Back when I was applying to law school I used to be a regular on some of the chat sites where other newly admitted law students would go and talk with each other about the admissions process, which schools they were going to, and all of that jazz. At some point during these many discussions, I’ll never forget that there was this one young lady who had received a 171 on the LSAT (out of a possible 180), was accepted at Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Georgetown and several other top ranked law schools, and was constantly admired for the sound advice she gave to other first-year hopefuls based on her own experiences. And then it happened. One day it came out that this particular commentator was Black. All of a sudden the attitudes towards her achievements changed overnight. Her acceptances were either completely attributed to affirmative action or disbelieved altogether. Her LSAT score was immediately called into question. One individual even went so far as to create an entire post dedicated to disproving that anybody who “spoke” like she did could not possibly have earned a 171 on the LSAT because, according to this individual, people who score that high do not talk as informally as she did. In other words, no Black person is capable of such a feat. A few years after my graduation I came across another Black female attorney who had stellar credentials. Every type of honor you can think of, she had it. She was senior in experience to most of the associates at her law firm and the firm used her quite frequently to do legal research for some of its largest and most prestigious clients. Yet, when it came time to give credit where credit was due, the firm consistently credited any legal victories to the other White males on her team. In some cases, even giving credit to White males who were several years her junior who barely had a grasp of what the case was about. To the partners at her firm, it was simply incomprehensible that the winning argument that they had relied upon in court to their benefit was actually developed by one of their Black attorneys. In other words, no Black person is capable of such a feat.
Of course nobody wants to say that directly. To do so would clearly be racist and if there’s one thing we know that mainstream America hates it is being labeled with the “R”-word. But much like the ostrich sticking its head in the sand, hiding from the problem in your own little world does very little to address the problem in reality. Indeed, it is America’s collective failure to address its race problem that continues to color our actions, decisions, and beliefs everyday.
Consistent with that theme:
A new Gallup poll conducted May 2 finds that 71% of Americans credit Barack Obama with the killing of Osama bin Laden, “a great deal or a moderate amount,” and 52% give former President George W. Bush “a great deal or a moderate amount” of credit.
While 71% of Americans think President Obama should receive credit for killing bin Laden, that still leaves 29% of Americans (almost a third) who feel that this great accomplishment cannot possibly be attributable to Barack Obama. Likewise, 52% of Americans believe that the credit for an event this historic must surely lie with a White male President, even if said President has been out of office for nearly 3 years. The fact that people can literally believe that Obama does not deserve credit for an act that he did almost defies belief…that is until you consider the perspective of where those people are coming from. In other words, no Black person is capable of such a feat.
Indeed, there still remains a significant swath of Americans who continue to act out of their disbelief over the fact that we actually have a Black man sitting in the highest office of the land. They’ll concede that there are some jobs that Blacks can actually earn on their own, but the Presidency of the United States is not one of them. The Presidency, by their view, is a position that no Black person could possibly attain and until it returns to its rightful owner they are fully justified in asking for his birth records, asking for his college transcripts, calling him a liar on the House floor, mitigating his role in the assassination of the most notorious terrorist the world has ever seen, questioning his motives to visit Ground Zero, denying his authority, and depriving him of any other right or privilege that would be (and has been) afforded to any other similarly situated White male President throughout our nation’s history. In short, as far as this crowd is concerned, Barack Obama is not the President of the United States. We’re simply going through a transitional phase right now until the real President comes along.
We may not realize it, but our perspectives have the power to affect the world around us every day. Imagine how differently all of this President’s achievements and shortcomings would play out on the national stage if the entire American collective had truly come to terms with the fact that Black people really are capable of achieving many coveted stations in life, including the Presidency, through their own merit. It is difficult to imagine that in such a world the “birther” issue would have even received a second look, let alone served as the basis for Donald Trump’s rise to prominence among the GOP. It is also difficult to imagine that in such a world anyone would have felt comfortable in shouting out “you lie” in the middle of a President’s formal address, let alone profiting politically and financially from such an act of disrespect. America has come a long way in dealing with its original sin, but until we can shake ourselves of the impossibility of Black achievement in certain areas of our society, these problems will continue to shape our national debate whether we stick our collective heads in the sand or not.
