Organizing for America | Novlette White's Blog: That Q & A with Rev. Wright

That Q & A with Rev. Wright

By Novlette, Todos Somos Americanos! - Apr 28th, 2008 at 10:59 am EDT

Also listed in: Barack Obama for President '08 - Connecticut Chapter | Black Folks for Obama

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I can see it now. The Q & A session with Rev. Wright is going to cause some individuals (Obama supporters, pundits, bloggers…etc) to say this is not good for the Obama campaign. This will hurt Barack.

But the real challenge is to look at these two individuals (Rev. Wright and Obama) as not the same. That they don’t think alike. That they don’t represent each others views. Rev. Wright’s demeanor during the Q & A session will challenge some folks. Black folks will cringe and others will try to not transfer the Rev’s attitude to Barack. Rev. Wright is challenging the “dominant” press and folks in this country to see people of African descent as individuals and that the way he is, is not the way other clergy, particularly those of African descent, will act. We may share a Black skin but we are different…not deficient. Further, Rev. Wright is challenging the media to not define how he should act. It’s up to us as supporters to question the media when they try to transfer their assessment of Rev. Wright to Barack. (Once some of us get over trying not to do the same thing)

I often think about why the media dislike Barry Bonds. It’s not because they believe he used steroids, but I think it is due to his “hostile” attitude towards the press. Those whom the media like who does wrong, they express disappointment and those sports figures whom they don’t, they express glee.

Rev. Wright’s Q & A and other appearances will cause many people to worry, be upset. I hear Black folks are calling CNN mad at Rev. Wright. But their feelings are based on the fear of what White folks are going to think of us. Well we can’t be lead by fear, worrying about what White folks think. We must step up to the challenge of overcoming our racial stereotypes. If not now, when? When the campaign is over? Why? Rev. Wright’s sermons are being used by both Hillary Clinton and John McCain and the MSM as a weapon against Barack. So if we don’t collectively work to take away this “weapon” from those trying to use it against Barack, who’s going to do it? Isn’t this part of the national conversation about race? Why are Hagee’s sermons not televised and used as a weapon against John McCain? Why are Black folks always asked by the media to denounce other public figures of their race?

The path to the White House was never ever going to be the easy, not with Barack Hussein Obama, not for a man of African descent, not given the need to feed the 24/7 media circus with so-called controversies and not because of the continuing legacy of racism. Some Black folks fear will be, white folks are just not going to see Rev. Wright as different from Barack or themselves. Some White folks will view the Rev. as uppity, arrogant person, who is really angry and resentful and project that onto Barack. But if we can see McCain and Hagee as well as all those reporters and pundits who use to appear on the Don Imus show, as separate individuals with different opinions than Imus, then why not Barack and Rev. Wright?

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