Let’s Talk About Something Uncomfortable

by Jack Lee

What role does ethnicity play in our American politics? The stock answer is, it shouldn’t play any role. But, it does and it’s both good and bad. That’s why it’s worth taking a look at it and challenge our thinking a little.

In U.S. politics we see that on one side there are groups established to deal with ethnic problems as only those of the same color could, or so we are often told. This is exemplified by the Congressional black caucus. On the left coast it’s the Hispanic Caucus within the California legislature.

We know that traditional racism still exists and we also have our own affirmative action version of racism, both contribute to a black candidates total vote count, but mostly the black candidate will get more than he loses. So, the end result of ethnic priorities is positive, and thankfully traditional racism is on its way out. The numbers of true racists are dwindling. However, on the downside black voters tend to prefer voting for a black candidate and I guess on the upside white voters feel good about voting for a black candidate for their own affirmative reasons.

It can be argued that President Obama was elected by two major things above all else: Oratory skill and his color. Where other candidates might have come up short with a similar background, job experience and a sketchy association with known radicals, Obama’s ethnicity actually pushed him into a category that dismissed the usual questioning. He was almost magically above reproach because of his color and this time color gave him much needed credibility and it kept his critics at bay. For many voters this was a chance to be part of a history making moment. It was a statement against racism and it served to appease their white guilt.

Oddly, nowhere else in the world does ethnicity play a stronger role than in Africa. In Africa it’s all about ethnicity. Ethnicity takes the form of tribalism. Tribalism in Africa is as strong today as it was 100 years ago. In our times that’s hard to imagine. However, you can’t think about civil strife in Africa without somebody bringing up Rwanda or Burundi and the deep hatred that exists between the Hutu’s and Tutsi’.

Ethnicity has had a profound effect on today’s progress or rather the lack thereof. Black African’s are extremely divided into groups where they harbor deep suspicion and distrust of persons from another tribe and let’s not talk about people from another race. Then the racism is off the charts.

No black politician in today’s African will ever get to high office if he doesn’t blame many of his country’s current problems on white Europeans and the slave trade that was primarily between the 18th and 19th centuries.

The divisions between the Mandinka, Ashanti, Fulani, Zulu and many other tribes are legion. And it’s been absolutely debilitating for Africa. It’s kept them impoverished and in war for thousands of years. This is what happens when our human nature takes ethnicity to its most loathsome extreme. it’s also why we never need to lose sight of why we need to strive for a color blind society.

Now back to may original question, what role does ethnicity play in politics? My answer is far more than it should – what’s yours?