A Post Racial America Is Still On the To-Do-List - Essay Example

? A “Post Racial” America Is Still On the To-Do-List Due In 2008 when Barack Obama won the election and became President, many rejoiced. Many other people did not, as with any election. However, that election marked a very historical moment. An African American was now the leader of the United States of America. This is a landmark and an incidence of great pride and tribute to all of those who have fought to achieve equality and end racism in this country. To many it signaled the end of real racial discrimination. America had finally achieved a “post-racial” social status. Sadly, however, although Obama’s successful election is a historically profound achievement and marks great change in the racial mindset of the country, it does herald the end of racism. In, fact on some levels race played, and continues to play, a huge part in the Obama campaign. Based on the mere fact that we continually refer to his as the “first black president,” placing emphasis on his ethnicity, verifies that race plays a huge role in how we perceive others in society. An article in the Boston Review, “Amazing Race: How Post Racial Was Obama’s Victory,” bluntly stated, that Obama’s success in the election was entirely due to race, not in spite of it.(Ansolabehere, and Stewert III 1) Even the final poll results of the 2008 election revealed that race, statistically, played a huge role in the Obama campaign; 62% of Asian Americans, 67% of Latino/Hispanic Americans, and 95% of African Americans voted for Obama; but over 43% of white American voters gave their support to Obama.(Payton, Haygood, and et al 3) This reveals that race may have been the very thing that gained Obama the election. Even, in the current reelection campaign, he has already been accused of using race as a means of guaranteeing voter support. When Obama recently passed his executive order ending the deportation of the many children of undocumented immigrants, he gave himself a huge increase in popularity from Latino/Hispanic voters. This could look very much like a blatant attempt to gain voters by targeting support from voter-rich demographic. A less racially polarized society would cease seeking ways to ingratiate themselves to specific ethnic groups, but on how to gain all voters support to improve the country for all who live here. There are many religious organizations that practice in the United States. Differing surveys have shown that, very often, religious people are more racist on an average. However, that does not speak for the totality of the religions or every member that practices them. To make such a broad blanket statement about the overall group on the acts of some is the same discriminatory logic that leads to racism and intolerance. However, the racism adopted by certain religious individuals may come from certain beliefs systems that stress ideals that “…increase benevolence toward co-religionists, but increased hostility toward outsiders.”(Rees) This “us vs. them” psychology in beliefs can lead to racist attitudes. More so, fundamentalist religions that are heavily organized with controlling its participants tend to breed more racism, due to the greater isolation, need for conformity, and “outsider” disdain. In the modern day racism is becoming more and more socially unacceptable and multitudes of religious organizations teach tolerance and unity. Racism may exist in religion, but it is not the greatest source. Society is the truest source of racism in one way or another. We perpetuate in differing facets via learned behaviors and belief systems. We make assumptions about a larger ethnic group based in the actions of a few. It is sad that on a certain level racism has, almost, become part of human nature. Ideally when any one group perceives a loss of power, has exercised social, political, economical or, religious, or a physical “muscle” against another group they will fight to retain privilege by maintaining structural “social advantage.” In other words, we are very quick to blame another race or group of people when times are difficult or changing outside of favorable norms. Studies based, partly, on the work of Clare W. Graves, which claims that racism goes deeper than most people think. Racism is actually a bio-physic-social-spiritual issue and unless all elements are addressed then the problem cannot be solved.(Rosado) The United States is a country of diversity yet we are still bound in different ways by our traditional stereotypes about race. The Obama election was no different. If one was not an Obama supporter, it was not because they disagreed with his plans, or had different political views; it was because he was “black.” While many minority voters were inspired to vote, when normally they would not, because the candidate was, also, a minority, or, maybe, because he was not white. These are hardly examples of a “post-racial” society. In fact, racism touches us all in some way regularly, we all tend to play one of four roles in any given racially charged scenario. First, there are the purveyors of the racism; those people that victimize others. The second, is, of course, the victims of racism. Then there are the bystanders, of which most people fall into; those people who stand by or ignore when racial conversations or situations take place. If they do not directly involve you it is easier to pretend they do not exist. Lastly, are those individuals categorized as “defenders;” those individuals who stand up and speak out in defense of the victims to silence the purveyors of the racism, bigotry, or discrimination. In the end, the election of Barack Obama does stand as a historical moment. It was the moment when America saw how far we have come on the issue of race. However, when we can look at the candidates and see only their politics, ideas, and proposals, and never once acknowledge the color of the skin, or the ethnicity, of the individual, then we will have come even farther. America is still the land of opportunity and it still has the potential to give all who live here regardless, of race, creed, color, religion, sexual orientation, ideology, belief system, and gender, that “equality and justice for all,” that is needed and deserved. However, nothing important ever happens quickly, “…in the dawn of a new era…a great deal has changed; but to achieve full equality, a great deal of work still lies ahead.”(Payton, Haygood, and et al 3) That said, as long as we keep trying American may very well be a “post-racial” society one day. Works Cited Ansolabehere, Stephen, and Charles Stewert III. "Amazing Race:How Post Racial Was Obama's Victory?." The Boston Review. Jan/Feb 2009: 1. Web. 28 Jul. 2012. http://bostonreview.net/BR34.1/ansolabehere_stewart.php Payton, John, Ryan P. Haygood, et al. ""Post-Racial" America? Not Yet: Why the Fight for Voting Rights Continues After the Election of President Barack Obama." LDF-NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.. (2009): 1-24. Web. 28 Jul. 2012. http://www.naacpldf.org/files/publications/Post-Racial-America-Not-Yet.pdf Rees, Tom. "Why Religion Can Lead to Racism." Science and Religion Today. Science and Religion Today 2012, 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 28 Jul 2012. http://www.scienceandreligiontoday.com/2010/04/20/why-religion-can-lead-to-racism/ Rosado, Caleb. "The Multiple Futures of Racism Beyond the Myth of Race through a New Paradigm for Resolution in the New Millennium." Critical Multicultural Pavilion. EdChange project, 2012. Web. 28 Jul 2012. http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/caleb/futures_of_racism.html Read More