I first heard the term "race traitor" about fifteen years ago while watching a documentary on white supremacist groups. A KKK member used it in reference to white people who marry outside of the white race and, in her estimation, weaken the "natural and God given supreme power of white people." Years later I began hearing references to race traitors coming from some members of the black and Chicano (i.e., Mexican American) communities. They used it to refer to black and Mexican people who do not embrace the "white privilege leads to white racism leads to black and brown disempowerment" paradigm. An example of this kind of race traitor would be Ward Connerly, the conservative-libertarian African American activist who has fought to roll back government and social policies that put minorities in special categories such that they are, in his words, "treated differently than members of majority groups" (e.g., affirmative action programs).
So recently I've read some references to Obama as a "race traitor" because he has stood behind some ideas that have been popular among people who are often demonized by leftists as racist and bigoted. One of these ideas is that some of the responsibility for impoverishment and disenfranchisement in communities of color rests with the members of those very communities. For example, Obama has excoriated black and Hispanic men for fathering and not taking responsibility for children. (Nearly two-thirds of black babies are born to unmarried women, as are nearly half of all Hispanic babies.) He has chastised people young and old for searching for a quick dollar but being unwilling to suffer through the sweat and strain of school and moving up the social mobility ladder from minimum wage to something better by way of hard work. Yes, this does sound reminicent of the criticisms that I've been listening to all of my life: "all minorities want to be on welfare" and "blacks and Hispanics don't want to work hard."
Certainly the problem is that such blanket generalizations are absurd and, for the most part, racist. Most people on welfare are white, after all, and the vast majority of blacks and Hispanics have jobs and work as hard as anyone else. But as a community activist who has spent many years in neighborhoods that have been rocked by joblessness and limited economic and educational opportunities, Obama has witnessed his share of people who actually do NOT take responsibility for the decisions they make and who consequently weaken the social fabric of their communities. What Obama has said is that when these decisions negatively affect others--as when a poor, unmarried woman gets pregnant or a jobless man gets a woman pregnant--other people must invariably step in to help provide social and economic assistance. In other words, responsibility must shift from one person to another person, family, or even an entire community.
Complicating all of this, Obama has argued, is that sympathetic observers and sometimes the actors themselves often try to defend the negative behavior by claiming that it is caused by racism, as though individuals could not have acted otherwise. This type of thinking, he insists, will never change the underlying structures of inequality that undermine poor communities; it only leads to white resentment and further unwillingness to critically example past wrongs and their present-day consequences.
In this sense, Obama represents a new generation of activists and thinkers in the black and brown communities, people who are willing to publicly examine the ways in which poor people participate in their own plight. They are open to examining the nexus of individual free will and the structural constraints of human behavior. In doing so they offer all of us an opportunity to step away from old arguments that bury opportunities for dialogue and move us toward some new kind of common ground.
Emphasis here, what is new about their approach, is that they want to do this publicly. Members of black and brown communities have always been engaged in this debate--it's just that somehow when the debate shifted to a public volume free will and individual responsibility were toned down while the structural constraints of racism and discrimination were voiced loudly for all to hear, especially white people. The fear has always been that if concerns about individual responsibility were carried into the public arena, then white people would use these concerns as an excuse to no longer accept their share of responsibility for the racism and discrimination that does exist and that does benefit white communities. This is why the Rev. Jesse Jackson whispered that he'd like to "cut off Obama's nuts" for continually attacking irresponsible black men. According to the thinking of Jackson and others, these black men would not be "irresponsible" if it were not for deeply institutionalized racism and descrimination, if they had had a fair shake in the marketplace of school and work.
Jackson's criticism makes sense, of course, but the genie may be out of the bottle and these new activists of color may not be willing to keep these criticisms localized to the black and brown communities. They want an open, honest conversation because they believe this is crucial for the change they want to see. And even if it means that leftists like Obama and Corey Booker, the young mayor of Newark, New Jersey, are sitting at the same table as conservatives like Connerly, the conversation is going to take place in public. The only way to create the change that all sides want to see, they say, is to focus on empowerment and THAT must come by way of a thorough accountability for people's actions--white people AND black and brown people.
