What the hell? Coworker says Obama isn't the right kind of black.

[RayOfHope]

or as she actually put it 'he isn't really black'. He isn't? Huh. Who knew.

I asked her to please clarify, and she said that she heard a black radio caller say he was voting for Obama because he was black too.

She said that Obama isn't like American blacks, that have survived slavery, ie, his family hasn't had that struggle since his father was from Kenya. She said voting for someone just because they are black is stupid, to which I agreed. However, Senator Obama happens to have many, many fabulous qualities:)

People are just completely ridiculous sometimes, aren't they?

[muntrv]

1. All Kenyans had to do is endure European colonialism. No big deal.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[RayOfHope]

2. No kidding! I pointed out to her that possibly his ancestors had been captured

and sold into slavery. I don't think this has occurred to her.

[nc4bo]

20. I think if we look at it like this

Obama is multi cultural. He identifies and emphasizes with all people. This is what I LOVE about him.

Obama doesn't separate us by our color, religion, culture or ethnicity.

There's something different (in a most excellent way) about him. I've got such high hopes for not only Americans but for the human race.

[RayOfHope]

22. Absolutely. That can ony be an asset when dealing internationally.

He is, as he said, a 'citizen of the world'.

[ChazII]

34. Like Tiger,

Obama is multicultural. Good observation, nc4bo.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. Well

She's ignorant love! :rofl:

I'm voting for him because he's bi-racial - like me! :rofl: (Teasing you! :-) )

[RayOfHope]

8. LOL! I think I love you. n/t

[sandnsea]

4. Is your coworker black?

Otherwise, she's a racist grasping at any straw to bash Obama.

[RayOfHope]

7. No, but I do see some predjuidice in her. We live in a little white enclave

She's lived here all her life, while I've been fortunate to have lived most of my life in a very diverse university town. I'd say she's more woefully ignorant than racist, and I am working on her because she is open to listening. And--lol--she thinks "McCain is downright nuts" so she is actually voting for Obama.

[CJCRANE]

14. Funnily enough

my own mother said the same thing about Obama a few months ago. She tends to just repeat stuff she picks up from the MSM. She asked me today "are they still saying Obama is too skinny this week?".. so I think she's actually realized that it's just pundits blathering on.

[Top Cat]

5. Barack probably had it harder then the average AA

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Amen

Another one for it's tougher to be bi-racial and catch it from boths sides! :pals: :rofl: I'm telling you -

Go back and tell your co-worker that he's TOUGH. He's tough. And he can take anything. I speak from experience! ;-)

[redstate_democrat]

19. Please elaborate.

Thanks.

[RayOfHope]

21. I'm not biracial, but the impression I get is this:

Biracial people aren't black enough for some black people, and not white enough for most white people. Both sides see them as sort of tainted because they aren't 100% either.

[redstate_democrat]

27. Oh ok.

[JustAnotherGen]

40. Exactly redstate

My point.

I can 'relate' to Barack Obama on that level sooooooooo well. I'm sure from the time he was on the playground - he caught it on both ends. I've heard that bullsh*t all of my life. ;-)

[ecstatic]

39. Financially, he was about average or maybe above average... but emotionally,

I can't imagine how hard it must have been for him growing up in an all white household that had little or no knowledge of black culture. Questions he may have had were probably answered in ways that were laced with hidden biases and racism.

As a teen, he probably had many awkward experiences and identity issues. He was different--not just within his own household, but at school too. He learned about race in America from the white and possibly Asian American perspective with little or no input from black adults. However, being an intelligent young man, I imagine he read a lot of books to get the whole picture.

Regardless of his actual lineage, I'm sure he felt something when he saw the pictures and read the stories about blacks being forced to the back of the bus, or hosed down, or sold in chains. Plus, he was certainly treated slightly different than the rest of his peers (Hawaii isn't exactly a leader when it comes to race relations).

The beautiful thing is that Obama took in all of those experiences up and didn't become angry, bitter or disillusioned. That wealth of perspective combined with his natural intellect transformed Obama into the man he is today--someone who can truly understand the race issue from all sides.

[Peacetrain]

9. You know what I like about Obama...

Anyone who has a problem with his races can go and take a flying leap.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

10. "I hate you because you're black! What? You are not the "former slave type"? My apologies, Sir."

I don't understand this argument. The basis of racism is judging someone based on race. I doubt those who discriminate take the time to ask one's background.

[AspenRose]

30. You'd be surprised

One of my college friends from Trinidad said white people wouldn't give her the time of day until they heard the accent and realized she was not "from here." Then it was ok because she wasn't like "a typical black person."

People are stupid.

[CJCRANE]

11. Ask her "is McCain the right kind of white?"

Then she might realize how stupid she sounds.

[Lilith Velkor]

31. McCain is not just white, he's ultraviolet.

They gotta close the aperture almost all the way to film his scary Crypt Keeper ass.

