And Obama hasn’t appointed enough Geminis either
This week I had the honor of attending two inaugurations. The first involved standing in sub-freezing conditions and watching Barack Obama be sworn in. The second involved wearing my Sunday best in the Martin Luther King Chapel at Morehouse College where my brother Skip Mason was sworn in as the 33rd General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
At least one other person was present at both events: Andy Young. Ambassador Young is well into his say-anything years, but still you have to wonder if that means that you should, like, literally say anything. He took the moment to point out that Barack’s cabinet was thus far lacking in appointees who graduated from Historically Black Colleges and Universities or who grew up in the South. (Now I haven’t had a chance to check the birth ratio of Northern/Western/MidWestern Negroes to genuine Southern ones in Obama’s administration but I might just start digging that up.)
Now, I graduated from one HBCU (Howard University) and I teach at another (Spelman College) and I donate money to both. I think that places me in fairly good standing — or at least enough to say that this is the most adjectivally ridiculous charge I’ve yet heard about Obama’s shortcomings.
You may recall that slightly over a year ago Mr. Young made headlines by announcing that Bill Clinton was “every bit as black as Barack Obama” and that he had “probably gone with more black women than Barack” — which of course raised the question of whether he was referring to before or after Bill got married.
A close second in the Negro Nitpicking Sweepstakes came the critique that Michelle Obama was wrong for not wearing at least one black designer on inauguration day. Um… she wore designs by a Latina and an Asian American — tell me we’re not back to the idiot days of the Obamas having to prove they’re down for black folk. More importantly, her husband just appointed African Americans as UN Ambassador and ATTORNEY GENERAL. Personally, I think black America stands to benefit more from a top down opposition to racial profiling than either Obama checking off to-dos on this byzantine blackness list.
Here is a useful bit of information that we might reflect upon during the next four years: Barack Obama is the President, not the host of Soul Train.
Kat
Very funny…well said.
Jan 27, 2009 @ 5:47 pm
DeAngelo
Great stuff, as usual, Jelani. Sorry we missed each other at the Coronation. Hit me up if you get to the Mile High. We’ll rap soon.
Jan 28, 2009 @ 11:52 am
Alicia Young
we need a new word to call these kinds of criticisms. they’re so small. but said by people given a mike. i mean, seriously. especially in the face of how much damage was done by the bush admin. (it seems like everyday i reflect on something ELSE bush did that we’re going to be paying for for years)
anyway — i really like the new site, too. i’m just a fan of yours in general. still.
Jan 28, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
Buckeye Wench
“Here is a useful bit of information that we might reflect upon during the next four years: Barack Obama is the President, not the host of Soul Train.”
HA! Your permission to add this line to my personal list of official ‘Quotes of Awesome 2009′?
Linked over here from TNC - quickly becoming a fan
Jan 28, 2009 @ 7:43 pm
Dwayne
You are right to dismiss these silly inconsequential critims of the Obama presidency. Not to worry, there are going to be a number of real issues of concern with the Obama administration. One might start with his untenable position on the Palestine/Israeli conflict.
As “Barack Obama is the President, not the host of Soul” Nor should we accept him serving as the host of American Band Stand for Corporate America.
Jan 28, 2009 @ 9:47 pm
shani
Perfect ending. I knew I liked you for a reason.
Jan 28, 2009 @ 10:04 pm
AmericanException
Buckeye: Permission granted. Dwayne: I see your American Bandstand and raise you a Dance Fever. Don’t know what that means, but felt like making a Denny Terio reference.
More seriously, I’ve said previously that there are limits to rationality — unfortunately — and Obama’s greatest asset and biggest liability in some instances is his rationality.
Palestine is by no means a simple conflict and it is one defined by the extremes. Hamas appears to be the Islamic equivalent of the Mugabe government in Zimbabwe — relying upon very real, very fucked up historical grievances to camouflage their own shortcomings as leadership.
This doesn’t mean that Israel gets a blank check but, as I’ve told my friends on the left, it’s not like there’s a reliable set of Palestinian leadership to work with either.
Jan 29, 2009 @ 5:59 am
Hill Rat
Great piece, the line:
is pure genius!
Jan 29, 2009 @ 4:52 pm
JR Shells
Frat, this post is so goddamn money. My wife and I almost fell out of bed when we saw on the news that Black designers were complaining that Mrs. Obama did not wear a Black designer… should we also complain that she doesn’t have dreads or cornrows? Folks like Andy Young are good to look to as inspiration but they have lost all seriousness or objectivity. Did he make the same critique of Bill Clinton or George Bush? Asinine.