As the old guard lose their grip on the public conversation, their ability to silence the "race traitors" is going to become increasingly difficult.
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As wonderful as it may be that a minority man is running for president; Barack Obama is still half white and he has been around a lot of different people. I feel as if he says a lot of the things he does about Black men abandoning their families and not being responsible for his actions because he has been around so many people that don’t understand what it’s like. I am not saying that there is ever an excuse to abandon a mother and child, but I think he has no problem saying the things he says because he’s used to his audience, white people, agreeing with him.
Black people, from my personal experience, tend to agree about things and criticize their own people amongst themselves, but once they have to say things “on behalf of everyone else” they have to make us all sound great. This is why I completely understand why Jesse Jackson would want to ‘cut off Obama’s nuts’. He’s been talking down to the people he’s representing. He’s speaking for all of us and giving us a bad name.
I do agree with what Barack Obama is essentially trying to say. Everyone should take more responsibility for his or her own actions. They shouldn’t just keep sitting around trying to “blame the white man”. I always felt that these people make it harder for themselves to move forward and progress. Yes, it is extremely hard for a minority person to work and keep pushing through racism and stereotypes, but what help is it to just sit around and wait for change? Or even, what good is it to run away from a situation just because it is difficult?
If Obama is going to call himself a Black man and be “our voice” he should maybe try a little harder to represent those who are not getting the chance to move forward because of the area that they live in, and all the opportunities that they don’t receive. There are many opportunities and things that help Blacks and minorities in general, but it couldn’t hurt for him to talk about both sides of the fence. I also feel as if his opinion may be slightly bias because he was abandoned by his own, Black, father and left to live with his white mother at the age of two.
Barak Obama was born in Hawaii, into a middle class family. After his parents, met and married, his parents divorced when Obama was only 2 years old. His biography mentions that his father, returned to Kenya, an only saw him once before dying in a car accident in 1982. Obama traveled back and forth to attend school in Indonesia, and then back to Hawaii. He quickly fell into some hardcore drugs, and in my opinion, led a somewhat troubled lifestyle. Sen. Obama attended Harvard Law School and Colombia University, two of the most prestigious schools in the country. Yes, of course, he was half white, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t know what struggle was.
What I’m trying to get at, is that Senator Obama isn’t generalizing and saying that all black and Hispanics are trying to live off welfare, because he is being a “race traitor.” We definitely cannot call him a racist, and a bigot, is just way too harsh. I think he definitely led a much different lifestyle, then say a young black male in the ghetto in Chicago, jobless and into drugs. There is not comparing whatsoever. We cannot necessarily put the blame and point figures of why maybe the black young male can’t find a job, or can’t better himself. There are crucial factors that should be taken into consideration: demographics, the economy, and the individual’s determination. Issues like racism, definitely exist, everywhere, and that certainly is not holding minorities equal, but we all know nothing in life comes easy, except of course, if you are Paris Hilton- and she would probably argue that partying is draining and hard. In parents immigrated to the United States several years ago, they were older, with two children, and you know what? We made it.
Sen. Obama can be considered somewhat of a socialist. I definitely don’t see anything wrong about that, certainly not, especially with the economy the way it is right now. Isn’t it all about the American people? It so happens that the middle class is the majority right now, and we are facing the most difficulty right now. This of course, doesn’t mean that the poor aren’t either, it of course makes them face even more difficult times. I think Sen. Obama really cares about the middle class, and things that effect us more than anything on his agenda as of right now. He cares about health insurance, house mortgages, things that actually affect the larger population of the United States.
