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Racial Silence

Politico has a long article today on Obama?s continuing reluctance to talk about race, noting that today is the anniversary of the important speech in Philadelphia in which candidate Obama, trying to deflect criticism of his long association with Rev. Wright said

We have a choice in this country.... We can tackle race only as spectacle ? as we did in the O.J. trial ? or in the wake of tragedy ? as we did in the aftermath of Katrina ? or as fodder for the nightly news. ... That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, ?Not this time.?

That was this time last year. In the intervening year it has become ?this time? again, the article points out, since ?Barack Obama hasn?t taken part in the discussion of race in America in any sustained way, the way he did that day in Philadelphia to get out of a campaign jam.?

Obama?s approach has been that race will take care of itself once his legislative package has passed, i.e., once American has been transformed by his epochal reforms. ?I think what solves racial tensions is fixing the economy, putting people to work, making sure that people have health care, ensuring that every kid is learning out here,? he has said. ?I think if we do that, then we?ll probably have more fruitful conversations.?

Not all of his supporters agree. Here?s an interesting dissent, quoted early in the article:

?If there?s an attitude of ?it?s not that important, let?s just get people back working.? that idea hinges on the fact that you can get that far without talking about race, which I don?t buy,? said Marc Lamont Hill, an assistant professor at Temple University who believes a discussion of race and discrimination has to be a part of Obama?s economic policy.

?Even if you stimulate the economy and create jobs, the reality is if your name is Shaheem and not Michael, you might not get a call-back,? Hill said. ?You have to talk about the ways race continues to trump merit.?

Do you think Prof. Hill believes Obama should eliminate racial preference programs because merit should trump race? I don?t, either.

Full post as published by Discriminations on March 18, 2009 (boomark / email).