Racism Gives Me A Headache

Last night I developed an incredibly debilitating headache. It was so bad that I couldn't even write the blog post I'd been thinking about all day. Part of me thinks the headache might have been brought on by the 100 degree heat... but I don't think the heat was the sole cause. You see, I believe that experiencing racism, even indirectly, can make us physically sick.

I spent some time reading a few news websites and watching cable news yesterday, and I honestly think that the things I was reading and what was being said caused my headache.

I'm sure you know that tonight's VP debate is being moderated by a journalist named Gwen Ifill. She's highly respected and her name was actually one of the names I heard batted around as a possible replacement for the late Tim Russert on Meet The Press. Well, yesterday it became a big deal that Ms. Ifill is writing a book about black politicians called, "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama".

It sounds like an incredibly timely book. I mean, it was only a few weeks ago that Jesse Jackson said he wants to cut off Obama's nuts. And he's not the only black person to think such things. Despite what's believed, all black folks are not psyched about Obama. In fact, over the months we've seen much Obama dissing by many of our elder black statesmen/women. You may not have been paying attention back when Obama announced his candidacy and wasn't considered black enough, but I was, so I remember seeing him torn down by Tavis Smiley, Cornel West and Al Sharpton.

But folks are acting like Ifill's book is an Extinction Level Event. My goodness, one uppity negro running for office and another daring to write a book about what that means for America? The nerve! Apparently, since Ms. Ifill is writing this book, even though she has yet to write the chapter on Obama, it's assumed that she's totally in the tank for the Obama side and is gonna get all Angry Black Woman on poor little Sarah Palin tonight.

You know how it is: Obama's black, Ifill's black... gosh, you know they're giving each other that ultra-black terrorist fist jab every chance they can get. Heck, Ms. Ifill was probably texting Obama lyrics to Public Enemy songs at 3 AM last night. AND, just when you think it couldn't get any worse, she's even gonna have her secret "GET WHITEY" t-shirt on underneath her dress shirt tonight!

But what really irks me is that this info about Ms. Ifill writing this book has been public for like two months. It's only a big deal now that the Great White Alaskan Female Hope, the one individual who, in the 11th hour, was supposed to save America from having a black president, can't name a single Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade.

And if all that wasn't headache inducing enough, then there's a popular "right wing" website which linked to Ms. Ifill's Essence article about the Obama family. The comments some folks have left on there... reading them makes me feel like I'm reading a Klan manifesto. How can any of us deny that there's racism in this country? Those comments aren't about policies or anything concrete. They're purely race-based hate.

Another funny thing is how the folks complaining about Ifill's book aren't going into this debate tonight assuming that Ms. Ifill is biased in favor of a fellow woman. I mean, I'm assuming Ms. Ifill has the same, er, lady parts that Sarah Palin does, so why not? Because well, Gwen Ifill is black and we all know that when it comes down to it, America's scared that black people are gonna band together to get Obama elected and then they're gonna demand REPARATIONS!!! How dare black people want their 40 acres and mule? Don't they know that no white person alive has EVER benefited from slavery, Jim Crow, restrictive housing covenants or discriminatory hiring practices?

And what really kills me is that because white people in our culture are seen as inherently good and fair, a white male journalist named Jim Lehrer was automatically neutral in last week's Presidential Debate. No, he doesn't have a book in the works, but who knows, maybe he's planning to write one. The fact is that no one thought that Lehrer might sway the questions in favor of his fellow white man, John McCain.

Can you imagine Barack Obama getting on TV and saying that because Lehrer's white and McCain's white, there was bias in the questioning? He'd be laughed off the planet. A guy with a Harvard education complaining about bias? How dare he!

What about Tom Brokaw's friendship with John McCain. Brokaw is really good friends with McCain but is moderating the next Presidential debate. Where's the outcry that Brokaw can't be an unbiased moderator and so should be scrapped? -- crickets are chirping.

We are SO close to election day and my feeling that certain parts of America are gonna freak out even more if Barack Obama gets elected keeps growing. How many times in my life have I been told, "You don't like it, well go back to Africa!" Well, hmm... if Obama wins, are angry white racists gonna pack up and try to move back to Europe? Because as far as I can tell, a whole lot of Europeans are not trying to hear that. Don't believe me? Try and switch your American citizenship to UK citizenship. Or, if that proves too stressful and difficult, just try to get a visa to work anywhere in Europe and see what happens.

Hey racists, if it all does work out, don't be surprised when you get to Europe and see black folks. We're everywhere. You really can't escape us.