I think when he criticizes the jobless men that get girls pregnant; he isn’t basing it on the real facts. He can’t generalize and say all men that are jobless are lazy, and so happen to be black or brown. In the Midwest, there is also a large population of white kids having children at a young age, still in high school, without jobs. I think what he is trying to say, is that there should be little to no reason why you can’t go find a job. I think most Americans are privileged, and we definitely take these things for granted. If people in other countries, are slaves and undergo so much harsher treatment, there is no American that can justify a reason why not to better himself, whether he is white, black, brown or green.
Sen. Obama can’t sit there and judge, and I personally, don’t think that is what he doing. Perhaps he feels like he has a total right to speak in behave of the entire black community, because he is half black. His ideas will for sure be one-sided, but I still don’t think he is a bigot, or intentionally trying to say that only black and brown people are trying to live off the government in anyway. Yes, Sen Obama was privileged, but he still looks more black than white. If that weren’t the case, then the pure fact that he is black wouldn’t be such a huge focus right now for all the people that think his race is actually an issue in the upcoming presidential election. I think he understands the basic struggles of a minority, no matter how you look at it.
I don’t see how anyone could say that the reason they left their baby and it’s mother to fend for themselves was because of their lack of privilege. Just because someone does not have the same opportunities as someone else doesn’t give them the right to be irresponsible.
Perhaps the reason Obama makes a racial identification when talking about this issue is because he is not the first one to do so. If blacks and Hispanics are blaming whites and institutional racism for the problem, hasn’t it already been attributed to race? Unfortunately, it can sound like he is giving the entire group a bad name. Obama is not labeling the problem as a minority problem only, he is merely addressing that facet of the issue, which appears to be significant. When I read the statistics Laurie presented (2/3 of black babies born to a unmarried women) I was blown away. I understand how institutional racism can have an effect on education and work, but everyone has the ability to make their own decisions concerning sex, contraception, and care of their child.
I feel as though Rev. Jackson and others are just pointing the finger at others instead of accepting some of the blame for themselves. I’m sure some of this is due to the defensive action that Miss V described. In the end though, everyone must be held accountable for the actions that they can control. It’s a simple value that can be held up under nearly any circumstances; If you have a child, take care of it and support its mother. Anyone of any race should hold this as a value, regardless of their position in society.
"RACE TRAITOR"----- ahh such a term that I think is BUUUUUULLLLSHIT. WE cant mix and mingle eh!? well I love mixing and mingling.
Anways... Mixing will "weaken the natural and God given supreme power of white people." hmm let me think. This is the exact kind of thinking that is fucking up this world. And I say to hell with that!
Obama is trying to say that it is our black men fault for all the negative that is associated with their behavior. I believe that its this thing called inequality that is the cause. How can an African American man provide for his wife and child without being accepted in a work place, a place where he does good at what he has to offer. BUT the thing is HE'S BLACK. Does this mean that he is not trying, or maybe he isnt trying "hard enough" after all "everyone has an equal chance of succeeding" (another lie)... When we look at that happening, then we start seeing brothers out there who feel discouraged because they try and try but only get a 1/2 step closer, never reaching that full step.
Im not making excuses for them, Im just laying down what I feel
Now if we focus on this and bring in lets say AA, there can be help. But should we even need to use Affirmative Action? It shouldnt have to come to that, but in all honesty it is.
I agree with basically everything said by previous bloggers. A race traitor? Really? I just don’t understand how people can be so narrow minded. If two people are so in love, color of skin is not going to stop them from being together. Just because someone decides to involve themselves with others of a different race doesn’t make them an enemy. If Obama is “race trading,” by wanting parents to stop abandoning their kids, or “race trading” by not wanting communities to suffer because of other individuals mistakes, than why is it that so many black Americans support him? Many of the black Americans that I have talked to happen to feel the same way as Senator Obama. They don’t want to be stereotyped as a culture that skips out on their children, a type of person who is lazy, and they certainly didn’t seem to me as though they wanted to hurt their community in anyway. To me, a race traitor would be just the opposite. It would be these people who bring their own people down by being narrow-minded and bigoted. How can anyone describe such an educated man such as Barak Obama, with the same terminology that the KKK uses to produce so much awful hate? EVERYONE has to open their mind up to conversations and actually listen. It doesn’t matter if they don’t agree, but if they just were to open their eyes to possible ways that may better their lives, instead of closing the blinds, America might just get better.
