Politics

US Elections: Politics, Color and Racism, Part I

Written by Guest Author on October 28, 2008 10:36 am EST

Written by,
Professor (Emeritus) Kamuti Kiteme, Ed.D

On November 4, 2008, American voters will elect the most powerful man of the  only superpower in the world – the President of the United States of America. That man will be either Barack Obama or John McCain.

Unlike any other country on earth, the United States is inhabited by immigrants (and a tiny minority of indigenous Native Americans, erroneously referred to as Red Indians) from all corners of the globe. Never before in human history have there been so many races and ethnic groups professing loyalty under one national sovereignty. Thus, most Americans have hyphenated ethnic identities, symbolizing their lands of origin, e.g., Irish-American, Italian-American, African-American, Chinese-American, Japanese-American, etc.

English immigrants and the English language have dominated the American politico-economic systems from British Colonial times. These immigrants were the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants – WASPS in American parlance. They have also controlled the American Presidency since independence from the British in 1776.

Up till now, the 43 US Presidents (except Irish-American and Roman Catholic John F. Kennedy, elected the 35th President in 1960, and assassinated Nov. 22, 1963) have all been WASPS.

If elected, African-American Barack Obama will be the 44th President, and the 2nd to interrupt the WASP monopoly of the US Presidency.

No wonder, therefore, that race is such a sensitive and serious factor in the probable history-making election of an African-American.

Current public opinion polls indicate that the Democratic Party candidate Obama is leading his Republican Party opponent McCain. Excellent news! But our son’s victory cannot be taken for granted. The white voters could easily tell pollsters that they will vote for Obama, but do the exact opposite in the voting booth on Nov. 4. In America they call this phenomenon the “Bradley Effect” – named after African-American Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, who, in 1982, ran for Governor of California and “won” in the polls, but lost the race to his white opponent, George Deukmejian.

It is frightening when, in political rallies and private interviews broadcast on the media, diehard racists curse and spit venom at the very mention of the name Obama, vowing that blacks will never rule America.

The paradox is that in public places such as schools, waiting rooms for buses/trains and toilets, racist and discriminatory signs against blacks were taken down more than 40 years ago. But in the hearts and minds of white racists these ugly signs are still on display.

Then there is the false allegation that Senator Obama is a Muslim (he’s actually Christian). His middle name is Hussein – the same as America’s enemy No. 1 – the late Saddam. Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin continually accuses Obama of “palling around with terrorists”. Photos of Obama, depicting him as a Muslim Elder/Chief in North-Eastern Kenya, have been widely circulated in the media and internet. The purpose is to portray Obama as disloyal and unpatriotic to the American nation.

One wonders why the anti-Obama cabal is ignoring the basic American freedoms of religious affiliation, social association, and public assembly. As former Secretary of State Colin Powell (who has endorsed Obama) posed on US national television, with all these freedoms, what would be wrong even if Obama were a Muslim?

I believe that the American young people have the obligation to realize Obama’s vision of “change we need” and teach the retrogressive older generation. The Financial Times, Oct. 24, 2008, noted that there are 44 million young Americans – about 21% of the electorate – who could very well tip the balance and make history by electing Barack Hussein Obama the 44th President of the United States.

Professor Kamuti Kiteme, Ed.D., 73, is former Professor and Deputy Chair of the Black (Africana) Studies Department, City College, City Univ. of NY (1967-1995). After retirement, Prof. Kiteme served as a member of the Kenya Standing Committee on Human Rights (1996-2001); and Vice-Chair of the Kenya National Library Service (2001-2007). He has been patron/advisor for village projects such as schools and health centers, and coordinator of international academic exchange programs.

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