In response to this, I think it's important for us to have a discussion about this:"First of all, his is not a black man. He is bi-racial and that fact should hold much more power in the dialogue about how we can all work together. Constantly referring to him as a black man is disrespectful of his white mother and grandparents who raised him. His mother was an anthropologist and she would be the first to say that culturally he is also bi-racial." - Suzanne, At Home With The Farmer's Wife
4 comments:
Now.....THAT'S a beautiful thing.
The reason I brought this up is because we pay alot of lip service to the fact that color should not matter. In our house it did not. My children were basically colorblind, so much so that my daughter was shocked when she discovered this was not true for all of society.
Imagine my great surprise when I encountered racial bigotry at the christening for a baby born to a Polish mother and a Ukranian father. There was not much English spoken at the party but enough to realize that both sides were somehow prejudiced against the other! Racial distinctions are made everywhere on the globe, this is not just a black/white issue or Western issue.
We should refer to Obama as a man, who we either agree with or do not. I suppose my education in anthropology always has me thinking along cultural lines. But it also showed me that we cannot deny or wish away certain elements of culture such as racial prejudice or a history of war from the beginning of time. Our desire to evolve as humans is admirable but you have to wonder why it always gets short-circuited.
- Suzanne
I couldn't agree more. As a young woman who is both Hispanic and Caucasian, I'm more often than not thought to be white because of my coloring. My Hispanic side sees me as Hispanic while people who don't know my culture see me as something else. I am looking forward to the day that race will not matter, and we can go on as humankind.
Great post!
Suzanne, thank you for bringing this up. Prejudice is ancient. But the world is/seems smaller now and we desperately need to learn to get along with our worldly neighbors. I think that this man will help bring about the day when color is not the primary factor in a person's description. Just looking at his calmness in the face of huge challenges brings a feeling of hopefulness back to me. The photos of him with his family will do more to encourage the sense of family than anything else. Peace, love, and hope to all.
I love Suzanne and her thoughtful analysis on so many topics. She reminds me of you, in fact. I think that both of you make us think and reexamine the issues, and are in a category all your own.
I think the topic is interesting on so many levels, as it speaks to how do people define themselves when they are mixed race, have parents with differing religions, or other "differences" that are part of their identities?
I just hope he is a good leader, whatever his colour/race. I think he just might be...
Linda
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