The two words race traitor in the same sentence with Senator Obama’s name sounds ridiculously crazy to me. Obama being a man of both black and white, racially, has the view of two different worlds. For Obama to publicly voice his viewpoints about his own race in such a manner that may sound degrading is brave and actually a sign that at least someone in this country is thinking in a forward moving viewpoint. As Laurie said, most people who are on welfare are actually white. So the population of those minorities that people think are poor, lazy and would abandon their children is actually just the opposite. Although, this does not excuse minorities who keep their poor communities at the lower end of the social ladder either. Every one needs to take responsibility for their actions regardless of whether they are black, brown or white. The help of others to relieve the economic and societal stress is much needed for change, but there always needs to be a line drawn between what is needed and what is not. However, I don’t think it is fair to penalize those who are less fortunate because of their socioeconomic status and can’t get enough help to slightly lift them out of poverty. Things like affirmative action should not be criticized and taken away. I never liked when white people or anyone for that matter would complain about minorities taking advantage of affirmative action programs because they were reaping benefits just the same from nepotism. Take Ward Connerly for example, he wants to take away the programs that should help those less fortunate who are actually helpless when he himself has probably benefited from help by knowing someone more powerful in government or an activist role. Overall, I believe that everyone should take responsibility for their actions, good or bad. A little help from everyone will change America for the better, but taking away what has been developed to help this process is not the answer and no one should take advantage of such programs either. Those who are in desperate need should reap benefits and those who can help themselves should work hard climb up the ladder themselves because it will only help them later in life than to take the easy way.
Personally, I found the concept of race traitor to be quite interesting. Being a race traitor is interesting because it brings us the point that you can either degrade your whole race by being a representative or empower it to make it sound good to other people. I was introduced to this concept as a kid growing up in the inner city because you were not to do things that embraced other races. For example, I was told I was a traitor to my race because I was able to speak proper English and use the educational tools that were given to me. Personally, I knew the statistics for black men abandoning their families was high because I know a lot of African-American mothers who raise their families on their own. As a black man, I do not feel Barack Obama is talking down to those who leave their families but rather trying to get in their heads that they need to own up to their responsibilities. I find it disheartening when others criticize they way others do their business or campaigns because it does not fit their views at the time. I feel that people like that want to poke holes in someone’s agenda because they cannot face the truth about certain situations and statistics that are presented in the media.
The concept of a race traitor absolutely fascinates me. It's a concept that seems like it is opposite of racism, and at the same time a sad form of super racism. It seems like the opposite of racism in that it stems from people of races being very proud of their race and heritage and culture. But it is super racism in that people within races are shunning people from within their own race for not sticking to the values or rules that, for whatever reason, come with being a member of that race. This is silly and sad to me. There shouldn't be rules, or criteria for being a certain race, that does nothing for advancing racial relations. People get so wrapped up in racial identity that they see it as the defining characteristic of themselves and the people who look like them and are supposed to be part of that community. It puts shame to people wanting to be themselves and be individuals. It's not being a race traitor if a white person wants to date a black person, or if a black person comments on the state of black affairs as Obama has. It only furthers the sharing of cultures and improves the chances for race relation progress.
