January 20, 2009 7:25 PM
Rev. Lowery's benediction: racism's just as ugly on either side
I took the kids to see Bolt today - special Tuesday $2/seat in Fairfax - really liked it.
I tried my best to avoid the Inauguration. Not because I don't wish Obama well - though I am extremely concerned about the future of America in his hands, especially given his Cabinet choices and the cultishness of his following - but because I cringe at the racism that did indeed rear its ugly head:
Why are conservatives accused of racism? Bush appointed more African-Americans to higher positions than Bill Clinton ever did. For conservatives, race isn't an issue - qualifications are.
This was so undignified and unworthy of such an historical moment - as was the crowd's treatment of an outgoing president. My goodness, white people voted Obama into office. What more could our country do to prove that it's time to - as Clinton was fond of saying - Move On.
Please feel free to read through the comments below for many points of view - however, comments are now closed on this entry.
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Comments
I couldn't watch it today - I was sick and sad about the whole fiasco. I hadn't heard that dear President Bush was treated badly today - but then what's new?? The media has treated him shamefully, and feel that history will treat him kindly.
I just finished reading your devotionals in our daily readings (Church of the Nazarene) I realized that I used to come over here when I first began blogging and had lost tracked you of you somehow. I have had to go private, so have to invite people - sadly because of something that has happened in our family. I just wanted you to know I have enjoyed your devotionals this last few weeks, and agree with today's post!
dawn.carlson@colostate.edu
Posted by: dawn | January 20, 2009 10:36 PM
All was going well until that stupid old fool ran his mouth and opened a new cut. It appears that racisim is alive and well in the black community.
Whites have it right and blacks are deciding to stay in the back. What a wasted opportunity to bring people together. Lets be happy that old black & white fools like that will not live much longer. I felt like I was listing to a J. Jackson jingle. As a white person it made me not want to ever vote black again!!!!!
Posted by: bill | January 21, 2009 7:10 AM
Goodness, I think your privilege is showing. How tacky.
Note from Barbara: Wondering which privilege you might be referring to?
My background:
*Broken home, single alcoholic mother, poverty (back when poverty meant no car or TV or enough to eat).
*Growing up in Washington DC as a poor white cracker girl
*Foster homes, early sexual abuse
*Putting myself through college with one baby
* Drug addiction, welfare mother
* Helping my husband build a successful business from scratch
* Adopting three kids with disabilities
* Losing everything, including our home last year
* Taking care of a temporarily disabled husband
Maybe you oughta stop stereotyping people and shooting from the hip.
Posted by: A Robert | January 21, 2009 9:27 AM
Lowery's benediction was taken by every there as humorous- that's how you should take it, too.
Posted by: jason | January 21, 2009 10:03 AM
I watched it from morning till night. I ended my night watching the Obama's attend the fourth Inaugural Ball. I was tired but glad I watched.
I don't feel any different than I did before. Just because yesterday was filled with promises and glitter (and fashion), I am still just as scared. Would McCain have turned this country around? I dunno. It's a tough road.
Happy Blog Birthday Barbara!
-Shannon in Austin
Posted by: Shannon Best | January 21, 2009 11:11 AM
I watched. I wondered if you would. I hope you all enjoyed Bolt! It's a cute little flick.
If only more of the things Obama said or implied were true. There were some things to be liked in the speech, and certainly in the historical moment, but overall it just made me so sad that our culture is in a place to accept some of the things he says, without thought, without spiritual anchor, without knowledge of history. His speaking is truly hypnotic.
It's particularly amazing how Obama gets away with the claims that he is somehow post-partisan and above it all! People seem caught up by that fantasy, hook, line and sinker.
The plain truth, as you very well know, is that he has conducted himself in politics and in the Presidential campaign with extreme partisanship, not always directly spoken, of course, as he is a master at eloquent speech thick with implication. But now that such aggressive partisanship has gained HIM the Presidency, NOW it's time for {the other side} to put it all away and step in line? It's time to "work together"... as long as you agree with him or might be swayed. Otherwise you're evil.
