Race Relations via Text Message and Facebook

So my boyfriend Zac sent me a text message yesterday morning that read:

"They didn't want to give us 40 acres and a mule so dammit we will take 50 states and a White House! Obama 08*"

I accused him (and Black people in general) of "claiming ownership" of the election. Probably a bad choice of words. His response was as follows:

How can we not claim ownership. The fact is he is black. All I'm saying is that i feel like we have more to celebrate because it is a major step for us a race, and also a major step for our country. I'm not ignoring the fact that we all had to come together for this, but i think you are ignoring what it truly means to us as a race to finally have someone of color in the White House. I mean, we still face a lot of racism and bigotry today, and now that we have a black president, its like a slap in the face to all of the bigots. Therefore i believe we have every right to celebrate and celebrate hard.

My response, or should I say essay, was my best attempt to outline and explain my worries/condemnations about the consequences of making race a larger issue than it should be AFTER the election, and the use of the first Black president as a symbol for racial revenge. I know it's not perfect, and keep in mind that this was written hastily and sent to my boyfriend, so there are some nuances that I probably should explain better but didn't, since he already understands the way I write. On a more personal note, I rarely touch the issue of race and racial relations within our country because of it's volatile nature. I, like everyone else, have very strong feelings on the issue that are always a source of contention. However, I think that I have a valid point, and that excessive celebration on either end is a sign of poor sportsmanship, and a signal of impoliteness at best, ignorance at worst. Regardless, here was my response:

Actually, the fact is he is half-black and half-white. Regardless, he is touted as the first Black president. I'm not saying that this is bad or anything, but it's important to remember that he is mixed. Still, it is a momentous occasion in American history, and definitely one for celebration. It was hard to say in a text because of limited space, but I'll try to explain more of what I meant here.

I know that there is still a lot of racism and bigotry present, and wearing the White goggles makes it difficult to see. But it is still there, as Facebook showed last night. It is incredibly important to have a person of color in the White House for the first time and it is a huge step in the advancement of American society. A slap to the face to bigots is what I hope will be a welcome awakening for a lot of citizens. Celebration is definitely something that Black people have a right to do, but it is not solely limited to them as a race. Although yes, I do believe that there is a larger incentive for celebration than most White people have.

My issue with things like the text message you sent me (which I'm not saying wasn't funny or anything) and some status messages that I have seen on Facebook is that they imply a racial revenge. Obama's election does not signal a great reversal of roles in this country, but I think that's what some people (both white and black) are expecting. Rhetoric such as what was used in your text incites and furthers racial divisions that preclude national unity. Instead, Americans should be focused on working together regardless of race or color. I know that it's easy for me to say that race should be pushed aside, since it rarely affects my life, but discrimination that I have experienced as a result of my sexuality has shown me the dangers and horrors of creating purely nominal divisions within society.

Obama, as a mixed person, should be a symbol of racial unity, not superiority of either race. To claim ownership of Obama as a symbol for Black Americans is to deny White Americans who have pushed for racial equality their symbol for victory. The Black journalist, Roland something, that was on CNN last night said it very eloquently when he referenced the white people who were killed or arrested during the Civil Rights era as just as deserving as the Black people who were. A freedom fighter is a freedom fighter. Rather than keeping the racial divide present in society and just reversing the roles, we should aim for unification. Race is an important issue in society, but only because we make it so. A historical moment like this should be a springboard to a societal progression, not a societal inversion. Racial divisions shouldn't be propagated, nor even ignored. They should be explored and exposed for the faulty foundations upon which they are laid.

Long story short, I think that both Whites and Blacks that use race as a tool for rhetorical purposes are operating from a base of ignorance.

I love you, Have a good day!

~Supes