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Racism Is Fading From View In America

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Bud Morgan

Published: February 13, 2008

Our country finds itself on the threshold of success in our long, hard-fought struggle toward racial tolerance and equality. Barack Obama, a product of a mixed marriage between a caucasian woman and a black man from Africa, won the Democratic caucuses in Iowa. This victory is of significant importance because the overwhelming majority of Iowa's population is caucasian. There are very, very few African-Americans in the entire state.

Obama went on to win 13 other states on Super Tuesday. Furthermore, the candidacy of Obama has fueled a tsunami of political excitement among first-time voters — mostly those between the ages of 18 to 25.

The story of Barack Obama is, by no means, unique in this giant step toward improvement in race relations. One can look to practically any venue of our society and witness dramatic improvements in our long struggle. We now have Condoleeza Rice, an African-American woman, as our Secretary of State. Her immediate predecessor as Secretary of State was General Colin Powell, another African-American, who previously held the position as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Oprah Winfrey is, arguably, the most popular woman in America, and — perhaps — in the entire world. African-Americans dominate the upper level of skilled athletes in basketball, boxing and football. Tiger Woods, another product of a racially mixed marriage, stands alone on the contemporary pinnacle of greatness in the game of golf.

In the corporate world, African-Americans are impressively competing for and achieving positions in the top tier of executive status. Who can deny the acting acumen of Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones, Ruby Dee, Laurence Fisburne, Denzel Washington, Cicely Tyson, Forest Whitaker, and a long list of others?

African-Americans are a dominant force in the music industry and reign supreme in the music of rap, blues, soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz. African-Americans are deans and presidents of many of America's universities. African-Americans are Nobel and Pulitzer winners. African-Americans are among the nation's leaders in space, science, and medicine. They have picked themselves up from the humiliation of slavery and racism and risen to greatness.

Yet, in the opinion of a comparatively few antagonistic people, African-Americans are not worthy. How can that be? How can these ignorant remnants of the KKK and George Wallace brand of thinking cast such hateful aspersions on an entire race of people? How can they ignore the majority of society? How can they ignore the voices of younger generations of Americans who "get it"? How can they continue to whisper their childish, racist jokes and not realize how ignorant they appear in the eyes of their audience?

There are a number of possible answers. Maybe it is that these ignorant remnants have managed to keep hate alive by keeping their heads in the sand. Maybe they genuinely believe that they are superior to African-Americans despite the lessons of history, the lessons of their own religions and the lessons of science.

Finally, maybe we will never know how some people can continue to hate and belittle others in the face of such overwhelming tolerance and compassion. There is one thing for sure. I will not waste one more minute of my time on this earth trying to discern the value of such blatant cruelty and ignorance. This type of behavior has no value.

White America can no longer blame an entire race of African-Americans for the irresponsible actions (or inactions) of a few. Black America can no longer blame the entire caucasian race for the actions of a comparatively few ignorant and hateful among us. Also, black America cannot continue to call itself the "n" word and then get upset when white America uses it.

America can no longer blame an entire race of Hispanic people because this nation refused to protect the security of our national borders. America can no longer blame an entire race of Asian people because some Asian students are doing better than all the other students in many of our schools and universities.

I make no apologies for my enthusiastic support for Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy for president of the United States. He has inspired all of us to believe in our nation again. He is gifted with intellectual brilliance and truly unique leadership skills. In my view, he offers the best hope for retrieving the electorate and the government from the quagmire of crazed partisanship. He will bring sanity to our foreign policy. He will bring resolve and rationality to our national security. He will bring the will and talent to rescue our fiscal policies from near-ruination to hope for future generations.

Let there be no doubt however, that it far less important which candidate emerges victorious in this election than it is for this nation's people to grow in the moral arena. We must show ourselves and show the world that we are going to rise above prejudice, racism, and bigotry. We cannot permit the narrow-minded among us to further diminish our greater national character.

Bud Morgan lives in Avon Park.

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