The Elasticity of Hope

Black Americans have much to be angry about but one choice to vent that anger has not surfaced and it is not likely that it ever will.

Many political pundits and writers are asking why Black people do not seem to hold President Obama accountable for our current state. Despite the so-called recovery, Black America is at its worst point in half a century according to some.

Journalist don't seem to want to answer this question. Then again, "journalists" these days can't find their own asses with a GPS.

So, here's the answer:

To so many of us, Obama's Presidency is symbolic of our acceptance by this nation and just like many of our lives, his six years has been one struggle after another, always having to overachieve just to be branded a failure, surrounded by smiling, grinning faces that mask subversiveness and resentment. He's been insulted, threatened and disrespected as a politician and as a man. Therefore, this intractable opposition that seems at its core, to be rooted in race, can explain any failure.

And tell me, can anyone say that Blacks have no basis to believe that even a Presidency could be hobbled by prejudice and racial discord? We all know the history, so there's no need to go over it here. But when oh when will America look at itself and just admit who we are? When will we stop all the flag-fucking and talk about exceptionalism and count the bodies in our past and the abandoned lives in our present? Until we do, Blacks will always have a basis to countervail the missteps of any Black person holding high office within the power structure.

And so it this elasticity that these pundits feel. Black America embraced the President but our condition has not gotten better and yet we still support him at 90 some odd percent. It is the nature of politics to fight dirty, name-call and work against the opposition. But to Black people, how can we tell when it's just politics as usual or the filth of racism? We cannot and not knowing the answer is sometimes more frustrating than knowing it.

And in the most amazing irony of all, our unwavering support of Obama comes in part from the fact that we give a loving pass to other Blacks, empathize with their struggle and look outside of the race for much of our validation and their criticism.

And so I don't wonder why there isn't more anger toward the White House. It is as clear as the skin on the President's face. But it does leave me to wonder if we are saving our wrath for skin of a different color.

Copyright 2014