaching across gender, across races, across religions and across nations. Past to present to future. A revolution of thought. As I heard Armstrong Williams say, “a spiritual revolution in this country.” A revolution that speaks to the true greatness of America that no matter what your history is, you can achieve whatever you want. The idea that America IS the land of opportunity and the American Dream CAN become a reality.

Sincerely,

Akil E. Kennedy

Sunday, June 01, 2008

The Democratic nomination

We now have a nomination “fight” on our hands. Although it is hard to consider it a fight when one candidate is clearly going to lose and has no real chances of winning. (Unless something out of the ordinary occurs). Seating the delegations from Michigan and Florida has become the major issue of the democratic nomination. Not health care. Not the war in Iraq and not home foreclosures. The major issue is the apportionment of delegates.

We all remember that both states moved their primaries up against Democratic party rules and lost their delegates as a result. The Rules Committee decided yesterday to seat all of the Florida delegates but only give them half a vote. They also agreed to seat the Michigan delegates, which was a little more complicated because Clinton was the only person on the ballot in that state. She received more delegate votes from Michigan than Obama, but her campaign feels that this is a miscarriage of justice.

Hillary supporters claim that this is tantamount to what happened to Al Gore in 2000. Hello!! Are you kidding me? This is in no way like the 2000 election. First of all, people were not turned away at the polls. Voting machines were NOT tampered with. All the people that voted had their vote counted. The difference is that Michigan and Florida broke party rules. That is the reason their votes have come into question. NOT a national conspiracy by the Republican party. The rules were broken. Consequences follow when rules are broken. The only people who don’t seem to understand that are the Hillary Clinton supporters. What don’t they understand about rules and consequences?

It has nothing to do with the fact that she is a woman and everything to do with Hillary Clinton and how she ran her campaign. Is it Obama’s fault that Clinton did not take him seriously? No. Is it Obama’s fault that Clinton ran a shoddy campaign? No. Is it Obama’s fault that Clinton’s fundraising was not up to par? No. Is it Obama’s fault that Bill Clinton cannot keep his mouth shut? No. Is it Obama’s fault that Michigan and Florida moved up their primaries? No!! The only person who should be blamed is Hillary Clinton and her campaign staff. Yet, the reason for her failure to all her supporters seems to be sexism.

I am in no way saying that sexism does not exist. Nor am I saying that it has not been a factor in this year’s nomination race. What I do know is that it is NOT the reason that Hillary Clinton is losing. None of the men or women that I know used gender as a reason for their vote. People who are not voting for Hillary aren’t voting for her because they don’t trust her. Bottom line. Not that they don’t trust A HER. People who aren’t voting for Obama are doing it because they don’t feel he has the experience. Not because he is black.

Seeing middle-aged white women stand outside the Rules Committee screaming sexism and cheating reminded me briefly of PETA activists. The type of people who are so “committed” to a cause or candidate that they have no grip on reality. They can’t see the forest from the trees. It scares me. It scares me because I can see the America that I’ve known rearing its ugly head. Entitlement.

It has been reported that Obama has lost his support among white women specifically since February. (When Clinton was supposed to have wrapped up the nomination) It scares me because I know if Hillary Clinton does not win that supporters of hers have said they will vote across party lines in November. They would rather vote for John McCain than Barack Obama. Why? They are essentially the same candidate except for the fact that one is a white woman and the other is a black man. What has Obama done differently since February? Has he made a comment? No. Has he proposed some policy that would be detrimental to women? No. Is it just the fact that he IS NOT a white woman? Possibly.

Why should Hillary give it up? Well, aside from the fact that it is virtually impossible for her to win the delegate count it is also tearing the Democratic party apart. It is highlighting the divisions within the party that are otherwise masked when the enemy is a Republican. When the enemy is a white man.

But this is Hillary and she will do whatever it takes to win. She has every right to fight it out until the end. I wonder though ….. maybe Father Michael Pfleger had it right when he says that Hilary felt entitled to the Presidency. Not because Obama is a Black man, but because 2008 was supposed to be HER year. No matter who she was running against.