With Hillary and Barack locked in this tenacious and sometimes petty race, the two new buzzwords on every journalist’s mind seem to be racism and sexism. No matter who wins the Democratic nomination this discussion will continue through November. With McCain in the race, ageism might be the next ‘ism’ to be thrown in the mix. It seems like every day there is a different take on the subject. I was struck in particular by an op-ed piece in today’s New York Times by Nicholas D. Kristof where he mentions some online test he took where he discovered that he did have an unknown bias, particularly against black men. Part of the test was that you were supposed to shoot at people you perceived to be a threat. Kristof was more likely to pull his gun out on the fictional brother. But I digress.
What struck me what no one is saying. When racism and sexism is on everyone’s mind, black women suddenly become either twice as interesting or two times more likely to be impacted by the negative effects of both. Unfortunately, the latter is probably more true than the former. You see, folks are beginning to argue that people can overlook a black man’s race after he’s reached a certain economic or political status—especially if they like him. (Although today I heard a preacher make the most interesting point: the whole drama surrounding Reverend Wright was a reminder to all that Barack is still a black man. Of course we know that but until then I wonder if other folks were beginning to forget…) But a woman (read: white woman) will have to work harder to make people forget about her gender. For us that means we have to do more than anyone else to be perceived beyond these labels. The question becomes is it that bad to be a black woman? Why would be want to be seen as anything else? I mean we can get ahead on our own merits. Shirley Chisholm certainly thought she could back in 1972.
Anyway, as this contest continues brace yourself. Because if you are like me and have reached a saturation point on these ‘isms we will probably be drowning in the rhetoric and theories before November rolls around. How ironic that these are the words making news 40 years after Dr. King’s assasination. Talk about a dream deferred.
