EXCELLENT COMMENT, Lisa! You hit the nail right on the head.

However, as a 100 percent pure German caucasian, I have to tell you that you don’t have to be part of a mixed-race family to be comfortable with all races and colors, just like you don’t need to be some kind of sexual hybrid to be comfortable with the opposite sex. Personally, I have been baffled by the obsession of the media with sex and race issues in politics and elsewhere. Maybe it’s a typical American thing. I am equally baffled by the obsession with bypartisanship. Why are there republicans and democrats? Aren’t they all Americans? Shouldn’t it be more important what matters to the American people than what matters to republicans or democrats, whites or blacks, men and women? Aren’t we all PEOPLE???

Lisa,
I totally agree with you. When I hear people saying crap like that it just makes me want to scream! Do they think he can’t be smart because of his race? That is just stupid. Or that one race has the advantage over the other in intelligence. If so then they need to show me where that is written because I have seen alot of white people do stupid and ridiculous stuff!

I think Obama is reaching alot of people because he is smart and very eloquent. Plus he is wanting to make a change to better this country. I don’t think his race has anything to do with it…or it shouldn’t!

Cynthia, Covington, Ga.

There is a greater implication of when people say Obama “transcends race”. One greater and more profound than you are stating. You are reducing it to being merely about people being impressed with Obama’s personal accomplishments. There are many accomplished, bright, articulate African Americans. Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, Black professionals, educators, doctors, ceos, etc. are a visible and acknowledged part of the American fabric.
When people say Obama transcended race, it is a commentary on how those who have been guilty of racism and oppression against Blacks have transcended race. The race transcendance is primarily about White people overcoming and going beyond their own limiting and restricting thoughts and practices towards African Americans. This is really it isn’t about Obama’s race transcendance it’s about American transcendance of race.

Wow! You are on fire!

I totally agree with you on this. African-Americans have historically been placed in this box of inferiority and not allowed to be complete free people. So when you see a Barack Obama or an Oprah Winfrey people tend to say that they transcend race, because whites in particular are comfortable with them.

We need to get away from the idea that to be white (Caucasian) is the standard or norm, and to be non-white is to be different. If we can get away from that large prevailing stereotype, people will be able to live freely without the constraints of racial stereotyping. I think our country would be better for it too.

Back to whites “transcending” race. There are some white people, who look at other racial groups with out racial bias. They work in predominantly black neighborhoods, and genuinely give of themselves without fear. These people, in my view, transcend the racial constraints placed on them by the white community. I have heard so many times by the people they work with publically as well as privately, that those white people do not act “white.” They are genuine and kind, true to their word, or they have been blessed by God in a unique way.

In any case, the racial situation is a huge stain that is difficult for all to overcome. Maybe, possibly, we are on the verge of making change on that front now. If it is true, I feel blessed to be alive.

Sylvie Grace

I do not agree that Obama “transcends race” is a derogatory comment towards him or African Americans in general. I interpret the comment to mean that Obama is able to break through barriers and a cross-section of people are voting for HIM -not just African Americans voting for the African American candidate.

If anything, the phrase “Obama transcends race” is more of a derogatory comment towards the voters. It implies that voters would choose to vote or, more likely, choose NOT to vote for a candidate based on race. In my opinion, Obama has transcended race by attracting a variety of voters: white, black, old, young, rural, urban. Voters look to him as the best candidate - not the black candidate.

It’s all in how one interprets things. Bottom line: I wish the media would drop the racial issue.

I agree. As an Independant–I believe the opinions I develop are based more on values, actions/outcomes, and objective evaluation than those who may be emotionally too close to see the wrinkles…so to speak.

Race is unimportant to me…and nearly everyone I know. Personal responsibility, accountability, and business/career success are the measurements. And the type of business or career doesn’t mean much either.

Obama’s race is such an issue. It is an issue because–clearly, competitior’s have had a “hands-off” approach regarding making him accountable for the outlandish economic and military strategies he presents.

He claims that by removing the troops from Iraq will finance the “Infrastructure Bank”…yet he doesn’t say “how much” of the budget spent on Iraq will go into the bank. And nobody asks him!!!

I do not believe Americans would be in favor of re-investing the huge deficit producing finances currenlty budgeted for Iraq–into entitlement programs that do not have a serious and well framework and lifespan. Yet….nobody ever asks. This is just one item off of his re-engineering America agenda–I have addressed.

His agenda reads as the platform for the Democratic Socialist Party!! Not the Democratic Party.

