John McWhorter is an African-American intellectual of very independent mind. He sees Obama's achievement as evidence that racism is no longer a significant force in American society:
To state that racism is no longer a serious problem in our country is neither ignorant nor cynical. Warnings that such a statement invites a racist backlash are, in 2008, melodramatic. They are based on no empirical evidence.
Yet every time some stupid thing happens — some comedian says a word, some sniggering blockhead hangs a little noose, some study shows that white people tend to get slightly better car loans — we are taught that racism is still mother's milk in the U.S. of A. "Always just beneath the surface."
Barack Obama's success is the most powerful argument against this way of thinking in the entire four decades since recreational underdoggism was mistaken as deep thought. A black man clinching the Democratic presidential nomination — and rather easily at that — indicates that racism is a lot further "beneath the surface" than it used to be.
I'm not sure what he thought was easy about Obama's victory, but anyway...
No, not a problem at all.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/20056
Posted by: Anonymouse Coward | June 05, 2008 at 11:59 PM
Hardly noticeable, actually.
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00-01.htm
Posted by: Anonymouse Coward | June 06, 2008 at 12:02 AM