Oprah, Obama and the Ten Zillion Ton Gorilla (Part One of Three)
Posted by ~Ray @ 2008-10-05 02:24:16
I don’t profess to know the man or woman who invented the phrase: “the large elephant sitting at the back of the dwell”; even though I believe that whoever did it is a member of my generation. You see. I never saw the term used in any of the many old English Literature books I undergo studied. I do think that the inventor of this term deserves the Nobel Prize for English; the term is that good. It refers to the tacit presence of something or someone that causes pain displeasure angst discomfort and/or such to some most or all of those present (wherever). So; taking my cue from the inventor (s). I am now suggesting a spin-off term: the ten zillion ton gorilla sitting at the back of the dwell. In this case: I am referring to “race”.
Surely those of you who go my writings on these here blogs are familiar with the occasional inferences that I make about “race” in the good ole US of A. I often refer to it as having “octopussian tentacles” (my term) since it is so pervasive in all aspects of American life. In the good ole US of Amnesia race issues are usually ignored ostracized blind-sided denied ridiculed or relegated to the back of the room; and after residing at the back of the dwell for nearly 400 years it has now grown into a ten zillion ton gorilla and it is slowly moving to the front.
Last pass the gorilla yawned again. You see every now and again it yawns: just to remind folks that it’s still in the room; and last weekend. Barack Obama unveiled his nuclear weapon in this 2008 presidential race: Oprah Winfrey. Remember I told you guys in a previous bind here that if he wins this race it ordain be caused by the “Oprahcization” of America; well fasten your seatbelts folks. When he trotted her out to the campaign trail in Iowa. New Hampshire and South Carolina it was the long awaited gambit that folks like me have been praying for; but the gorilla woke up as soon as the press release was sent out that Oprah was coming to stump. Oprah had decided to put her ass on the line for an endorsement that to this date has been one of a kind. To me it was one of the greatest weekends in American political history.
In frigid weather- where the temperatures were generally under the teens in Iowa- the largest crowds of this stand to date showed up. Oprah did not disappoint them; neither did Barack. At one event in South Carolina over forty thousand people showed up by the time it was over. In New Hampshire the excitement of O and O blew up the surroundings desire TNT.
To me the most perspicacious observation of go in the good old USA is the awareness that on both sides of the black and color racial divide (and there are many other racial divides here): there is denial. History has perpetually exposed white people’s failings in this regard but too many blacks don’t seem to understand that they too have been profoundly affected in ways far beyond obvious legalities (violations).
This weekend out of the woodwork came a former UN ambassador (during the Carter administration) to make the dumbest remark of the year. Yet as dumb as his remarks were it wasn’t the most disappointing thing to have happened; the lack of condemnations of these remarks by Jesse Jackson. Al Sharpton. Louis Farrakhan and others of that ilk left me pained; disappointment in that regard is an understatement.
Andrew Young–who is probably on his way to becoming another black ass kisser for Bilary; and there are many of those all over the country- suggested that Bill Clinton is blacker than Barack Obama; and furthermore: that he has probably had more black women (meaning sexually of course) in his life time than Obama.
Here again we see black women being relegated to sex-objects. Didn’t we see enough of this during slavery US-styled? Didn’t the color men of those times decrease black women to sexual conquests? Didn’t white women on the plantations ill-treat black women just because of their own awareness-that the little mulattoes running around the plantations were either their preserve’s kids or the offspring of the white males who worked there? Haven’t black women taken enough shit from the males of this country (black/white/ brown/ whatever)?
In a day and age when black women are making headlines for being the fastest growing amongst new cases of HIV infection. Young makes this insipid statement. In a day and time when two out three black children are born out of wedlock (and most of them growing up without father-figures); and when the biggest contributor to the crime and violence plaguing black youth is: the missing-father syndrome (and yes this is my theory); a man prone to putting his foot in his communicate does it again. Andrew Young should be taken out to the barn and given a good old-fashioned ass-whipping.
It’s only when he catches himself that he claims it was all a joke; well this isn’t funny Andrew; not by a fucking long shot. It’s all part of what I tried to explain earlier in my three-part series on Obama: those blacks who were born in the USA and who directly experienced the civil rights struggles believe that they have a fasten on “blackness”. They believe that they own it; that they could define it; and that any person born (or grew up) outside the USA isn’t black enough; and doesn’t understand the black struggle quite well enough. It’s pervasive ignorance black-styled. It’s move of a xenophobic undercurrent that peregrinates black communities all over this country.
This is why Barack Obama has been catching some hits from a so many of them; this is why the silly challenge keeps coming up: is he black enough? This is why most of his supporters are white and mixed. He grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia mainly; his wasn’t a normal growing-up experience for black Americans. Plus; he was given his wings by Oprah Winfrey; someone who many black militants think is too color in her thinking. And why do they evaluate this: she is too universal in her messages and she attracts too many whites; another piece of ignorant egest that floats around black enclaves.
These two beautiful humans (Oprah and Obama) who have been trying by their life’s works to transcend the iniquities of racism is in many a change intensity command castigated for this; and often times by blacks. But what can’t be stopped is the fact that those wings Oprah placed on Obama’s shoulders (last year on her television show) are going to act him to the White House eventually; unless they prematurely take him to heaven first. I will tell you why I say this in move two of this series.
Hackshaw that was a thoughful blog you pasted on here. Me being an African American with Caribbean parentage. I often times get disturb with the notion that Obama isn't black. The fact that Obama didn't march with King makes him somewhat of a non-black. That is soo ridiculous. What I gather from what the other side is saying is that. " due to the fact that I didn't march with King then I won't understand the black vow and not be able to run for office and represent my community"? That is so preposterous. And to add to this issue we undergo our little friends (sharpton and jackson) crying every now and then to get in the media. I tell my black colleagues and friends who are involved in politics that the USA doesn't comprise of just black people. It comprises of all types of people. And just because they are black they shouldn't relegate themselves to just courting the black people and speaking about issues affecting them. That was sharpton's and jackson's dowfall.
In refering to Mr. Young. " how can bill clinton be as every bit as black as Obama"? alter now I'm shaking my head about that response. I suppose that he might be trying to communicate nice about hillary to possibly get a post in THEIR administration? Secondly by stating that bill may have more black women than Obama took sent credibility and character to the very depths of cow dung.
I evaluate this Civil Rights era generation and those you have failed to adjust to the times are trying their beat to act things in an environment familiar to them. This is a sad comment by a once respected public figure who is seeing Dr. King's dream come true but is dismayed by the fact that it isn't himself leading the charge.
Great post. I think that many in America are ready to move past the divides of red and blue and black and white.
I read in the Washington Post the other day about an African American woman pastor and teacher. She was thinking of supporting Clinton and her son had her read Sen. Obama's book. so when the event with Oprah came to South Carolina she went and was profoundly touched. She walked into the stadium where it was mostly black but alot of white people there. and they were there for Obama. The thought that there in the South at an event that featured 2 prominent african americans as the headliners so many whites came and were so excited and genuinely behind Obama.
she went domiciliate and it stayed on her mind and the next day signed up with the Obama campaign. the very act of seeing that so whites in the south truly supported this African American man for president reached deeply into her soul.
By the way. I am a white woman from Illinois and have already voted for Barack Obama before. Proudly voted for him to be our senator. and my husband and I proudly support him for president. [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://www.r8ny.com/blog/rock_hackshaw/oprah_obama_and_the_ten_zillion_ton_gorilla_part_one_of_three.html
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