Rice on race: It matters and always has

The Huntsville Time ^ | November 22, 2002 | Dave Person

[where's_the_Outrage?]

NASHINGTO- Teddy Roosevelt, sitting proudly on his oil-W painted horse in the White House room with his name, must have been horrified at Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

As President Bush's national security advisor, she should have known better. She wasn't supposed to say that. Not in a White House peopled with conservative Republicans. Not to a group of black columnists representing major newspapers from around the country.

Not in the Roosevelt Room.

''Race matters in America,'' Rice said. ''It has, it always has. Maybe there will be a day when it doesn't, but I suspect that it will for a long time to come.''

For the record, Rice didn't stutter or backtrack at the end of her interview with the Trotter Group. Instead, she did something that black conservatives aren't known for: She publicly acknowledged the reality and validity of the race question.

Now before you right-wingers get your boxers in a bunch, take a breath. She didn't go Al Sharpton on us, pledging to support reparations. She didn't say that Bush would apologize for the U.S. government's role in the slave trade.

But Rice did increase her credibility with us by affirming her place in the continuing cultural and political struggle that black people in the United States are engaged in - and she did it on her own terms.

Black conservatives, take note: It's OK to admit that race is still a problem in this country. You don't have to sink into denial. The sky won't fall down. The ground won't swallow you up.

It doesn't mean that you have to join Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition, take Congresswoman Maxine Waters to lunch or join the NAACP.

It's safe to take your heads out of the sand and face the truth: While the United States has made tremendous progress on race, it still has a long way to go.

The December 2002/January 2003 edition of Savoy magazine has an extensive article on a class-action discrimination lawsuit that has been filed against Xerox. The plaintiffs contend that sales territories are segregated, promotions are race-based and harassment can take the form of hanging nooses being displayed in some Xerox facilities.

Xerox denies any discrimination, but there is plenty of reason to doubt its denial. According to Savoy writer Marjorie Whigham-Desir, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission dismisses about 80 percent of the complaints lodged by citizens against employers believed to be discriminatory. But Whigham-Desir reported that the EEOC has affirmed the group and individual complaints against Xerox, finding that ''reasonable cause exists to believe'' the charges that the plaintiffs have made.

And in case you Bill Clinton-haters out there are wondering, this is the 2002 Bush EEOC, not that old, tired Clinton-era model.

So maybe Rice isn't alone in the Bush White House. Maybe the GOP is slowing veering away from the Republican Party of 1964, which dealt a fatal blow to race relations during the GOP Convention led by Sen. Barry Goldwater's Cow Palace Republicans in San Francisco. These Republicans were so hostile toward blacks that Hall-of-Famer and convention attendee Jackie Robinson said: ''I now believe I know how it felt to be a Jew in Hitler's Germany.''

At least we can take comfort in knowing that the Bush administration, whatever it's other faults may be, doesn't buy into the lies that have blocked qualified blacks from serving at the highest levels of government. Certainly, it's a good sign that Rice and Secretary of State Colin Powell hold two of the top four slots in the Bush White House, a point not lost on Rice.

''I think it says to people that there aren't boundaries in which black Americans are not supposed to play,'' she said. ''I think that's an extremely important message to the rest of the world.

''I am African American and proud of it,'' Rice said later. ''I wouldn't have it any other way. I do not believe that it has limited who I am or what I can become.''

Conservative or not, I can respect that. And frankly, it's easier to respect people with whom you disagree when you know you share an appreciation for your common experiences. And so under Teddy Roosevelt's watchful, if skeptical gaze, Condoleezza Rice - a fan of Motown, Clarence ''Gatemouth'' Brown and Kool and the Gang as well as Brahms - gave and gained a lot of respect last week.

David Person's column appears each Friday on the Commentary page. E-mail: davidpe@htimes.com; phone 532-4362.

[doberville]

In return, may I respectfully ask: If it is racist to live in an unsegegated community, or prefer to, should one object to (1)an all black dormitory (U of MD) (2) a Black Student Union or (3) the NAAWP?. The Black Miss America pagent?

No? The blacks obviously feel more comfortable amongst their own company - as does every other ethnic group - else there wouldn't have been all these requests for separateness from the University. Why, before you know it, they'll be asking for their own WATER FOUNTAIN.

[Chi-townChief]

"Actually, I think the most important "race-matters" point is what Charlton Heston uttered to Michael Moore on his recent guns documentary "Bowling for Columbine". That Americans support widespread gun ownership and the cause of gun violence is because we have "mixed ethnicity"."

I haven't seen the movie but Heston may be quite correct on this point; birds of a feather, as they say.

However, I've always thought it amazing and a great credit to all Americans that we get along as well as we do despite all of our different backgrounds. You see our mixed ethnicity everywhere you go, work, shopping, church, walking around the block, restaurants, etc. and we're generally not at each others throats. Contrast that to anywhere else in the world.

[Godel]

I agree. Race is a problem. Blacks are 11 times more likely to murder whites as vice versa. Blacks are twice is likely to commit violent hate crimes against whites as vice versa. Huh? You're going to tell me that a few blacks getting bad service at Denny's compares to the systematic murder of white americans at the hands of black racists?

Race matters, it matters because every day people are murdered because of the color of their skin. When blacks stop murdering whites disproportionately, then we can sit down and work on issues like service at restaurants.

Talk about priorities.

[Godel]

When blacks stop being 11 times more likely to ROB, RAPE, or MUDER white americans, then white americans will stop JUSTIFIABLY treating blacks with suspicion.

If you knew a certain brand of car was 11 times more likely to kill you, would you drive in it if you had ANY other options?

I suppose the DOJ is racist.