[eshfemme]

12. OMFG, so if a recent white immigrant has a kid, they're not the REAL AMERICAN WHITE?

WTF? It's just finding some sorta ridiculous excuse to marginalize Barack's American experience and a flimsy excuse to not vote for him.

[iamjoy]

13. Well, She's Right

I mean, Obama has not had what we typically think of as the "African American" story/experience. He does not have an ancestor who was held as a slave in the United States. He does not have grandparents who can share stories of living under Jim Crow and fearing lynching,

So, what's her point?

Anyway, Barack Obama has lived most of his life in the United States. And when people saw him, they likely assumed he was the descendant of slaves and treated him like any other African American.

Really, it is ridiculous to vote or not vote for Obama solely based on his ethnicity.

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

15. Even if you want to say Obama "isn't", his wife, and therefore his children, definitely are.

For that matter, any racist bigots that Obama himself had to deal with growing up certainly didn't care whether his father was an immigrant from Kenya or the great great grandson of slaves.

I remember a similar weak argument back in 2003/04 when some idiots tried to accuse Howard Dean of being "anti semitic". My response was "yeah, be sure and tell his wife and kids about that".

[knixphan]

16. co-worker is certainly

the right kind of stupid.

[vaberella]

17. Yup...I heard this. This is the same game played by JJ. A lot of people don't see it.

JJ sees Obama as a non-Black man and therefore when he speaks to the Black community is he is speaking "down to them". The thing is JJ and a lot of people like him see Obama as someone who's heritage doesn't go back to Black American slavery as though it is universally unique. Don't get me wrong, Black American Slavery was different from other nations and other parts that's undeniable however slavery and the way it way it was done in the Americas is not all unique in and of itself. That being said though, there's a solidarity that's built there from JJ's perspective and Obama's heritage denies him that.

I've seen this platform before. It's retarded becuase it ignores completely Obama's father's side. It ignores so many things about what defines the Black Community which is made up of those of African descent, of those of Caribbean or South American, or Central American descent. These people in the US make up the Black community but then again many in "Black America" are slightly seperatist as well.

[nc4bo]

18. Mr. Farrakhan agrees. Like him or not - agree or not. He said..

Obama is not like American blacks but he is truly an African American with his father being Kenyan.

The Honorable Louis Farrakhan went on to say that American blacks' hearts contain "a small kernel of (hatred and pain(?)" left over from our history of slavery and the fight for our civil rights and that Obama, with his multi cultural background does not and never had these experiences. Technically, he is NOT "one of us" at all and that this is not a bad thing.

He also said that if American Blacks want a black leader, we already have them in Sharpton and Jackson but Obama is not like them.

Obama represents ALL people and all nationalities, not just the American Black. F also said that the American Black will absolutely benefit from an Obama Administration.

He said that American blacks need to get our heads together and get out of that old black/white way of thinking.

Hope this was clear enough for everyone - I'm just loosely paraphrasing here.

Btw, I am black and I agree with Farrakhan's assessment.

[TreasonousBastard]

28. I'm not big on Farrakhan, but sometimes he hits it...

right on the head.

What he didn't say is something I have observed-- that there is a distinct division between US blacks and black immigrants, particularly Africans, but Jamaicans, Haitians, and others, too. I've seen a fair amount of bigotry on both sides.

Skin color is not the only defining point of ethnicity.

[blondeatlast]

23. I've never been the right kind of white, either. Irish Catholic instead of blueblood Brit.

Go figure. :shrug:

[nc4bo]

24. Some of my beeeeest friends are Irish Catholics ;)

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[blondeatlast]

25. Oh, you are on a roll tonight!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::spray:

[sniffa]

26. Is he like Carlton Banks?

I thought white people loved Carlton because he was non-threatening, and didn't mind doing the minstrel thing.

[Beregond2]

29. People are never so stupid as when they try to speak

about race. In DC I met a guy who told me that we in the west don't understand the "black problem" because all the "nigras" with any get-up-and-go got up and went west. So they got stuck with all the lazy, shiftless ones. And he thought he was giving me an intelligent analysis.

[my3boyz]

32. I think that is why Jesse Jackson resents him. I also think that is why

Sharpton appeared to not want to support him in the beginning. He was being very vague during the primaries. Now he seems to speak out for him a little more.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[ChazII]

35. Yes, people are ridiculous.

Sadly, being white, i was unable to answer why some blacks are blacks and some blacks are not black. One my students questioned me on why Condi wasn 't considered black. Luckily, since we are an IB school, the student is encouraged to find the answer on their own.

[whistler162]

36. Wonder if she thinks Colin Powell is the right kind of black?

[McCamy Taylor]

37. No living American survived slavery. Blacks survive racism. So has Obama.

And he isn't running for first Black American. He is running for president.

Another splitter thread.

[George_Bonanza]

38. So SHE personally experienced slavery?

Give me a break.