In terms of experiences with racism as such - there is a very big difference between growing up as an African American of any hue or mix and growing up in the US as an immigrant of African descent.
To me, the most critical element in the racism dynamic is perception in both directions. In my personal experience as an African in American I have found that my African American friends always tell me that I am far too oblivious to all the racism going on, I am mainly referring to petty instances like how I am treated in restaurants etc. This is because many African Americans have been conditioned to expect racism and see it when it is not necessarily there, while many Africans (though not all) are just as wary of black people being devious as they are of white people.
Also, the fact that Barak Obama grew up in relative privilege - in Hawaii, Indonesia and the US, his life upbringing seems to have more that of an international-mandarin-in-waiting than that of an average black (brown) man in America overcoming the usual barriers of racism and negative peer pressure.
Now, it is a testimony to his strength of character and intrinsic integrity that he has not gone the postmodern Tiger Woods route and actually seems to have an acute social conscience. And while we might indulge him his pretensions I think Peggy Noonan does provide a needed 'keep it real Barak' counterbalance.
Joe W.
>From: "Nathan Newman" <nathanne at nathannewman.org>
>Reply-To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
>To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
>Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] noonan on obama
>Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 16:03:50 -0400
>
>
>Why would you praise this piece of crap? Is overcoming racism so easy
>that Noonan's flippant treatment of Obama's struggles as a mixed race kid
>should be respected?
>
>And unlike Lincoln, who spent much of his pre-political career shilling for
>wealthy railroad corporations, Obama became a community organizer for
>working poor communities. See
>http://www.hwwilson.com/currentbio/cover_bios/cover_bio_7_05.htm
>"[Obama got a job at] Developing Communities Project, a nonprofit coalition
>of secular and church groups on the South Side of Chicago. For three years
>he canvassed the neighborhood door-to-door and met with local business and
>political leaders in efforts to save manufacturing jobs, launch
>job-training programs, and improve city services in South Side housing
>projects. "
>
>My fiance had him as a teacher when he became a law prof and thinks he's
>the real deal, a lefty with convictions and, yes, enough pragmatism to
>survive in the political world.
>
>Why support tearing down one of the best guys out there for our side?
>
>-- Nathan
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "snitsnat"
><snitilicious at tampabay.rr.com>
>To: "Lame Brained Onanists" <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 3:31 PM
>Subject: [lbo-talk] noonan on obama
>
>
>heh. from another list. I'll leave the msg from the conservative in
>brackets for gits and shiggles)
>
>http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110006884
>
>(And by the way, this isn't simply Democrat-bashing. Noonan also criticizes
>Republicans in this piece. But her dismantling of Obama, who recently
>compared himself to Abraham Lincoln, is priceless. Here it is:)
>
>
>[snip]
>
>This week comes the previously careful Sen. Barack Obama, flapping his
>wings in Time magazine and explaining that he's a lot like Abraham Lincoln,
>only sort of better. "In Lincoln's rise from poverty, his ultimate mastery
>of language and law, his capacity to overcome personal loss and remain
>determined in the face of repeated defeat--in all this he reminded me not
>just of my own struggles."
>
>Oh. So that's what Lincoln's for. Actually Lincoln's life is a lot like Mr.
>Obama's. Lincoln came from a lean-to in the backwoods. His mother died when
>he was 9. The Lincolns had no money, no standing. Lincoln educated himself,
>reading law on his own, working as a field hand, a store clerk and a raft
>hand on the Mississippi. He also split some rails. He entered politics,
>knew more defeat than victory, and went on to lead the nation through its
>greatest trauma, the Civil War, and past its greatest sin, slavery.
>
>Barack Obama, the son of two University of Hawaii students, went to
>Columbia and Harvard Law after attending a private academy that taught the
>children of the Hawaiian royal family. He made his name in politics as an
>aggressive Chicago vote hustler in Bill Clinton's first campaign for the
>presidency.
>
>You see the similarities.
>
>There is nothing wrong with Barack Obama's résumé, but it is a
>log-cabin-free zone. So far it also is a greatness-free zone. If he keeps
>talking about himself like this it always will be.
>Mr. Obama said he keeps a photographic portrait of Lincoln on the wall of
>his office, and that "it asks me questions."
>
>I'm sure it does. I'm sure it says, "Barack, why are you such an
>egomaniac?" Or perhaps, "Is it no longer possible in American politics to
>speak of another's greatness without suggesting your own?"
>
>****************
>
>(Just so. Mr. Obama, we know Lincoln, and you're no Abraham Lincoln.)
>
>
>redacted
>
>"Finish your beer. There are sober kids in India."
>
> -- rwmartin
>
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