The Racism of Race

If you happen to head over to the Washington Post today you will see an amazing display of racism. Eugene Robinson, in What Rice Doesn't See, shows us that Black people can believe that other Blacks don't behave as a black person should.

You know, we've been discussing gender and race stereotypes and systems of privilege individuals operate under in my graduate classes. Such as: Women who are managers of major companies who are intelligent, industrious, and successful are somehow "unlady-like" or not "feminine." According to this same foolish reasoning, evidently Condoleeza Rice is not truly "Black."

How does she work so loyally for George W. Bush, whose approval rating among blacks was measured in a recent poll at a negligible 2 percent? How did she come to a worldview so radically different from that of most black Americans? Is she blind, is she in denial, is she confused -- or what?

What amazes me is that in this day in age a fairly intelligent person can still not only believe in stereotypes but demand stereotypes from specific individuals.

Although Condi's father had to guard their neighborhood with a rifle to protect his family from the KKK, and regardless of the fact that one of Condi's friends was murdered in the bombing of a Black church, Eugene Robinson is quick to claim that these events were "outside the bubble" that Condi's parent's set up for her. Because, shouldn't she be more bitter? Shouldn't race be a big enough deal for her to realize that George Bush is evil?

Shouldn't we as Americans demand more from newspaper opinion writers than racism propagated through politically attacking a strong national leader?