Where, in his plans–does creation and sustainment of small business fall? As we all know this is the lifeblood of the American economy–yet he has never even addressed it?

I’ve got some serious issues regarding his ability to “pull off” the pipe dream he’s blowing towards voters. I hope people will look deeper.

Lisa, I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m so sick of hearing about Senator Obama’s ethnic background. I’m equally tired of hearing about Senator Clinton’s gender.The media is partly to blame. The media should focus on issues that matter! If Senator Obama wins, he’ll win because he got the majority of the delegates needed to win(period!).

BTW, I’m the single father of bi-racial children and we rarely discuss racial issues, we discuss life and character issues.

Great work Lisa Bloom !!!

Lisa,
As a fortysomething southern female that enjoys many political discussions, the only people I hear discussing race and gender in this election is the news media. Check out the blog headlines over the last few days. Give the American public a chance to discuss the real issues.

Tracie

Well, I know what you mean about the “articulate” comment. Another term I find interesting is “white trash.” White trash as opposed to the most common type of trash that is NOT white?

As far as Obama transcending race goes though, I think the observation (though quite hackneyed at this point) is a legitimate one, which says less about him and more about society as a whole. Right or wrong, people think that we only associate with our own “kind.” That attitude persists even though it is harder and harder to define “kind” these days, as many people now come from mixed backgrounds. So, as a shortcut, people just classify you based on your most visible trait. That’s why Obama and Tiger Woods are considered black, by and large, no matter what their mothers’ backgrounds.

That said, generally, people expect black jurors to side with a black defendant, white sports fans to support white athletes, etc. When a movie or play has cross over appeal, that’s STILL news, even in 2008. When a person gets a large part of the public to see past the Us v. Them myopia and actually consider voting for someone that is not like them on the surface, then that is noteworthy. Whether it SHOULD be noteworthy or unusual is another question. Yes, we should be beyond that by now, but we’re not. Maybe people will stop talking about race, when they stop thinking about it.

You mentioned your kids. Over the holidays I meant a friend and I had my 2 nieces in tow. We grew up together in Michigan, but he lives in D.C. now. He’s a 45 year old teacher who lives and works in a culturally mixed and sophistocated society. The first thing he asked me when the adults were alone was if my nieces had any trouble in school, because they were “mulattoes.” His choice of word is a remnant from a racist era and hurt my feelings, but this guy was not trying to insult me. I’ve known him for almost 28 years now and he thought he was making an innocent inquiry. He thinks he embraces diversity, but not when it comes to marriage and offspring. So, I think that question just popped into his mind when he saw the girls. As long as people see race first, then yes, we still need to “transcend.”

It’s not Obama who has to transcend anything — it’s American society that has to transcend centuries of racial bigotry.

Obama’s achievement is that he’s helping us to do that, by inspiring huge numbers of people to vote for him without considerating his race.

It’s sad that such a simple result has taken so long to accomplish, but encouraging to finally see it. As Obama says, that’s progress.

When the media stops focusing on race, sex, etc., THEN we can move forward and begin to become a unified country. Unfortunately, as we all know, dissension, controversy and juicy scandals are what bring in ratings for the networks. They would have to go find real jobs if they didn’t manufacture all this tripe every day. I miss the old days when they simply reported the news, as opposed to making or being part of the news as is the case today.

I also agree with Monika’s observation re: the “us vs. them” mentality permeating the country. Unfortunately, it’s going to take something a lot worse than 9/11 to wake people up so they stop being so extreme and start meeting in the middle. The sad part is that it will (again) be a temporary condition.

Have a nice day!

Very well said.

Also I will like to add one thing as I have experienced myself here in this great country as an alien that until you are at par with others you will receive tons of sympathy, as soon as others find you are little more or at same level you are in trouble……

But then I have found truly sincere Americans, they are so Great that I feel ashamed to make any little tainted comments against any one of this country.

Lisa:
The “transcending race” comment occurs because Barak Obama is the first African American to possibly become President of the United States next January 2009.

Also, just because his father was Kenyan-African he is considered black; Obama’s mother was white. Isn’t he both white and black?

When the first Latino becomes president or the first woman become president, it will be the same thing all over again.

Nevertheless, each candidate has the same interchangeable body parts; the only difference is one carries an X chromosome rather than a Y.

Great point, Lisa. Obama reaches people because he has a head on his shoulders that doesn’t JUDGE! Maybe if some of our ‘veteran’ politicians had these values, we wouldn’t have the problems we’ve been having for the past 8 years. Once Hillary and Obama join teams(God Willing) it will give the US a break, from breaking itself down to its bare because of judgmental policies that makes the US unsafe.

