Organizing for America | Beth's 'Bama Blog: A personal reflection on race

A personal reflection on race

By Beth from ColoradObama - May 9th, 2008 at 5:17 pm EDT

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Tags: African American, basketball, Black, DUTCH, hoops, Irish, race, Scots, son, White

I'm copying and pasting an e-mail exchange between me and some MYBO friends:

Hi Christine and Nancy and everyone else (BuildingOurStrengthsForObama),

I think we all make assumptions about other people all the time; it's human nature. It's how we follow through on those assumptions that really matters.

There's a young man who delivers office supplies to our building on a regular basis. The first time I saw him I asked him if he played basketball; he said he did and had even played for a year at a Jr. College. We talked hoops a little more then he left.

One of my coworkers (white) later told me she thought I was awfully bigoted for asking that young man whether or not he played basketball. I asked her why my conversation with him qualified me as a bigot. She told me that it was apparent I asked him about basketball because he's black. I told her "NO, I asked him if he played basketball because he's VERY TALL (6'6"+) like my son who also played basketball". "oh" she says and crawls away. But that got me to thinking...I wonder if that young man ever thought I asked him about basketball because he's black. I made it a point to engage him in another conversation about hoops the next time I saw him, and I also made it a point to tell him my son was about his size and also played basketball. I impressed this young man with my rather considerable knowledge (for an older woman ;>)) of college basketball.

When I first became an Obama precinct captain, I assumed that all African Americans would vote for Senator Obama. Then I had a precinct party a few nights before our caucus and one of the ladies in attendance was African American. She arrived a few minutes before everyone else. When it was just the two of us she asked me if I thought America was ready for a black president--I told her yes. She asked if I thought white people would vote for him and I said yes, with the exception of ultra-ultraconservatives and the 13-15% of white Americans who are cracker/peckerwood/KKK white folks. She laughed then said she was worried that African Americans wouldn't support him because his experience as a black man in America, both personal and generational, was not the same as people descended from slaves. Additionally, she said, he's not black enough for some black folk (because he's biracial). That kind of surpri sed me, I must admit.

But-- I was really glad that this woman, an African American, and I, a Scots-Irish/Dutch American were able to have this conversation one on one. And we were strangers--it was the first time we'd met. And that in and of itself is why America is more than ready for an African American president. And we're ready to resume/continue moving beyond racial injustice and inequality, and appreciate and respect our differences.

The fact that we're having these conversations and openly exploring and discussing our differences and similarities and assumptions is exactly what Senator Obama wants us to do--he said so on March 18, 2008--one of the more memorable days of my life. I will always remember where I was as I watched his speech.

Barack Obama is all of us. And all of us are him.

I'm heading to MYBO right now to invite some more people to be my friends!

Beth

Elizabeth "Hussein" McKinley
Thornton, Colorado

To learn more about why I support Senator Barack Obama, please check out my pages/blogs at Obama Brigade and MyBarackObama.com:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/bethmckinley

www.obamabrigade.com/profile/ElizabethBethMcKinley

Want to know what I really think? Check out: http://www.fatbitch4obama.blogspot.com Get my unjaded truth

Check out Nation For Change (N4C) WE ARE THE PEOPLE http://www.nationforchange.com/

Link to Denver's N4C 4/19/08 rally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MIYoGneQjY

Create your own personalized Obama logo at http://logobama.com

"I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours". Senator Barack Obama

> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 16:13:39 -0400
> To: BuildingonourStrengthsforObama@groups.barackobama.com
> From: c1potthast@swbell.net
> Subject: [BuildingonourStrengthsforObama] Re: Re: RE: Re: Re: Re: Help -- Pam Martens, Black Agenda Report???
>
> Beth
>
> and I have to admit, I am guilty of something pretty
> much like that...
>
> Me, white woman, 45, ... a passionate Obama
> supporter. Recently I had to go to physical therapy
> for quite a while, so ... I got to know people working
> there a bit better. One of the ladies is African
> American... my age. After the primary in Texas, the
> next morning, I had to be there and was upset how
> Hillary was declaring victory. So, what did I do? I
> walked in and started talking to her, how Hillary
> could say ... whatever she said. - Sure enough, she
> smiled at me and said, "Oh I was very happy this
> morning, Hillary is my girl." - My jaw dropped, big
> lesson, my subconsious had told me she must be an
> Obama supporter... just because of her skin color...
>
> :)
>
> Christine
>
>
> --- Nancy Noffsinger <noffsingern@bellsouth.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Hey, I tried to put you on my friends list, but
> > don't think I got right person. Would you ask me to
> > be your friend, and I'll accept? Thanks, Nancy
> > Noffsinger I'm in Strength Group, too.
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Elizabeth McKinley
> > To: Building on our Strengths for Obama
> > Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 5:41 PM
> > Subject: [BuildingonourStrengthsforObama] RE: Re:
> > Re: Re: Help -- Pam Martens, Black Agenda Report???
> >
> >
> > One other thing--and I hope I phrase this in an
> > appropriate way
> >
> > Regarding reports, editorials, columns, etc., from
> > African American journalists or writers--IMHO...
> >
> > What I've observed is that when someone, anyone,
> > comes across a column, etc. written or spoken by an
> > African American journalist who doesn't support
> > Obama, the bells go off, the whistles blow, and all
> > Obama opponents, regardless of party/race/gender,
> > etc., point to the opinions and writings or
> > broadcasts by those journalists as nothing but
> > completely, 100% accurate and legit because, after
> > all, if it was written or said by an African
> > American it must be true because they wouldn't say
> > something like that about another African American
> > if it weren't. That catharsis came for me when one
&g t; > of my white friends sent me a column by some guy
> > with the New York Sun. It was the
> > secretmuslimterroristantichrist bullshit; what the
> > column said was bullshit, but because this columnist
> > was black, my friend's interpretation was that the
> > guy must have been right. I've blogged this on MYBO
> > page
> >
> > That in itself is racist thinking. African
> > American journalists aren't 100% "right" about Obama
> > just because he's black and they're black. They
> > have opinions and spin just like any other
> > journalist (as we well know) to their own benefit
> > (ratings, notoriety, financial gain). God knows
> > we've had plenty of journalists this election cycle
> > who are total ratings whores and will do and say
> > anything if it scores them some points.
> >
> > There are several well- known and well-respected
> > African American journalists who are well-known
> > conservatives
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_conservatism
> >
> > There is a black conservative movement in this
> > nation. It is what it is. No ultra social
> > conservative is going to support Obama, regardless
> > of the hue of their skin tone. That doesn't make
> > them right.
> >
> > Enough from me. Shut up Beth.
> >
> > Beth
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Elizabeth "Hussein" McKinley
> > Thornton, Colorado
> >
> >
> > To learn more about why I support Senator Barack
> > Obama, please check out my pages/blogs at Obama
> > Brigade and MyBarackObama.com:
> >
> >
> >
> http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/bethmckinley
> > ;
> > www.obamabrigade.com/profile/ElizabethBethMcKinley
> >
> > Want to know what I really think? Check out:
> > http://www.fatbitch4obama.blogspot.com Get my
> > unjaded truth
> >
> > Check out Nation For Change (N4C) WE ARE THE
> > PEOPLE http://www.nationforchange.com/
> >
> > Link to Denver's N4C 4/19/08 rally:
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MIYoGneQjY
> >
> > Create your own personalized Obama logo at
> > http://logobama.com
> >
> > "I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my
> > ability to bring about real change in
> > Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours".
> > Senator Barack Obama
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> --------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 22:11:30 -0400
> > To:
> >
> BuildingonourStrengthsforObama@groups.barackobama.com
> > From: planetstrands@yahoo.com
> > Subject: [BuildingonourStrengthsforObama] Re:
> > Re: Re: Help -- Pam Martens, Black Agenda Report???
> >
> >
> > individuals can give INDIVIDUAL money. -- up to
> > $2,300 PER PERSON IS PERFECTLY LEGAL!!!
> > HE HAS, FLAT OUT, LED THE WAY ON FINANCE REFORM
> > AND ETHICS. OBAMA HAS DEVELOPED REPORTING CRITERIA.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Ruvani Freeman <ruvsfreeman@yahoo.com>
> > To: Building on our Strengths for Obama
> >
> <BuildingonourStrengthsforObama@groups.barackobama.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 7, 2008 9:07:33 PM
> > Subject: [BuildingonourStrengthsforObama] Re:
> > Re: Help -- Pam Martens, Black Agenda Report???
> >
> > Besides, as someone pointed out a while back,
> > everybody is a "lobbyists" if you count people
> > related to people who work at lobbying firms, big
> > pharma, PTA, etc. He expressly states that he takes
> > no money from Federally listed lobbyists - lobbyists
> > who are listed with the federal govt. as being
> > biased in favor of one interest group or
> > another......
> >
> > Fran Rodgers <franrodgers@roadrunner.com> wrote:
> >
> > I personally wouldn't even TRY to counter
> > it.... author sounds as if his ears are turned
> > off... What they just simply can't wrap their
> > brains around is that he has over 1.5MILLION
> > donors... at an average of $100.... do the math...
> > he doesn't NEED a "money cartel"... My advice:
> > ignore it and go on!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On May 7, 2008, at 8:05 PM, Kathleen Jones
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Can anyone tell me about this writer or how
> > to counter this stuff about Wall St. contributions
> > to Obama campaign?
> >
> >
> >
> http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=613&Itemid=1
> >
> > Title is: Obama's Money Cartel: How Barack
> > Obama Fronted for the Most Vicious Predators on Wall
> > Street
> >
> > First paragraph of article:
> >
> >
> > The candidate that claims to be the only
> > presidential contender who doesn't take money from
> > lobbyists is in fact the biggest recipient of
> > lobby-related contr ibutions. Barack Obama rakes in
> > millions from law firms serving the interests of
> > Wall Street, including the financial institutions
> > that gave us the subprime lending crisis. Lawyers
> > that work for firms that earn hundreds of millions
> > of dollars for lobbying may technically not be
> > lobbyists, but they share in their colleagues'
> > earnings as influencers of Congress - a legal
> > loophole that allows Obama to claim his hands are
> > clean of lobby loot. "The top contributors to the
> > Obama campaign are the very Wall Street firms whose
> > shady mortgage lenders buried the elderly and the
> > poor and minority under predatory loans."
> >
> >
> > Thanks -- I can use some help with this one
> > -- coming of course f rom a Hillary supporter :( :(
> >
> > Kathleen
> > --
> > Y es We Can!
> > Y a Mir Kanne's Duh!
> > (Yes we can do it in Pa "Dutch")
> >
> >

Good Lord, I do like to write, even if nobody else likes what I've written! This whole BLOG-thing is awesome!

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