At the same time America is slowly moving towards its date with destiny on November 4, America is also moving towards a new era in race relations. The era of Jesse Jackson being the voice of African-Americans will have been replaced by the idea, if not the actions, of Barack Obama. Many Americans, (read white Americans), are now claiming to be ready to have a black president, (albeit dependent on it being the right kind of black president). When factoring in the bad economy, the intense dislike of George Bush and his war in Iraq and can I say it enough, the ECONOMY, Obama may actually win the election. What I know will be the case is that there will be enough change in the minds of enough of white Americans that the dynamic of how America thinks about race will change. America has moved into a new era of race relations and the way America deals with the issue will be different than anytime pre-Obama.
For most people born after World War II Brown v. Board of Education was the beginning of the civil rights movement. In this early era of modern race relations the movement was powered by court room victories in the Supreme Court. A few brave souls, supported by a few more brave activists and lawyers in conjunction with nine justices wrestled control of American society out of the dying hand of old America and demanded that there be a new American way.
Dr. King ushered in his era of race relations by relying on the court victories and using our common Christian values and morals to appeal to the better side of people. He empowered many from all races, creeds and colors to stand up for themselves. Through the sheer force of his personality and convictions Dr. King convinced many to walk with him in the great marches, join him in the boycotts, struggle with him through the strikes and to lobby and work tirelessly for legislation. The legislation that passed didn’t change the hearts of many Americans, but it did force America to understand that what had happened in the past was wrong and the right thing to do was to make change.
Since the death of Dr. King we have lived in the Jesse Jackson era of race relations. For 40 years now time has gradually moved each generation progressively forward. Rev. Jackson has lead many battles with companies big and small to insure that African-Americans and other minorities are getting a piece of the American dream. The moral high ground established by Dr. King has given generations of people the ability to utilize the government to leverage a fairer piece of the dream. It has sometimes led to in-fighting and as a result has sometimes led to individual winners and losers. It has also often left both black and white Americans feeling like some get special treatment while others don’t.
Much good has happened in this era. The simple placing of time between the greatest atrocities combined with the vision of a better America as described by Dr. King has help form our younger generations in ways that were impossible 40 years ago. Standing up and fughting for these folks at X company and those folks at Y company have shown all companies that fairness is an increasingly important issue. Through the works of Rev. Jackson, Operation PUSH and by other organizations much has been done.
What I think has changed in this election cycle is that many now believe that the dreams Dr. King had have been realized and embodied in the success of one man, Barack Obama. In some ways Barack exemplifies the hopes and dreams many have for a color blind society. He is a gift to all Americans in so many ways. On the other hand, the entire Obama campaign has cautiously made its way down the road to the White House asking to be judged on the content of his character rather than the color of his skin.
What I know is that Barack is not typical in nearly any way. His tremendous natural talents, his multicultural background, his wide experience in living around the world all make him nothing like your basic American of any color. His message of “responsibility” is not an unimportant message for parents or children, but is it achievable for most kids and families facing tough and challenging issues?
There are still many things that need to be addressed in America. Many inequalities. Many unequal opportunities. Many different needs that need to be met. It is not going to be enough to point to Obama and say, "He did it." "What about you?" The upside of Obama’s success is the hope factor. Barack has opened the eyes of many to a new way of thinking.
Maybe most of America is really ready to see the quality of the individual rather than the color of the individual. I can only hope it is true because I think many of the traditional paths we have seen to achieve equality are disappearing and the job isn’t done yet.
