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Britain's equality chief warns Obama will only prolong America's racial divide



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Britain's most influential black figure, Trevor Phillips, has warned that if Obama is elected president, America risks postponing an end to its racial divide. Phillips, the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Britain, accused Obama of "ruthless cynicism" and called him a "bargainer", meaning a type of influential black figure who keeps race at the center of American life by "not making an issue of 'white racism' if whites do not play the race card against him."

Phillips writes: "In truth, Obama may be helping to postpone the arrival of a post-racial America and I think he knows it. If he wins, the cynicism may be worth it to him and his party. In the end he is a politician and a very good one: his job is to win elections." He backed the argument of Shelby Steele, who said in his biography of Mr Obama: "If he fulfils the hopes of whites, he must disappoint blacks – and vice versa....

"For the black underclass and beyond, Obama may be the latest messiah, but there is anecdotal evidence that, where blacks have prospered to the extent that they are grimly competing for jobs and property with whites, they don't buy 'Obamania'. I would guess this is because the people who actually experience just how far America remains from post-racial harmony are those blacks who work with whites....

"But if Obama can succeed, then maybe they can imagine that [Martin Luther] King's post-racial nirvana has arrived. A vote for Obama is a pain-free negation of their own racism. So long as they don't have to live next door to him; Obama has yet to win convincingly in white districts adjacent to black communities."

Do you think Phillips' points are valid?
abbym0308

14 responses // Britain's equality chief warns Obama will only prolong America's racial divide

  • He should change his title to "Britain's Inequality Chief", because . . . yes we can!
    Chique
  • Where many simply see Barak as a black man, because he appears black, people seem to forget that he is a bi-racial man. He is as much black as he is white and where it is obvious that he will possibly be the first African-American president of the US, no one has to be beaten over the head with it.

    For whatever reasons people may have for voting for him, I am glad to finally see that his race isn't the center of discussion. Whether or not he can get the job done is the most important thing and that tells me that at the very least, people see a man, and not a 'black' man. That is equality at its best.
    Neghie
  • Well said Neghie, well said!!
    Chique
  • I am a 58 year old black male-it is time to try something new! If a person can do a job why should it matter what the skin color is? From George Washington to George Bush they have all been white-maybe it time to add another color. We need a younger person to be president...we have always voted for old men for president... 2008 try something new!
    georgehicks
  • If he thinks Obama will prolong America's divide, is he suggesting Clinton, McCain, and Huckabee are better choices?
    jmathew
  • If we take Phillips' words to heart, will ANY black man (or woman) EVER be able to run for office of the president?
    Miyaunna_DeChelle
  • He's British, Not American...He has no clue about being an African-American. So Shish!!
    ViVa
  • He hasnt experienced being black in America way different than in Britain been there. He needs to keep his ideas to that side of the pond.
    amirct3
  • I SMELL HATERADE!

    "AMERICA FUCK YEAH"

    also African Americans pave the way to his sucuess in more ways then one... eg, MLK, Harriet Tubman, Malcolmn X, Du'bois... need i say more?
    bluepolo21
  • Yeah, great idea... Make race the issue instead of actual policy. Good thing this guy isn't an Obama campaign adviser.

    What exactly does this guy want Obama to do? Tell everyone "stop being racist"?

    I got a better idea. What if he proposes policy to help downtrodden people of all races. Oh wait, he already does that.
    Timofmars
  • Yes, Mr. Phillips, there is still a racial divide in America. But I don't understand how Obama's possible victory could postpone an end to that divide. How can something be postponed when nobody even knows when/if it will arrive???
    NQUZITVsistah
  • i am with others who have said...it's not about race...it is about policy...A look at the voting record tells me he is for more military spending as with the other corporacrats the media throws at us...that simple...
    Who does the media hate and give zero coverage? Dr Ron Paul
    but who has the most grassroots contributions of ALL candidates? Hate to burst anyones bubble but yep...Dr Ron Paul
    Who was the only one speaking out against the industrial military complex and talking about dollar decline years ago? Dr. Ron Paul

    so who has my vote as well as MILLIONS of other "critically thinking" Americans? Dr Ron Paul

    stop believing the divisive lies! corporatocracy and the industrial military complex must be stopped! Here is an excellent publication from humans rights watch...
    http://hrw.org/reports/2008/bhr0208/
    read it and understand that they DO NOT have your interests at heart...hell...they don't even have hearts!
    ablindeye
  • Yeah, you critical thinkers need to learn the details about Ron Paul and think about what affect his loony policies would actually have. There's some popular ideas of his that get repeated a lot, but there's plenty that would freak out most people.
    Timofmars
  • the scary realization that many are waking up to is that things can only get a whole lot worse before they get any better. Especially if we just keep sleeping and allowing it to happen with politics as usual attitudes. personally...some of the things he mentions freaks me out too...but radical change is what we truly need.
    The partisan lines are completely smeared with corporate blood money. I was really enjoying every time i saw on Current the tickers that would tell us how much money each candidate was accepting from each industry. Did anyone else see those? Can we get that back?
    ablindeye

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