You see? All these things are swirling in my head like a sick, racial cesspool. Like I said, headache inducing. Sadly, there's a part of America that really just wants to be able to keep on with the scary stories of how many Crips there are, how many black men are in jail, how black people with bad credit caused Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to fail.

Why are some Americans still more comfortable with the imagery of a scary black person lurking around the corner, just waiting to snatch your purse and keep you from living the good life? I'm telling you, racism gives me a headache!


Anonymous said…
I would never have wanted to believe it was true still in the US, but this election campaign has proved it to me: just how racist we are as a nation. It's really bringing it all to the surface and it's disgusting.

I didn't know about this criticism of Gwen Ifill because of the book. It's so childish. Especially in light of Brokaw and McCain's friendship. Good for the goose, anyone?

I had a close brush with a racist this afternoon in a meeting and it was so shocking, really. In 2008. And disgusting.

Thanks for this post.
Anonymous said…
You are one angry women. I wonder why YOU do this to yourself. Very interesting...
Liz, I feel you.

I was getting so angry reading the racist attacks against such a respected journalist. Ask about conflict of interest but to start throwing racial slurs is unacceptable.
Anonymous said…
Yes, one angry woman who has good reason to be angry. It's obvious there are racist undercurrents bubbling away everywhere you go but it's still shocking when they come to the surface and are expressed so blatantly and unapologetically. And when black people get blamed for things that have nothing to do with them, like utterly reckless bank lending by white cokeheads.

I'm not surprised you have a headache, Liz, when you have to deal with all this vicious nonsense every day.
Liz Dwyer said…
A part of me firmly believes that the sort of things that have come out because of this election, well, it's painful but ultimately, I think it's good that it's all coming out. If we're not honest about what's going on, about the racism that exists, how can we ever change it?

LOL, No, not angry in the sense you may think. Just observant and willing to tell the truth. I "do this" to myself because I have questions and I want answers. I "do this" because I have a strong sense of justice and I believe that we ALL deserve better than the insidiously racist stuff that's being vomited up on us.

The racist attacks are insane. They're the rantings of crazy people. And Gwen Ifill was very neutral, very classy this evening, even though she was told that her questions wouldn't be answered.
Liz Dwyer said…
Yes, this sort of stuff is always present, but to function you have to tune it out and just ignore it. Ignoring it is incredibly stressful -- and so often in this society when someone stands up and says, "Hey, there's racism in America!" there are ten other people there to say, "No there isn't. You just want to see racism." Sometimes though, it's impossible to ignore it and it weighs on me immeasurably.
Jennifer said…
I don't want to believe there is racism in America. I don't want my child to live in that kind of world. But the fact is -- it's there. And this election has brought it bubbling to the surface. People who would otherwise vote for Obama are hesitant because of his race. That disgusts me.

Gwen Ifill was magnificent. After being told her questions would not be answered, she was professional and dignified. I would have jumped across the table and said, "You WILL answer my questions or I'll cut you off!"
Unknown said…
I COMPLETELY agree with your assessment regarding racism, seeing as though my son along with 150 others from his class were invited to Ballroom Dancing sponsored by a local women's group. It was alleged to be first come first serve...let's just say that folks who mailed in after the deadline were accepted and those who mailed within the same day were not(the minority ones). So, I am only offering this smidgeon of a tid-bit to ease , or slightly dissuade your "headache".

While phone banking yesterday to Texas voters, I had the occassion to speak with someone,who by all rights sounded like our current Head of State but he was on FIRE.

He stated to me that if I wasn't doing ALL I could he would come and find me. He stated that he was willing to travel ANYWHERE in the U.S. on behalf of the OBAMA/BIDEN ticket and scream from the rafters.

He then assured me on the souls of all his offspring that he would leave this great country if Obama does not win. And he added an "Really, now, I am SO darn serious, I have relations in Canada and I got all my stuff ready to go if things don't go his way."

SO, let's hope with all this pushing, we get to the other side ~ ;0)

Close you eyes and breathe!

And to Anonymous, lest he forgot, this administration allowed an entire city to drown, an entire city of people with color...I think THAT is "very interesting".
the joy said…
Girl all of that just gave ME a headache! There are a lot of misconseptions about us blacks, and I'm hoping that with an obama presidency, some of those misconceptions can be seen as the exception, not the rule. But I'm a hopeless optimist. Sigh...
Jameil said…
1) palin can't name ANY other cases? is that true????
2) Ifill was probably texting Obama lyrics to Public Enemy songs at 3 AM? DEAD!! hilarity.
3) brokaw & mccain are good friends? ok my love affair with brokaw was just ended. :( RIP Jameil & Tom forever tatt. You will be covered up by day's end.
Shiona said…
I'm with other posters. I have a headache too.