It really is a bit eery, in taht he seems to actually believe that if he says something, it's true, and any questioning of it is a vicious, immoral, partisan attack. But somehow his questioning or criticism of anyone else, is not an attack or partisan, it's standing up for what's true and right in his eyes. How nice for him that he can never be wrong or even rightly questioned. (And how awful for the many more babies, a majority African American who will be slaughtered because of it.)
There was so much implied bashing of Bush in his speech, Barbara! Actually, he almost seemed to be bashing most mere mortal leaders who have walked before him.
Of the sharp points ("elavating science to its rightful place" among them), the tiny bit that really rankled me personally was his assertion that America can "no longer" stand by as other nations suffer. As if we've been a selfish nation, not serving the world with billions of dollars in aid and so,so much more. As if compassionate and passionate G.W. BUSH has not done so much more for the continent of Africa than any other President ever has!! Apparently most people don't know that, so the implication stands. Spoken as Bush sat right there, unable to correct a single, vicious implication...
Really, truly, I do wish him well and I hope for the best for our country. I'll pray for him to do what's right in God's eyes, not his own or that of the spirit of the age.
African-American-on-white racism is an extremely complicated issue, especially for a Christian. I have experienced a lot more than my share, living in a racially charged city as the white mother of a brown-skinned child. To comment further on that would take a book, but yeah, I thought those words from Rev. Lowery should have had no place there.
Posted by: Marian | January 21, 2009 2:04 PM
Thank you for bringing this up. Everyone did NOT take this as a joke. I wonder what would have happened if McCain had won and a white minister had made some snide remark about blacks? Would everyone have seen the humor then?
Posted by: Katy | January 21, 2009 5:23 PM
I avoided the whole things as well. However I work with 97% black co-workers so every dorm I went to had the inauguration parties on the TV. I walked in as a singer that I like was performing and I said "Man they are throwing this guy one heck of a party". Well that innocent comment, not meant in any disrespect started a little confrontation where I was promptly told that I need to address him as "Mr. President, that he isn't just some guy. I was confused on how that offended and opened my mouth again only to make it worse. I realized after that, that I was digging this hole with a backhoe and tried to pull out. I was charged with voting for an idiot and people like me are why we suffered 8 years under president Bush. I firmly said " People like me? I didn't vote for Obama, I am not ashamed to say it. I do not agree with his stance on LIFE, on his treatment of babies born alive after failed abortions, on his stance with homosexuality, or pretty much most of his agenda and choices through out his career. I cannot vote for those issues therefore I cannot vote for a man that supports them. We are held accountable for each vote we make because it says what we believe in. I didn't vote for McCain either. I voted for LIFE, and put my ballot where I felt I could stand." They laughed at me and said that God doesn't care about how we vote, but he does say to honor those in authority. I agreed for that is common ground, but I told them that God does care about our vote as much as He cares about our nation. It matters. We can stand without offending but we cannot stand before God with offense between us. Our nation will have to repent for our rebellious choice. We said we wanted a king of our own choosing and He gave us what we as a nation asked for. I pray and hope that the prophetic words that I have heard about Obama are true. That God is going to meet him in office and turn his heart. Come Lord!
Posted by: Kristi Cooper | January 21, 2009 7:57 PM
Wasn't Rev. Lowery quoting from something that was spoken by MLK? As a white women, I was not offended by his words. He is a very elderly man that was reared in a generation that had to perservere to be treated with an ounce of dignity and respect. Maybe his remarks were not "PC", but it seemed as though he was referring to days gone by and in doing so, celebrating with other African Americans that a new day has dawned, where they have made considereable progress in achieving MLK's dream. My understanding is that Rev. Lowerly was a champion along with Dr. King in the quest for equal civil rights.
