Barack Obama's Victory

"I haven't, only because the details of this event, you know, I've never studied," Obama said.

He added: "Let just me lay out a very clear principle: In my mind if someone killed a police officer, they deserve the death penalty or life in prison."
-Barack Obama on Mumia Abu-Jamal


Barack Obama has won and people all over are wondering if his ascendency means that we have shifted to a “post-racial” society etc...

Not that I ever believed that his victory would be the death blow to bigotry, as historic as his election to the highest office is. But still, reminders met me nearly as soon as the race was called for Obama.

A former co-worker, who had never previously talked about politics or race texted me the following message late on Tuesday night “A nigger for President”. Another co-worker had worked himself into a right-wing frenzy that he felt compelled to share with me that included some not-so-cleverly disguised racist overtones.

As someone acutely familiar with extremist views and the mentality that fuels such ideas, even I was taken aback at the venomous vitriol that an Obama victory had apparently unleashed.

I was of course reminded that it was not just angry whites who were lamenting the loss of John McCain, but also a small cadre of race baiters of various ethnicities, whose bread and butter is the victimization racket that was dealt a heavy blow by the Obama victory. Indeed, it was against African-Americans who did not feel Obama was “authentically black” enough that the President-elect had his first political scraps with. It was Obama who took on, and first lost to former Black Panther, Bobby Rush, in his race for Senate in Illinois. Obama would come back and win that seat, but not before being savaged as an “Uncle Tom”, a “tool” for the white man, amongst countless other personal attacks.

In his race for the White House, he was heckled by members of a black nationalist, cult, who accused him of ignoring the plight of the black community and of course he was blasted by Mumia for “studiously ignoring” the problems of black people. More lofty rhetoric from Mumia, whose contribution to black America is that he has exploited black suffering to suit his own selfish ends. A more repugnant exploiter of race could only be found amongst the ranks of the KKK.

The same could be said about MOVE, the cult that rapes black children and keeps them in a state of enforced ignorance. Their actions led to the destruction of a working class African-American neighborhood, the collapse of Philadelphia’s first black Mayoral administration, and the loss of millions of taxpayer dollars that could have been used elsewhere. The KKK, The Aryan Nation, and assorted other bigoted groups ain’t got shit on MOVE when it comes to causing suffering to black people in Philadelphia.

So, it is important to remember that those who trade on the suffering of African Americans, real and imagined got another reminder that there time is coming up. That while we have so far to go to realize Dr. King’s dream, we are taking strides in the right direction. This, despite the racial hucksters on either side of the political divide.