Jan 29, 2009 @ 6:32 pm
Byron E. Price
Andrew Young should address the lack of African American faculty in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. This school bears his name.
Jan 31, 2009 @ 1:19 am
evans
While the criticism over Mrs. Obama’s designer choices are silly, you are wrong about one thing. The Obamas (President Obama in particular) do have to prove that “they’re down for black folk.” They actually have to prove that they’re down for everybody-they took pains to point this out during their campaign. Most of us hail Obama’s political astuteness, and IMO incorrectly call up pragmatism, when Obama reaches out to Republicans, the Christian Right, etc. I think we’re a little too content with having a Black man in the White House. Since politics has not yet actually changed (Gail Collins and David Brooks have an interesting column about this in the NYT.), and is still largely a fight for power amongst different groups, I would hope that we do not now think that politicians look out for anyone’s interests without pressure. I’m not defending the silly stuff, but I have a concern that when legitimate issues arise, as hinted at by Dwayne, we won’t challenge Obama because he’s Black. If so, this will be a mistake. No politician should be able to take the Black vote for granted. We might actually be a lot further if this was not previously (and still is) the case.
Jan 31, 2009 @ 5:55 am
AmericanException
Hey (Evans) thanks for the comment. But we’re talking about two different animals here. A few weeks ago I challenged Obama on the Rick Warren issue; during the campaign I took issue with his FISA vote.
More crucially, Obama’s campaign made some notable mistakes vis-a-vis black folk during the campaign that I tried to highlight as well.
But here’s the problem: the surfeit of dumb criticism makes it that much harder to create a space for the legitimate concerns to be voiced. I agree with you that Obama has to “prove” he’s down for the people who put him in office but that will not be determined by who designed the dress his wife is wearing.
Now, as for the pragmatism, I haven’t read Brooks and Collins on this but I absolutely think it applies to Obama. The Warren selection was pure pragmatism — Obama is hoping to basically encircle his GOP critics by peeling off the younger evangelicals whom Warren represents. The same thing with the straw man of Rush Limbaugh.
Jan 31, 2009 @ 4:31 pm
evans
I agree. The silly stuff definitely makes it harder for legitimate issues to receive proper attention. However, a small, very small case can be made for vocalizing grievances that seem petty. I think that the Rick Warren incidence is an example. People on both sides of the issue agree that the move was symbolic. I think the disagreement occurred with whether or not the symbolism and its various implications mattered. As a result of the outcry, the Obama administration actually had to take a firmer pro-gay stance, something I’m sure they were not anticipating. Likewise, the choice of designers of Mrs. Obama’s dress designers can be construed as symbolic and maybe important. It’s a STRETCH, I know. My concern is that what are deemed as Black issues, by some or many, continue to fall prey to criticisms of being petty, narrow, etc. When other groups, of all kinds, exercise the same strategy, I see less of such criticisms. Maybe I shouldn’t compare groups. But again, since politics still largely comprises the fight for power amongst groups, I take note of such differences.
The Brooks and Collins article is a reference to how Congress hasn’t really changed at all, i.e. voting on legislation without doing any research, bullying opponents, voting pretty much along party lines, etc.
Re Warren and pragmatism, I’ve been wondering why we need young evangelicals to enter the Democratic tent. Are they worth it? I question the value of bringing people into the fold who helped to ruin the Republican party as we know it.
Jan 31, 2009 @ 6:03 pm
AmericanException
Yeah, Evans, we’re on the same page re: criticism but I think that fashion thing is the kind of stretch that is best attempted by accomplished yoga instructors.
It might be that I am absolutely unconcerned about fashion but I believe it cheapens the entire enterprise. Holler at me when we see how Eric Holder handles the disproportionate sentencing issues in black America. I worry about just how petty some folk will get, losing sight of the forest not for the trees, but for individual leaves.
This country is facing a titanic economic crisis, one that will, like those preceding it, disproportionately impact black America — do we really need that kind of distraction? It’s unfortunate that for some folk Obama can do no wrong (trust me, I fight with them too) but I have no tolerance for that fringe of black America wherein he — and Michelle — can do no right.
The Warren issue was more substantive because Obama was raising the profile of someone who has had direct impact upon policy and people’s views.
As for paring the young evangelicals away, it’s actually a pretty shrewd idea. We’re not talking about Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwell Christians here but a younger variant whose politics don’t center solely on abortion. They’re more likely to care about the environment and social justice/poverty issues as part of their religious mandate. In the end, that may pay long term dividends for Obama as he tackles things like green energy, etc.
Feb 01, 2009 @ 4:32 pm