Brandon, Missouri

Great post Lisa. There have been countless times when I’ve witnessed people making statements about African-Americans such as “he’s black, BUT he’s intelligent”, apparently not realizing (or maybe they do realize) what a remark like that implies–a subtle form of racism that I find very disturbing.

Ms. Bloom, you summed up The Black Plight very well.

Great post.

I always remind People, myself, that if Obama gets elected it will be because he is HALF-WHITE and NOT because he claims to be African-American.

peace

I’m not sure why they would say he transcends race, when every report mentions the black population of each state primary, signifying that he automatically takes that vote, and that he is winning based on the black vote only. How is that “transcendence”? Or are they saying that he is transcending his “whiteness”?

I am an African man who moved to the USA as a refugee 5 yrs ago. I have worked myself up to a Management level position in a F500 company; have I transcended race? I do not think so. I am still as black as my evening shoes and still have to repeat myself many times in meetings for people to understand what I am saying. White people I work with all over the world; USA, UK, Germany, France, Russia etc all treat me the same way: With honest curiosity; the same kind of curiosity I had towards white people I met when I was still in Africa. Indeed, I am still very curious about white people and their culture. We have to accept that people are different and that it is normal to be curious (and even wary) about those different from us.
Yes, racism still exists but mainly within the minds of the uneducated and unexposed. That is why I worry about Hillary boasting about her blue collar and rural support…is she tapping those dark racial instincts?

When white people say Barack Obama “transcends race,” I think they mean that he doesn’t make white people feel like media stereotypes of black people are meant to make them feel. He’s a public figure with brown skin whose bearing and personality don’t fit the stereotypes at all. Ignorant people confuse “race” with “stereotypes about race.” Because of course he has a race - everyone has race, race is history and background and upbringing. You can’t transcend those, everyone has them. I’d wager that the people who make comments like that have only lived in places where they see more racial minorities on TV (cast stereotypically) than they talk to and engage with in real life.

The biracial point is an excellent one to make, too. I am biracial, and see that in him as well - an ability to understand both the position of racial privilege and the position of racial oppression. His ability to mediate between the two modes of expression is very well-honed, and is one of my favorite things about him. This skill probably also has something to do with how he doesn’t fit any one set of stereotypes and why he seems to transcend them - the public media hasn’t come up with a set of negative stereotypes for biracial people yet.

People need to understand that race is important and always should be (lest we forget where we come from), but not as a measure of one’s personality or worth. Public media, concerned with opinions, sound bites, and succinct character analyses, should really stay out of the whole race discussion.

Good point, Ms. Bloom. Unfortunately in this nation as in most other nations that are heterogeneous, skin color and/or race plays such a big part in how people see others. Did you ever wonder what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. meant when he said he wanted his “four little children to grow up in a world where they would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character?” I have never understood how a person could be judged by the color of their skin. How does one put value judgement on pigmentation? Are we to understand then that white society believes that there is something inherently wrong or abnormal with darker skin?

Lisa!!! I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s sad that society is still having sensetive emtional conversations about race and gender. I feel a persons preconcieved perceptions of a specific race or gender has alot to do with an indiviuals upbringing. Fear of a particular gender or a specific race is what keep cultures apart and cause tension in causcial, platonic, and intimate relationships. The lack of accurate knowledge of a specific race will continue to seperate people. As a society we’ll never overcome our differences as long as the media continue to negeaively remind us they exit. Gender and race is consistanly used as a ploy thru the media to divide people, airing programs with subliminal messages cunningly trying to pass it off as infomative programing. The media bombards society with prejudedicial ideas of race and gender. With the intent to keep division among people, and as long as indiviuals accept force fed stereotype immages that’s filtered thru the media. We”ll continue to have these conversations about what seperate the races and what role a particular gender should have in society. As a society we’ll never unite together as long as we continue to fear each other and be judgemental of one another. Forever divided, uninformed and afraid.

While emotional comments about being tired of hearing about race and gender are frequently heard and written, we have never had a sustained and informed dialog about these issues as well as the underlying and fundamental issue of hierarchy and power in our society.
Now we have a change to do so. The media—-if they choose to be informed and inform us—-can positvely influence this disuccsion. Lisa Bloom uses that kind of informed approach and raises questions to increase our CURIOSITY, rather than reinforce ignorance.
I wish CNN would present more informed lead-ins to the opinionated chatter that often characterizes the segments about race and gender.