by Guinho
There is a rec'd diary about Dowd's op-ed piece about the reporting (or lack thereof)on the racism in some opposition to Obama. And yes, we've heard a whole lot about how racism made Joe Wilson scream during Obama's speech ), or how racism was behind Skip Gates' arrest (since that'd
never happen to a white person, right?). Powerful stuff.
but it misses the point.
Actually, it misses it by about 2 inches, since the real story was next door in Barbara Ehrenreich's piece, which hasn't been diaried as far as I can tell. Yes, racism is alive and doing far too well in America, but Dowd's examples aren't the real story. Instead, the real story of racism is the unflashy, day-to-day experience that leads to more friction for black people than for white. This day-to-day is laid out brilliantly in an op-ed piece by (another white woman) and something of a hero of mine, Barbara Ehrenreich, along with Dedrick Muhammad.
This is where the fight really lies.
I am writing this in part out of frustration with how racism is discussed on this blog. Instead of these symbolic examples, why has dkos been eerily silent on the economic status of our African American countrymen and women? You want to see racism in action? Forget Skip Gates. Look to the average hardworking black men and women who don't have retirement accounts. Look to the economic impacts of the "downturn" on whites and blacks.
that's where the rubber meets the road.
In her latest piece, Ehrenreich and Muhammad(if you haven't read Nickle and Dimed, buy a copy now),
report on the economic trends since 2000 among African Americans It is sobering reading. This is the real face of racism in this country.
A few salient points:
for African-Americans the recession is over. It occurred from 2000 to 2007, as black employment decreased by 2.4 percent and incomes declined by 2.9 percent. During those seven years, one-third of black children lived in poverty, and black unemployment — even among college graduates — consistently ran at about twice the level of white unemployment.
A recession is defined as contracting economic activity. For the nation of African Americans, if tallied as a separate economic unit, we're in the
ninth year of the recession. If it recession is over, it's because a full depression has bitten home. Nine years.
moreIt took "you lie" to awaken Dowd, but Joe Wilson's disrespect is a clue that the problem runs much deeper.