Ruler for Color

Anyone that has been following U.S. politics lately cannot escape the coverage of the upcoming Presidential race. In particular, the coverage given to the Democratic frontrunners Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama. One of the “stories” being covered is the question of whether or not Sen. Obama is “black enough” to court the black vote in 2008. But I wonder; how do you measure the color of someone? I know in this instance the black community’s measuring stick is that Sen. Obama is not of direct lineage of slaves that were brought to this country and that he may not sympathize with the issues concerning the black community. But are those the prerequisites to be “black enough”. I just don’t know how you measure color based on that prerequisite. I am not in direct lineage of Indian slaves taken to Africa or the Caribbean does that make me less brown? I can remember thinking the same thing when my ex-girlfriend told me she was “more Indian than I was”, which kind of baffled me b/c I was not sure how you quantify something like that. Or when one of my aunts a couple years ago, told me that I had become “Indianized” because I had a shirt on with the image of Gandhi and could carry a conversation w/ her in my native Indian language, Malayalam, to her surprise! So when I heard about this story it made me wonder about the measurement of color again.

I read an interesting article in the February 3^rd edition of The Economist by Lexington regarding this story. Lexington looked at the larger issue of black power in this upcoming election. The conclusion of the article was that blacks in the U.S. should stop acting like a “racial pressure group” (i.e. focusing on economic aid of the U.S. underclass because they will disproportionately benefit as they as make up a disproportionate amount of the U.S. underclass). Rather they should focus on thinking in terms of class which is a rapidly growing problem. I have to agree with this conclusion. There is emerging today a black middle class which in my estimation, from what I have read, is going to shift the plight of the community politically. In other words, holding blacks to the same standard as everyone else. This is not to trivialize the role that race plays in the policies of our country. It is deeply in entrenched in the form of institutionalized racism. But will progress come from redress? I don’t think so.

This article made me think about the issue of Affirmative Action as well. Specifically, at which point does a policy become a crutch rather than an aid. I think the policy itself is necessary, but solely as a tool to redistribute power to minorities and women. But at what point do minorities want that sense of personal fulfillment that achievement renders. When do we take personal responsibility and stop blaming our environment? Bill Cosby got denounced for voicing this sentiment. But he’s right, just because he has been selling Pudding Pops for the last 20 years, does not mean he does not knows what he is talking about. I concede that in being Indian, Affirmative Action is not a primary issue I am concerned with, however being a minority it does affect me. With this idea of redistribution of power and the upcoming election with a possible female or African American Democratic nominee, the black community has notable leverage. Their vote will be vital in the success of the nominees for either party. For example, Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton’s appearance in Alabama this past weekend to court the black community speaks to this leverage they hold. While polls are inconsequential, it shouldn’t be surprising that Sen. Clinton tapped the “First Black President” to accompany her to Alabama to help improve her poll numbers in the black community. I find an interesting point to note in all of this that the African American community would question the empathy of Sen. Obama to their plight b/c of the lack of direct lineage and as a result be more apt to vote for a white woman who has NO lineage at all. So the idea of Sen. Obama not being “black enough” is puzzling to me. Perhaps these news organizations and the black community should look deeper into the grassroots organizing he did on the Southside of Chicago before they question his empathy.

I believe Sen. Obama would be an invigorating Presidential candidate, I do concede that his foreign policy platform will need some work. However, the lack of tenure he has had in the District I believe will be an advantage. It will have been 20 years when the 2008 race comes around that a Bush or a Clinton will have occupied the white house. Do we really want to continue this rite of passage of the Oval Office or is it time for a change in the form of a nominee who is representative of the populous he would serve via his ethnicity and life experiences?