The Issue of Race After Obama’s Election

In a thought-provoking article in the Wall Street Journal and another one in the Los Angeles Times, the issue that sometimes dominated the presidential campaign is considered as part of a post-election national conversation. The conversation may become easier to have with Obama’s election, but whether the election makes a lasting difference in race relations remains to be seen.

Some interpret the election this way: “Black people in America, you have no more excuses . . . . [You] can’t say that society is holding [you] back anymore.”

Some interpret it this way: “[Obama's] opened a big door that maybe will let [whites] see us in a different way.”

Some interpret it this way: “Blacks [will be able to] shed the stigma of inferiority that has haunted them since slavery.”

Some interpret it this way: “[Obama's] victory will wash away the stigma of white racism and the guilt and unease many whites feel for past discrimination against blacks.”

While people may hold the above views, there’s a dissonance in these views that’s unmistakable. Interestingly, there’s also a dissonance between the views of older blacks and younger blacks. The older generation is likely to view Obama’s election as the culmination of years of struggle. The younger generation may be represented by a 25-year-old college student’s point of view: “[Obama's election] strips us as African-Americans of every excuse, every ‘ism,’ every schism we’ve tried to hide behind. [Obama] can do his part but we have to do ours as well. We can’t hold the government responsible for our failings.”

There are more nuanced interpretations as well, expressing doubt about what the Obama election means. Some wonder if racial profiling that’s often called DWB (driving while black) will continue. Whites are still perceived as viewing famous blacks, like comedians, actors, and athletes, as not being black. As an accomplished black musician says about this: “Michael Jordan? He’s not black. He’s Michael Jordan.”

Although such divergent views might make one think that Obama’s election has resulted in little common ground on the race issue, I’m inclined to believe otherwise. The common ground is a greater willingness to talk openly about the issue, a greater possibility that blacks and whites will express points of view that haven’t been traditionally taken by each race, a greater likelihood that all of us will follow the lead of a person who is, after all, half black and half white. 

Which brings me to the workplace. Can we simply view each other as fellow workers who happen to be white or black instead of black employees and white employees? Right now is a good time for employers and employees to engage in the national conversation mentioned above. People want to talk about it. Obama’s election is the perfect entree for such a conversation. It needs to be conducted with respect but with honesty. Race problems still exist in the workplace, so let’s not miss this opportunity to begin to talk about them and then deal with them effectively.