[Note from Barbara: Forgive me, but this is the kind of sloppy thinking that has deconstructed our culture. Martin Luther King was an eloquent and dignified speaker. This use of the colloquial was certainly not befitting the occasion - in addition to insulting not only whites but Asians (remember I have an Asian son). It did nothing to lift people higher but to remind them of past grudges. After all, we have put an African American man into the highest office - so do we need to be told we're looking forward to a time when blacks aren't told to get back? Seems pretty tired and stupid to me.]
Posted by: Karen | January 21, 2009 9:27 PM
It seems to me that none of the posters here that found such offense by Rev. Lowrey's words know the origin of the saying which he paraphrased.
First of all, this saying was NOT racist. Rev. Lowery's phrase comes from a song from the Jim Crow south era. If you are not aware of Jim Crow, I'll refresh your memory. Jim Crow was a system of legalized segregation and classism in the South which subjugated non-Whites and was similar to the apartheid system used in South Africa.
The phrase which Rev. Lowrey used echoed these opresive laws in that Blacks were lowest on the totem pole, followed by latinos, and then asians, and ultimately at the top were whites. Lowrey's paraphrase essentially was hoping for the day in which this system would no longer apply in America. The symoblism of this phrase corresponding with Barak Obama, an African-American, as the first president served to indicate that the country is at last moving away from such systems that serve to classify and seperate groups of people based on race.
SO finally for those of you who automatically assume reverse racism, you should ask yourself do you know your history? Do you know that Lowrey's words were those sung in the deep South to glorify racism and subjugation.
Therefore, when Lowrey said, "White will embrace what is right", only referenced the historical and legalized use of Jim Crow, etc. to disenfranchise other citizens of the this Country (it just so happens that the creators of this system were White and it took Whites to embrace what is right to end this policy, ie Voting Rights Act, Desegregation).
So finally, I implore those that want to use reverse racism to feed their need for hate to know that one can not grow without acknowledging their past, whether this includes bitter racism, slavery, or injustice.
Just food for thought.......
Posted by: M | January 23, 2009 3:50 AM
Just checking out your blog as it came up while I was checking out how the pro-life march went yesterday.
Good blog; great points. I avoided as much of the inauguration as I could (difficult to do as I work in a public school and it was mandatory for all of our students to watch the inauguration....even the three year olds) and I did not view it while at home.
As someone else here wrote: I did not vote for Obama and I'm not ashamed to say so. I voted for life. And I am happy to say so.
I also liked the point that you made, Barbara, about our remarks needing to lift people higher, not remind them of past grudges.
Glad to have found you and looking forward to reading more! :)
Posted by: Tisha | January 23, 2009 12:22 PM
Get a clue before calling someone or their remarks racist. Lowrey is a life-long freedom fighter and friend of Dr. King. He was referencing a classic blues tune. If you care to get the full story go here:
http://freedomroadproject.blogspot.com/2009/01/black-brown-white.html
Geez.
Posted by: Patrick | January 23, 2009 12:53 PM
[Note from Barbara: I am giving this commenter the last word on this subject. I think it's all been said and that for most Obama supporters, he will never do any wrong. This commenter is coming from a different place: voted for Clinton/Gore/Obama and wants to be supportive but IS appropriately concerned at the lack of experience/track record and the dangerous path we take when we idolize a political figure. I would suggest that Obama supporters start being a little more objective and intelligent. Otherwise it appears that you have been drinking the koolaid.]
Statements that vilify 'whites' as a class of people do not promote diversity, and are NOT good PR.
Take out the 'white=evil' message created by the implication that 'whites continue to embrace wrong' resulting from the phrase "when white will embrace what is right" and you've got a totally different rhetoric.
The fact that it is poetic form, and not simply some off-the-cuff comment tossed in shows that, this speaker gave considerable thought to making this statement and to precisely how it was crafted. In short, the message that 'white=evil' is in my view not a coincidental one but a quite intentional one.