This is how people think in my old state of Nevada. I don't know what the rural Nevadans are going to do because they don't vote for women or black people. Hmm. Hopefully Nevada gets withthe program and becomes a blue state this time around.

I know people say look how far we've come but at the same time we have so much farther to go. It's amazing what an election tells you about our country.
Liz Dwyer said…
I hope all the bubbling to the surface can eventually be one of the pieces of the pie genuine unity. I thought Gwen Ifill was great as a moderator. She was very professional, as she always is. It was crazy to hear Sarah Palin say she wouldn't answer questions! Why even come if you're not gonna answer questions?

Wow, cheating kids out of ballroom dancing. That's disgusting. People don't want to believe these sort of things but they do. Good for the guy you talked to in Texas. I hope he doesn't move to Canada because he probably has more potential to change the hearts and souls of bigots than I do. And AMEN on your thought for anonymous.

The Joy,
I love your optimism. I also hope some of the misconceptions can come to be seen as exceptions as well -- or are simply flat out falsehoods.

Yep, next thing you know, stories will come out that Obama listens to "Fear of a Black Planet" every morning and makes all his staffers listen to it too. (But they're sooo brainwashed by the kool-aid that they don't question it at all.) Nope, Palin was unable to name any other cases. And yes, Brokaw and McCain are homies-4-life. They can be friends... but don't try to act like there's no bias because of it.
Mes Deux Cents said…
Hi Liz,

I have tried to adopt a philosophy of not letting other people's insanity invade my psyche. Racism as far as I can figure is insanity.

It isn't always easy but my fairly new rule with regard to racism is that as long as said racism does not impede my forward movement, either literally or figuratively, then I ignore it. I generally force myself to assume that the racist person has a mental illness and if I react to them then I have become apart of their insanity.

I hope your head feels better. :)
Liz Dwyer said…
Most of America only thinks of Vegas when they think of Nevada, but goodness, rural Nevada is like another planet! I get scared when I'm out there.

We do have a long, long way to go. I'd like for my kids to never be teased about the color of their skin or the texture of their hair. And I'd like them to be judged on the content of their character and their spiritual and moral uprightness, not just on their "black sounding" names.

I know what you mean. I think it's insanity but it's also a spiritual sickness. It affects our souls on such a profound level, and the truly insidious thing is that we don't even realize it sometimes. It's hard to ignore it, even if I tell myself that it's not directly impacting me, because essentially, it is directly impacting me. We are all connected to each other and if one part of us is sick/insane, it inevitably affects us all.

My head is better today, thank goodness. Thanks for asking! ;0
Anonymous said…
Racism is only one of the many things wrong with the right-wing crowd. Racism gives me a headache, too, but so does sexism. Homophobia also gives me a headache. Fundamentalism. A blatant lack of regard for the environment. A desire to screw over the poor and toss as much money as possible to the wealthy. I could go on, but it's giving me a headache.
Liz, this is why it will take more than a black president (if Obama wins) to cure our country of its longest running illness. We have a lot of work to do still. In my experience telling people that they are racist, especially these days, has little effect on the heart, which is what needs to change. Our efforts up until now (Civil rights movement, multiculturalism, anti-racism) have gotten us to this point but may have reached the extent of their potential. I'm not sure what the next stage of this process will look like but I think we need a new approach to this problem. I'm wide open for suggestions.

On another note, while I agree that the criticisms of Ifill are probably unjust, part of what contributes to such attitudes in addition to racism is the very real media bias that many thoughtful people have been critiquing during this election. Much like our government, people are losing confidence that the news media are trustworthy which is a real problem. Even ethical journalist are then viewed with suspicion. Whoever wins the election, government and the media have some serious work to do as far as restoring the faith of the public. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen.
Anonymous said…
((hug)) You must be in so much pain to write this post.

I've been listening to the book, Blink, while I clear out some files and stuff. I'm amazed at the base, and basic, nature of racism. He says that if we don't expose ourselves to people who are different from us, we are doomed to automatic response. What to do in a segregated city like Denver??

I think things are changing. I hope things are changing.

I hate to see you in so much pain.

And why would some jerk leave an annonymous comment - shit. You are amazing for not just deleting it.
Jen said…
As you've said before, it's a sickness.

The good thing about it if all those white racists go to Europe, then we're rid of them. But...

Then the Europeans are stuck with them.

Um... can they form the first space colony? One way ticket to Mars?

I'm not meaning to make light. At. All.

I agree with everything you said, but I think it's way beyond headache-inducing.
April said…
Ugh. That's really all I can say.

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