I think that the term race traitor is yet another attempt at separating and dividing. It seems that when you look at history people are always trying to set themselves apart, they have used color, structure, intelligence, characteristics and so on to draw these lines. I think that the race traitors may be the answer to what we need because they do not abide by the lines they jump back and forth across them as if they do not exist. I have studied Ward Connerly before and so many black people have been outraged by his efforts, I was in favor of affirmative action before I heard him speak. He has acknowledged that wrongs have occurred in the past and that some people have faced other disadvantages but he finds that despite that all affirmative action is not that answer. Looking at things from at the grass roots level may prove to be more effective and I believe him to be right. As for Obama, he is black and WHITE, I am so tired of hearing people call him the black man, I guess the one drop idea still is the way the majority of people view race. I think that Obama has a much to bring to the table and think his challenges to minority men is admirable. Maybe he can too jump across the lines and get the race issues of our country move in a new better direction.
I feel that there is no such thing as a race traitor. I don’t understand why it has to be looked upon that way. If someone has views or shares opinions that are considered not to be apart of their race, then wouldn’t they be considered race traitors for shunning someone of their own group. I think that there is so much going on in the world, and there is so much racial and ethnic diversity in the world that no group could possibly all shares the same views and beliefs. I feel that Obama is a good man and a great candidate. He is right in saying that everyone needs to take responsibility for their own actions, and blaming the “white man” won’t hold ground forever. Its time for everyone to realize that we are not so different, and just because we have different skin colors doesn’t mean that you don’t share the same opinions. We also must not forget that although Obama is considered a black candidate he is half white. This makes him just as much white as he is black, but society doesn’t see him that way, and that’s weird to me. Does saying that he is half white take away from things that he has accomplished because it’s only significant if it were done by a minority? I don’t think so, but I wonder how everyone else feels about it.
The demise of the concept of 'race traitor' is long overdue. I think it's an absurd idea, and it gets at a crucial problem, one that underscores a lot of our fears and misconceptions of race. That is to say, obviously, for one to be a race traitor, we have to believe that one race is ascribed to one style, one method of acting, one type of music and one manner of behavior. It's based upon schema-- the expectations placed upon a person based upon their color of skin. The schema limits the range of what's socially acceptable for a given race. This way of thinking particularly affects minorities, who are constantly pigeon-holed. The mainstream culture may have been created, in part, by African-americans, hispanics or other minority groups, but certain aspects have been co-opted by white people...a la Rock music.
Think about the days in the past when it was the norm to hate blacks or the norm to keep 'em seperated. Those white people who actually stood for equality in society were referred to as race traitors, or 'nigger lovers,' 'turncoats,' et al. It keeps us all seperate and it keeps the dividing lines in your mind. You can always meet anybody from any background with any interests...as not much is mutually exclusive with humans, but you can begin to understand how schemas can lead one to believe that they'd have NOTHING in common with this, and give up on the social interaction. These deterministic forces are always at work.
Imagine how hard it is for the average person to buck the social norm-- when it comes to almost anything (fashion, music, or even asking questions in class). Now, when there's a believe that we're on different 'teams,' as Sam would say, then it just follows that there will be apprehension when approaching those societal boundaries.
I've personally had these sentiments thrown at me from black people (with whom I identify) and I'm confident that people of many other races probably feel that I'm trying to 'act white' or that I'm a traitor from my own race. We can no longer be held to the social expectations of our race or class...instead, we have to make and define ourselves. Thank you.
Calling Obama a race traitor might seem fitting, but I feel that image he portrays is unintentional. What Obama says does target irresponsible black and brown people, but I think he really means to say is that he did not sit back and receive his education; he gained it through his sweat and tears. Obama manages becoming a candidate for the president of the United States while being a black man and from that experience expects to show all others of his people they can raise to the top. Obama wants to break black and brown people away from the “we can’t go anywhere because of racism” paradigm and show them a successful life is possible and well underway if they stop behaving like they currently are. I am not saying I agree with his idea and proclamations, I think I know what he is trying to get out to the world. He should not be completely torn apart for at least trying to motivate black and brown people in poor communities to give an effort, though he does a less than copacetic job of doing so. When he tells members of poor communities to take responsibility for the negative effects they have on their neighborhood, people accuse him of looking down at his people, hence the name “race traitor,” but even though this term is not rightly justifiable, his way of bringing about a change should have not been so harsh and rough. We live in a world where our words have to be smooth in a non-harmful way but the point gets across. We need to climb out of our boxes that set all these restrictions and break away from the paradigm that everyone’s actions encompass racism, only then can we achieve peace.
