by Yvette Carnell
In 1956, I shall not go to the polls. I have not registered. I believe that democracy has so far disappeared in the United States that no “two evils” exist. There is but one evil party with two names, and it will be elected despite all I can do or say. –W.E.B. DuBois
As of late, I’ve adopted the habit of consulting the work of black intellectual giants for my queues, and not just on airy matters, but as a
force of habit in practical affairs as well. When I began considering whether I should vote in 2012, I also began reading a piece by W.E.B. DuBois entitled “Why I Won’t Vote.” Like me, DuBois lamented the corrupting impact of money in politics, America’s adventures abroad, and, of course, the little positive action being taken on the Negro question.
What I discovered was that there were no practical distinctions between where DuBois was then and where I am now. The seminal departure from where I am in 2012 and where DuBois was in 1956 rests on one shiver of twilight: The Obama Presidency. All the corruption, misdeeds, and unfairness is still with us, but there is now a fleeting opportunity to do some good from within the political structure. But even in the 21st century, with the first black president in the White House, the Negro question still looms.
The prevailing thought in the African American community was that, finally, we had someone in the White House who could perceive our needs and integrate them within the broader swath of American needs. No one expected a messiah. We didn’t cry all over ourselves on inauguration day because we were witnessing the second coming of Jesus Christ, but because we were watching a man who was, or so we thought, the incarnation of an African American progression, spanning some 400 years, which supported equality, fairness, and benevolent leadership.
I think about that moment and I brim with pride, then I think about this moment, and I shrink. We haven’t been made bigger and better by President Obama’s election; we’ve been made smaller, largely diminished by both Obama and his critics. So it is time to ask; how did we get here? Where did President Obama, Tavis Smiley, Dr. Cornel West, and Rev. Al Sharpton go wrong? And did they, have they, collectively squandered the opportunity for the African American community to have a reciprocal relationship with this White House?
It pains me to write this. I ache under the weight of writing a piece that outlines both the shortfalls of the first black president and his black detractors, but it must be done, and it must necessarily be done before the upcoming presidential election.
Truth be told, the jockeying began early, far too early as a matter of fact. In fact, nothing should’ve been said against the Obama administration prior to giving it at least one year to get its footing. And nothing should’ve been said without the input of the full spectrum of black thought. Smiley should’ve consulted black doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, journalists and professors, and solicited their input in forming a comprehensive black agenda ( I very much doubt that a “Poverty Tour” would’ve been high up on the list.) Instead of going this collective and cooperative route, Smiley made it about him, and went into full on attack mode, building on the same antagonism he’d been carrying around since long before Obama set foot in the White House.
Dr. Cornel West entered the conversation with the moral high ground, and, although I believe there is some merit to questioning whether President Obama is steeped in an African American cultural tradition (I speculated about it here), questioning whether Obama gelled well with “free black men” should never have entered the discussion, certainly not during a conversation with a writer from outside our community, and certainly not before the narrative had been thoroughly hashed out with other black intellectuals.
There was certainly no need to insult Obama’s manhood when the president has a record of numerous capitulations and failures to focus on. A man of Dr. West’s immense talent would’ve been better served by homing in on that, and doggedly remaining there.
The key problem, though, is that what Dr. West was expressing was heavy on individual thought and light on collective thought. And that is our modus operandi isn’t it, allowing members of both our left and right flank to meander off the reservation, or should I say, the plantation? (Sort of like how Mr. Post Blackness, Toure, can go on CNN and bash Tyler Perry for peddling “malt liquor to the masses”, then compare Perry to a drug dealer, then – with a straight face- chat it up about how cool it is that there’s no one way to be black. Ever watch Ben Stiller tear apart Adam Sandler on CNN? Didn’t think so.)
And now, all we have to show for this infighting is the “Rev.” Al Sharpton, the former pitchman for predatory loans, pretending to care about the needs of black folks via the prism of his MSNBC show. He’s the only winner in all this. Both Tavis Smiley and Cornel West have been ostracized by the black community at large, splitting the black electorate into tribal, pro and anti-Obama factions. And all of this, all of it, should have and could have been avoided had our issues with Obama been handled with care.
It’s time for a restart. It’s time to wipe the slate clean and begin anew. Neither Smiley nor West can take the lead in the conversation we’re required to have with this president, nor should they be excluded from the internal discourse. We’ve got too much to lose to throw away men who are as talented and have as much to contribute as these two. These men have a role to play in particularizing our agenda and giving Obama his marching orders. But they must know ahead of time that the price they pay for being brought back into the fold is the checking of their collective egos.
It’s time for Obama supporters to stop railing against all naysayers as sellouts and Uncle Toms because, although there are traitors among us (see here), the folks who care more about you than you care about yourself aren’t among them.
As for Obama, it’s time for him to stop pretending, and start validating his own people, a people who are so committed to him that they’ve taken to eating their own. It is his responsibility to call a cease fire and extend the olive branch, but if he doesn’t, we must.
It’s also time to end the careers of some in our community who’ve fed only themselves at the troth of goodwill intended for all black people. President Obama can no longer treat Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, neither of whom have ever been elected to anything, as our surrogates. It’s time for us to convene a meeting of representatives from our community and pick our appropriate White House liaisons.
For Obama, there are no more excuses. In a country where a white man with a criminal record has about the same chance of getting a job as a black man without one, one wave doesn’t lift all ships, and President Obama should stop insulting us with such clichéd nonsense.
It’s time for Obama to understand that there must be something in it for us other than symbolism. It’s time that he understand that the greatest black men of American history have always been race men. Obama doesn’t have to say it or “ballyhoo” it, but he does have to mean it. President Obama has the unique opportunity to push America to be what it says it is. In this way, race isn’t something to be avoided; it is the opportunity for this country’s redemption. It is here, in his answer to this question, where he will walk squarely into his greatness or shrink into the oblivion of meek acquiescence.
And for those of you who can’t get onboard with this plan, those who will inevitably still bluster “Smiley and West are just hatin’ cuz they ain’t get no inauguration tickets” or “Obama’s just a sellout”, take a few quiet moments and ask yourselves what purpose you’re serving in our collective advancement. Ask yourselves how comfortable you are with the way in which recent immigrants are running circles around us in all industries and vocations.
Yes, Washington is a polarized place and yes, Republicans do exist, but if we fail here, meaning, if we have nothing to show for our first black president at the end of his term, then we will rightfully find ourselves in the untenable position of being the laughingstocks of the global community; folks who can’t even manage and share power when they’re in power.
This is our moment. This is our time. And while we’re bickering, other more disciplined and committed stakeholders are quietly brokering backdoor deals and reaping real, quantifiable benefits.
“What has the Administration done to rescue Negro workers, the most impoverished group in the nation, half of whom receive less than half the median wage of the nation, while the nation sends billions abroad to protect oil investments and help employ slave labor in the Union of South Africa and the Rhodesias?” DuBois asked.
Sound familiar?
If we’re going to go to the polls in record numbers again in 2012, then we need to go to the polls for something, and Obama needs to tell us what that something is. We’re willing to come to the table if Obama’s willing to talk, but he’s got to come to the table with something more than symbolism. If not, then like DuBois in 1956, I won’t vote.
Yvette Carnell is a former Capitol Hill and campaign staffer turned writer. She is currently an editor and contributor to Yourblackworld.
