Manning Marable on Obama and Race

If I didn't know better I would have assumed that Mr Marable was actually smoking some potent ganga when he penned his last piece that appeared in the Black Commentator

He writes:

So I return to the white college administrator whose son is in prison on drug charges. I made a mistake. People of color must break through the mental racial barricades that divide America into parallel racial universes. We need to mobilize and support the election of Barack Obama not only because he is progressive and fully qualified to be president, but also because only his campaign can force all Americans to overcome the centuries-old silences about race that still create a deep chasm across this nation’s democratic life. In the end, we must force our fellow citizens who happen to be white, to come to terms with their own whiteness, their guilt and fears about America’s terrible racial past.



If there is any hope for meaningful change inside U.S. electoral system in the future, it lies with progressive leaders like Barack Obama. If we can dare to dream politically, let us dream of the world as it should be.

Perhaps he has had personal meetings with Obama or perhaps he has seen some presentation that managed to not get covered by the press. However; the above quote is La la land as any I've read.

Obama's campaign has not been anything about forcing American to overcome "centuries-old silences about race." The man could not bring himself, while in NYC to comment on the Sean Bell Shooting. He was nowhere to be seen when the Jena Six incident happened. He stood up in King Jr's old church on King Jr's birthday and chose to scold black folk about their supposed anti-Semitism. After "denouncing and rejecting Minister Farrakhan, he went to meet some Jews to make sure they understood that he was on their side and he would be there for Israel. Exactly how does this all become a " overcome centuries old silences?"

Marable must think we are all stupid.

Obama is not about making white folks examine America's racial past. His status is directly related to the fact that Obama has a nominal relation to America's "terrible racial past." He is liked by so many white folk because, as many of them have said themselves, he is not fully "black." He doesn't make them feel bad about Americas past. Even Obama's wife, who I actually like better than Obama, has felt the "don't step out of line nigger" pressure when she honestly discussed her feelings of non-pride in America.

Look, if Marable is in Obama's corner that's not a problem. He should do him. But please lets not start attributing things to the man or the campaign that are simply not there.