[demosthenes the elder]

Well, let's see, now...
My house is neighbored on all sides by those of lower-middle to low-income black families. Does that qualify me to speak?
While I was in High School, my family had as guest-resident a highly educated, very large, very black man for 2.5 years. This man had parental authority over me and my siblings. Does this qualify me to speak?
After college in New Orleans, the one man who gave me a decent shot in the workforce was a black son of a sharecropper, with a third-grade education, and an otherwise black work crew. Does this qualify me to speak?
For four years in Atlanta, I lived in an apartment complex whith mixed demographics of the following approximate ratio: 20% White; 40% Black; 35% Latino; 5% Asian. Does this qualify me to speak?
I am going to assume that these above, and others too numerous to mention, meet your exacting standards and do qualify me to speak on this subject.
Race matters in America. It has mattered in the past, and matters now. But it does not matter in the same manner.
WHITE America, as a culture and in general, has made great strides in learning to treat individuals as such, not as organs of a particular breed of Man. BLACK America, also as a culture and in general, has gone very badly in the opposite direction. Where previously it was true that Blacks suffered greatly in their daily lives at the hands of Whites and a racist White culture, now the opposite condition is the prevailing fact. Moreover, since no one may recognize and publicly discuss this fact without being branded as a racist, this situation is creating a great deal of generalized resentment among Whites which will eventually boil over in a terrible and in many ways imprecise and unjust backlash.
Despite my training and my several good and cherished experiences with Blacks whom I hold dear, I have seen so much barbarity and anti-white racism and belligerence that I am now at a point where I am mildly surprised and faintly relieved whenever I meet a polite, articulate, reasonable Black man. That the prevailing Black (popular) culture which has produced this... experienced race-based set of expectations within me has not only been allowed to exist but has been encouraged to spread and flourish offends me deeply.
As I see things, it is this culture among Blacks that needs to be addressed now, as it is the prime source of racial strife in America today.

[demosthenes the elder]

excellent reply. thank you for saving me the effort, and saying what I would have with greater style and brevity than I could have managed.

[BenLurkin]

Ms. Rice is a smart person. She is likely amused by the "controversy".

[vbmoneyspender]

You obvious didn't read the link. You were flatly wrong about the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That bill was filibuster proof until the Republicans got on board and pushed it through. As far as my last post to you is concerned, that excerpt was taken from the linked article. Finally, before you make statements that are flatly false about what the Republicans did and did not do vis-a-vis the 1964 Civil Rights Act, you should do more checking. That way, you won't come off as someone who manifestly has an anti-Republican agenda.

[Godebert]

"If everyone else was honest enough to admit what they really feel about race, instead of pussyfooting around pretending they are unbiased, America would be much better off."

I agree. But most prefer not to bring the wrath of the PC Gestapo, so they lie or keep their opinions to themselves. Would I be happy to see my daughter date a Negro? I'd give you an honest answer but I prefer to keep my posting privileges on this forum.

[wardaddy]

I'm glad I went to bed.

A thread that started out as "why do black journalists unfairly hint that Condi Rice may be an Uncle Tammy" had to morph into a "what constitutes true racial tolerance" thread. They almost always invariably do.

I myself have been sensitized to the point that I feel I need to qualify any honest admissions on this topic to all.....which I guess signifies that I too suffer from white shame (guilt?, never)....the very knee jerkedness that I deplore.

So I guess I'm somewhat of a hypocrite. On these threads, it becomes quite apparent to me that I am indeed middle aged and behind the curve of enlightenment.

Regards..and Good Morning!

[sneakypete]

Race has nothing to do with it!

Of course it does. While they can be no doubt of her intelligence or abilities,there can also be no doubt that her race is worth "bonus points". We are all just lucky that in this case it is incidental.

[sneakypete]

Would you have a problem moving to a middle class all black neighborhood?

It is a equally valid question to ask YOU if you have a problem remaining in a majority-black neighborhood.

[sneakypete]

I think Condi said the right thing to this group.

I agree. There are rumors out there about her possibly running for Governor of California in the future,and speaking obvious truths like this can't hurt her any during the election. Anything else would make her look like a fool.

Personally,I can't wait to watch and listen to her debate any Dim candidate they run against her. I'd rather see her run against Boxer for that Senate seat,but I see her as almost a slam-dunk for the state house. Who could they possibly run against her?

[Republic of Texas]

Race absolutely matters in America, Unfortunately, it matters more to those on the left, and specifically, those of color on the left, than to anyone else. Or more than anyTHING else. That is not healthy or helpful.

[vbmoneyspender]

What civil rights legislation before WWII? 80% of nothing is still nothing.

The most important civil rights issue during the 1920s and 1930s was the lynching of blacks that was taking place in the South. Particuarly targeted were blacks who had proudly served our country World War I. Republicans and some Democrats sought to stop these lynchings with a federal anti-lynching law. The Republicans anti-lynching efforts constituted an official part of the Republican platform which was supported by Republican Presidents such as Harding and Coolidge. The party that blocked these anti-lynching efforts was the Democrat Party which was able to successfully kill anti-lynching bill after anti-lynching bill in the Senate. In fact, the Costigan-Wagner Anti-Lynching Bill might have passed in 1935 but FDR refused to support it for fear that he would alienate his Southern New Deal supporters.

Another important civil rights issue during the 1930s was anti-poll tax legislation. You might be interested to note that FDR also opposed this legislation. His reason? Once again, he didn't want to alienate Southern Democrats in the House and Senate

[WaterDragon]

You know what? I'm tired of race mattering.

[A.J.Armitage]

You know exactly what point I was making, but you don't want to deal with it.