How America has changed
Thursday, January 22, 2009 Last word (from me) on Barack Obama's inauguration. I agree with those who thought that his speech was good but not great. (Two days later does anyone remember as much as a soundbite?) Does it matter? Not really. A "great" speech would have only fuelled unreasonable expectations that one man (or government) can change the world. (Are you listening, Gordon Brown?) People have to accept that there is only so much that presidents, prime ministers and governments should - and can - do.
Nevertheless you would have to have a heart of stone not to share the joy of millions of people as an African-American was sworn into office at the White House for the first time in history. Many had travelled hundreds, possibly thousands, of miles to be there. Many more were residents of Washington and I suspect that a lot of them, especially the older generations, couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Twenty-five years ago, when I made my first visit to America, I was a guest of the Young America's Foundation, a staunchly Republican outfit whose slogan is "The Conservative movement starts here".
I was one of 20 young Europeans invited to spend 14 days in Washington. (My roommate, Michael Fry, was and is a journalist and historian.) Each morning we listened to or engaged with a high profile politico. After lunch we were taken on the series of excursions. I remember going to the White House (where Ronald Reagan was in office), Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument and so on. One day (my favourite) we visited the old colonial capital of Williamsburg.
Anyway, the point I want to make is that rarely if ever did we rub shoulders with any black people. In fact, it came as a surprise to be told that the majority of the population in Washington is non-white. The reason this wasn't apparent is because, as I later discovered, we were staying in what was effectively the white quarter, and each day our coach would take us from there into the Capitol Hill/White House area which, again, was dominated by white people.
The only time I saw a significant number of black faces was through the window of our coach when - for the first and only time - we drove through a visibly run-down area. Groups of people were milling around the entrances to various apartment blocks and I remember being told that in the summer, at night, many black Americans in these neighbourhoods would sleep outside because - in the absence of air-conditioning - it was too hot to sleep inside these crumbling, concrete buildings.
That was in 1983. To all intents and purposes segregation was still in place (if not in force) and for a black man, educated or otherwise, the road to the White House must have seemed like a million miles, and littered with obstacles.
Whatever happens during Obama's presidency, his election demonstrates that nothing is for ever. America has come an incredibly long way and if you believe, as I do, that freedom and racial equality are inseparable, we should be grateful for that.
Reader Comments (6)
Simon, I lived in New York in 1989/1990. My brother has acquired American citizenship and I have frequently travelled over there. In my experience little has changed in 25 years at a social interaction level. I would like to think that I am a good traveller and I wanted to meet as many different Americans as possible. In Manhattan there is an economic apartheid at 96th Street. It is a generalisation but very few if any white people live above 96th Street where it becomes Harlem, although some blacks live below it.
Most of the WASP type Americans were shocked when I would engage black people in bars in conversation and certainly choked on their beer when I introduced my black girlfriend to them after football training. She was an actress and they vaguely knew of her, so that was alright. Even then in 1989/90 there was a black middle class and got invited to a party with Andrea in New Jersey. An impressive 6 bedroomed detached house, immaculate grounds, with the neighbourhood looking like The Bishops Avenue, BMWs and Mercedes cars parked outside. Me and Andrea entered the party room and you could hear the jaws crashing to the floor.
As Trevor Phillips recently remarked quite rightly that the British are the least racist people in world. It is one we had in New York in 1989 not only in reference to me, but many black people I met said that British people were always happy to chat, while Americans were often stand offish and cliquey.
I hope Obama can inspire further integration.
Obama does not represent the black people,just because he is a black President, any more than Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice, who certainly do not. This is no Martin Luther King, but someone who was groomed for the Presidency in order to acheive what you see. The people behind him the money that took him to power, it's their doctrines you should look at to find the direction.
The recruitment of masses of poor blacks into the military for what is to come will soon be seen, as a fanatical following will result in mass support for the foreign policy that is underway. I think this is a sad day for black people, and I only wish they could see it.
I don't like to be rude Zitori, but where do you get your "facts" from?
You might be interested in the following article, part of which I have produced here:
Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has written a very provocative article claiming that the biblical Moses was high on drugs when he sat on top of Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments "from God". This assertion gives new meaning to Moses being "high" on top of the mountain.
You can see the whole article here: http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/sentletsediakanyo/2008/08/31/moses-was-high-on-drugs-on-top-of-mount-sinai/
America has come an incredibly long way and if you believe, as I do, that freedom and racial equality are inseparable, we should be grateful for that.
Sadly, as one door opens, another closes. And smokers are now becoming the new blacks.
I'm glad for Obama, and hope he does well. But nothing has really changed. The targets of discrimination just move elsewhere.
Well Peter I'm not sure where the connections between that article and my posts ly.. Are you hinting that I might get these so called 'facts' from a drug induced state? An interesting thought if that's what you mean, but one that's way of the mark.
There are many who believe certain drug induced states can open up our conciousness to much higher levels, and maybe if Moses was 'high' he was indeed in touch with a higher entity, and not having hallucinations. So what you can take from that article can be two totally opposing theories, but no 'facts'.
I don't think I've stated any thing or anyone that cannot be checked out. Do some research, follow the money, because that's where the answers lie. It seems we are looking at this particular political happening from totally different perspectives. Everything is connected. There is nothing new, just a new face maybe.
By the way don't forget the TICAP conference in Brussels on the 27/28th Jan. A worlds first and hopefully will bring lots of media attention to the fact that there is a definite opposition, with real science, to the anti's
crusade.