There are definitely racist people in America, and people who, whether they are conscious of it or not, suffer from a variety of biased or prejudicial thinking. I hypothesize that one's so-called 'racial identity' exhibits virtually zero association with their degree of racism or other forms of social-identity bias.
Indeed, I am afraid to say that, because of the continuation of resentful, and vindictive if not hateful philosophies of racial conflict (e.g., Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan) and the insinuation, if not mainstreamization of ideas from these philosophies into everyday contemporary American culture (particularly African American pop cultures), the degree of association between 'race' and 'racism' seems to be as likely to be associated with 'black' identity as it is with 'white' identity.
A lot of us 'whites' already embraced what is 'right' in our view, and we are alienated, and indeed disappointed when African American rhetoric falses attributes us with bias, racism or 'wrong' simply because we are 'white' in their eyes.
Or perhaps some of these folks think they know our minds, our behavior, and our lifes better than we know our own, simply because they are 'black' and they got us 'whites' all figured out? Now if that is not a reversal of bias portraying itself as the correction/removal of bias, I don't know what is.
I voted for the man, I have high hopes that he will do a lot of good, and I would LIKE to believe in him. But if this is the sort of thing that will be tolerated in Obamaland I cannot say I am impressed whatsoever. I guess I should not be surprised given his 20 years in Wright's church.
Implying that all whities are racists is simply not implying something that is likely to be empirically true, much less socially progressive and useful.
In all honesty, it offends me when someone just calls me WHITE, much less that they infer that I am a racist based on their perception of my belonging in some particular social category that they erroneously and ignorantly think is validly labeled 'race.'
I am of mixed ancestry, and I am from a disadvantaged background; I would say at least as disadvantaged as our 'black' President. But by virtue of labeling me white and him black, I am automatically placed stereotypically into a historically dominant, more powerful, oppressive social group, which I would tell is simply not the case.
I look down at my arm . . . I see no white here! Beige, tan, pink, even some greenish in the veins . . . "WHITE" is simply a useless term, just as is "BLACK" "YELLOW" "RED," and all the other nonsensical terms to divide humanity into racial clumps.
We should be working to ELIMINATE these concepts from our minds, and from life on Earth. We are all HUMANS, PEOPLE, PERSONS, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, NEIGHBORS, etc. When we automatically think of one another, talk to one another, and refer to one another with these non-segmentary conceptions of joint membership instead of those tired and frankly evil racial typologies, THEN we will be making real progress toward the world that Dr. King and others dreamed about.
I have no doubt that Lowery was a hero in his day, and fought the good fight for Civil Rights. But the Civil Rights movement is over, we are in a new phase of the evolution of true liberty and equality in our society, and to burden ourselves with unnecessary references, and false attributions to past divisions among us is simply not helpful.
Very bad idea to have Lowery give your benediction Bama, or at least very bad idea not to have a look over his speech before you let him say it. But then, you did smile when he said it, so maybe you agree with the idea that you and I really are different because you are 'black' and I am 'white' and that those labels really do adequately describe our life experiences, our views, and our predispositions.
Given your membership in Wright's church for so long, I really do fear that this is what you believe, and I fear for what this means for our nation and the world, not to mention for your safety and well-being.
Honestly, I think all the hoopla about Obama has made me just a tad bit depressed. No joke; while all you people have been having the time of your life cheering and shouting, and passing through waves of ideo-politic-ecstascy, I have been progressively cringing more tightly and worriedly with each CNN video and each blogosphere scan I endure.
It is so discouraging to be so poignantly reminded of how simple, emotive, and pliable people are. I'm not saying he is 'the Anti-Christ,' but I would like to point out that: the cult of personality which has steadily grown, and most recently erupted into Krakatoa proportions is disturbingly similar in some basic social psychological dimensions to those which surrounded some very sketchy past leaders. For example, Hitler and Mussolini . . . yes, yes I know, 'good guys' have also had massive cult followings too (JFK comes to mind, but beyond that . . . hmmmm, can't actually think of any others) . . . but there is just something that is honestly [to me] rather creepy about how people feel about Obama.