The idea of a race traitor intrigues me. I think it must take a lot of guts to go against the people that you identify with most and say things that maybe agree with the very people your own race feel like they are fighting against. I had no idea Obama was considered a race traitor by some and the fact that he called black men out for being irresponsible in some cases surprised me. I think white people are afraid to talk about people in poverty and how they got that way because they don’t want people to assume they’re talking about black and brown people and be considered racist. I would think that Obama being half black would make people not criticize him for being racist and make them listen to what he’s really saying. I think fear really hinders conversations dealing with race issues and we need to get past judgments and just listen to each other. In my discussion group for Soc 119 I know I’ve held back a few times because I didn’t want others to think I was racist or judge me in a negative way. I think moving theses discussions about race publicly is a step in the right direction, but I hope what Obama said about black and brown people doesn’t make white people feel like they cannot do anything to improve race relations. I’m glad that Obama doesn’t always praise and make excuses for black and brown people and talks publicly about issues that upset him about his race. I think we should all follow his example and be more open with how we feel about things our own race are doing that we may not like.
I think there was an interesting point in regards to Obama and racism. He is correct in thinking that if we always blame any dislike for Obama on racism, then we will never get over the problem of racism. If people constantly blame racism for problems, then there is no “open mindedness” in regards to repairing this problem. I think that the fact that Obama is black does show that we are making a huge step in decreasing racism. He has not won the election yet, but if he does not win the election, the question is why? Was it because of racism? I would definitely not consider Obama to be a Race Traitor. Sure, he is a mix of black and white but if we keep thinking of everything in terms of black and white, we will never get over this fight. One of the main problems with racism is that since there are so many sterotypes, these are held against everyone of that race. There are too many generalizations made about groups of people. With Obama, this issue comes into play even though it should not. He is not a racist and tries to treat everyone equally. By talking about the whites that need help, or the black people that are living in luxury skews many people’s views of reality, even though this is not the case at all. Instead of looking at the color of the skin, there are so many other factors that go into what makes some people in poverty and what makes some people come out on top. For example, one of Obamas points was that many whites and blacks are in poverty, not because of race but for other reasons. I think that Jackson is not right in thinking that Obama should not address the “irresponsible” black men. He is stuck in the mind set that blacks were put at a lower status in society and therefore that is the cause for all of their suffering. But there have been many facts and statistics that many black men are lazy. This is true for white people too-white people are lazy as well. Obama is trying to mediate between the two racial groups, but is being attacked for doing so in my opinion by both sides.
This post was very interesting and enlightening to me. I am a republican and I did not vote for president Obama, not because of his race, but mostly for party reasons, one of the biggest ones is that I am against “free handouts” or excessive welfare and people living off the government. In this post however, it explains how President Obama really does address the issue of owning up to your own actions and doesn’t really believe in having to depend on other people when you make poor decisions in your life. I never knew he had these views and it really makes me respect him a lot more. I really applaud President Obama for speaking out to the Black men, telling them to take responsibility for their actions. I think this was a very brave and necessary thing to say, and I do not think it was racist at all, I mean he is half black, I don’t think he would want to be racist towards his own race. He just felt that it was a huge issue and probably saw it happen one too many times. I think it was pretty ignorant and unnecessary for Jesse Jackson to criticize him for saying that and believing that the irresponsibility of black men is the fault of white people’s racism. I really don’t believe that at all, not that there is not racism, but no one, no matter what race, should ever blame their stupid mistakes on their race or the faults of other people. I think owning up to your actions is a great message to convey to all people, no matter their race, and I really hope President Obama focuses on this throughout his presidency.
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