Academic

Conversations with Professor Guy Uriel Charles (Minnesota): A High-Tech Lynching?

By Angela Onwuachi-Willig

As May 6 approaches, I am becoming more and more bitter about all the bitterness over Senator Obama?s comments in San Francisco.  First, the Senator?s words were completely taken out of context.  Clearly, he did not say that people turned to religion ONLY because of bitterness. Second, there is truth to much of what he said.  Heck, I live in a small town in the Midwest (less than 10,000 people), and, to quote one of my friends (a person who admits that she is bitter), many of us are, in fact, bitter.  On top of that, isn?t it true that we rely MORE on God?for those of us who believe in a higher power?when we are in a crisis?  After all, what is the first thing that many of us do when we find ourselves in a bad situation?  We pray.  What is the first thing that many of us say to a friend when they have experienced hardship? ?I?ll pray for you.?  But, none of these points are the main source of my bitterness.

I am mainly bitter because, in many ways, the constant critique of Senator Obama (over these comments) feels like ?a high-tech lynching? of an ?uppity? Black.  Yes, I am quoting Justice Clarence Thomas.  I simply cannot get the media clips of supposed ?midwestern? responses out of my head. Two white men in particular remain in my mind.  When asked about their reaction to the Senator?s comments, these men said with disdain, ?He thinks he?s better than us.?  Do not get me wrong.  There is nothing wrong with these statements on their face.  In fact, I understand the feeling.  But, there was something about the way these two men said ?He thinks he?s better than us? that did not sit right with me. The response of these two men made me think of Professor Cheryl Harris?s article ?Whiteness as Property? and about the value that these two men?s whiteness must hold for them.  To me, it felt like they were more upset by the idea that a black man could even think that he was better than them (though it is clear, at least to me, that Senator Obama was not expressing his superiority over them or any other person). 

As time passes and the media continues to harp on the ?bitter? comments, I begin to wonder:  ?Did people really not understand what Senator Obama was saying in San Francisco, or is this just a high-tech lynching of a black man who, in the eyes of some folks, just got too ?uppity??  Your thoughts?

Angela                                                                                      

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Full post as published by BlackProf on May 05, 2008 (boomark / email).