He strikes me as a very smart, very capable, respectful and thoughtful man who will surround himself with people who are highly knowledgeable in their chosen disciplines. I also do not doubt that he really is a visionary with an inspired mission to 'make the world better,' who has an incredible charismatic ability to inspire people that whatever the specifics of that 'mission,' they believe in it, and are devoted to it.
With the exception of every single one of those descriptors except respectful and to a certain degree thoughtful, you could use the paragraph above to describe Adolf Hilter. He was very smart, very capable, 'thoughtful' depending on exactly how you want to deploy that word. He surrounded himself with people who are highly knowledgeable, and he clearly was a real visionary with an inspired mission to 'make the world better,' and who had an incredible charismatic ability to inspire people that whatever the specifics of that mission, they believed in it, and were devoted to it.
I am NOT saying that Barack Obama is the latest incarnation of a genocidal maniac despot who is going to usher in a period of massive bloodshed, suffering and catastrophe. I am simply pointing out that, many of the dynamics of a Great Leader with the capacity to inspire people are not mutually exclusive with megalomania, prejudice, vindictiveness, even callous inhumanity and hatred.
I guess if he had been in the Senate for 20 years, and we had more of a history of how he actually thinks and feels, how he tends to vote, and what he really believes in, I might feel differently.
But we don't have that. What we have is a past that is hard to pin down with any particular term except 'ambitious, tending to be liberal, populist, litigiously-competent and eloquent.'
How many times is it that he voted 'Present' during his legislative days?
Add to this the whole Rev Wright connection, some comments he has made during his campaign, his response to the Lowery benediction . . .
'Uneasiness' sincerely describes how I feel about this man at this point, and I am DEFINITELY not a 'conservative.' I am pro-Gay Marriage, I voted for Clinton, Gore, and Obama, and I tend to think that socialized medicine is a good thing.
Understand, I am not saying that I am dead-set against Obama; I am not firmly convinced that he is malignant force, and I am not [yet] opposed to him . . . but just uneasy, a bit wary, and very much skeptical.
This latest incident with Lowery's Benediction is IMO, just the latest "blip" in a series of blips that indicate a kind of megalomaniacal elitism and vindictiveness as a person of color. Perhaps we are on blip #11 or 12, but we are not yet on blip #20.
Barack Obama still "IS MY PRESIDENT." I voted for him. I hope for the best for him, and for us; and I very, VERY much _WANT_ to believe in him, and place my trust in him that he will always do what is right for the greater good of America and the world. After 8 years of Bushes general incomptence, bullheaded stubbornness and arrogance someone who really had the characteristics of diplomacy and skill which Obama seems to have would be a refreshing change.
But when I see repeated instances of his complicity if not agreement with what I consider to be racist views of Black-White relations in the U.S., I get very uneasy . . . VERY uneasy, and I am reminded of just how inspiring Adolf Hitler was to the German people.
In the present PC climate, in which reversal of bias is all too often portrayed as 'leveling' or 'righting wrongs' or as reforming bias, I am planning to keep my head down . . .
Stop and consider this: If McCain had won, and they got some aging born-again preacher from a holdout racially segregated white privilege district of the South. Say for example, a Jerry Falwell type of caricature.
What if, during his benediction, this joker gave some poetry something about like this . . .
Would you think that that was equally as 'trivial?'
Or how about this, leave everything the same as in Lowery's original transcript
[quote]
Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around … when yellow will be mellow … when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.[quote]
But just change "when white will embrace what is right" to "when non-whites will embrace what is right."
Would THAT be trivial?
No it would NOT be trivial, and neither is implying that "whites embrace what is wrong!!"
Posted by: Half-breed "White" Hillbillly | January 24, 2009 9:40 AM