Have you experienced or witnessed this type of phenomenon in your academic or professional career? Please share.
Why do you think this problem continue to persist?
What can be done to combat and/or solve this problem?
Will the next Black President (assuming we have one) have an easier road to walk because of Obama?
Is affirmative action to blame for the negative stigma placed on Black and other minority success stories?
Article by Urban Politico
The Urban Politico is a collaboration of four writers, who hold each other in high esteem, to address social, political and other issues which resonate within the populations in which they feel most connected; race, age, socioeconomic and political status, personal experience and any other identifying factor that can join us, rather than divide us. The Janitor is an attorney in NYC and he and Godson worked together as organizers on the 2008 Obama Campaign. Godson, a published author, is currently Chief of Staff for a State Representative in Philadelphia. The Fed, as the name implies, is in the Federal Gov in Washington D.C. and works with law makers on the Hill. These 3 writers share very similar views on many issues, however, all 3 have a different perspective. This blog will be a platform that will bring forth many new and fresh ideas and concepts that are extremely noteworthy.
Urban has written 122 article(s) for us.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Sharing with my class today. This hit home with that we talked about yesterday. Love this article!!!
Yes, I have. It is perhaps the most infuriating and frustrating things to experience. Dealing with it I no easy task. In the moment I try to maintain my composure, but it is hard. Afterward, I vent to friends or sometimes online via blogs. I love blogs – refuge for the snubbed and the snarky. Howeever, I have lost it and let folks know how wrong they are. I’ve never come all the way out of the bag on them, but I let them know that they are doing smacks of racism or sexism or ageism (whichever on applies at the moment). Then the rest of my dealings with that/those person(s) almost always involves a side eye – cause I just don’t trust them.
i feel your pain bro, but when i applied to law school i did extensive research on the subject to find out where i stood within my demographic. there were roughly 30 black people in the entire country with 3.5 and 165 gpa/lsat combinations out of thousands of applicants. i dont remember the stat for 170 plus but i would imagine, among black people, it is exceedingly rare. not sure something quantified as easily as that can be compared to obama and the sister who should have been on partner track, but i applaud the article and its ultimate direction.
Have I experienced or witnessed this type of phenomenon? All time. Personal example…I had a white art professor start class off by stating that I’d written the best research paper and that I was the only student to present and defend a thesis. But then he went on to say how he didn’t buy my argument (essentially because it was based on race). So my “best” came with a “however, I can’t give a black student that much credit.” That class was racism at its best. This is just one example at the forefront of my mind and emotions, but this happens to me all the time in less subtle ways.
My personal achievements are not on the world stage, but these “happenings” are part of our everyday experiences. No one plays victim like a white American. No one cries foul like a white American. So any time a Black person takes a half step in front on them, be prepared to fall back. My white professor had been so ingrained with squashing Black contributions, he dared not share the limelight with me (a mere Black lesbian identified undergraduate student).
I’m not an Obama fan. I’ve never been a fan of an American president and never will be. But no good sensed person can deny that his color underlies some of his criticism. What can be done about this? Nothing really. It’s rooted in white supremacy, and that drives everything.
The next Black president {cough}. The next Black president you ask. Forgive my lack of faith, but I doubt if that happens again. Obama is a Phase IV trail.
Great write-up!
Urban Politico, you nailed this. Well done and well-stated. This is a cross that most Black folks must bear. I’d like to give special credit to Blacks in predominantly White (or rather non-Black) situations like the sista lawyer, who have to keep fighting through stereotypes and preconceived notions to prove that ‘what you see on BET or VH1 is not the reality for every Black person.’ There is a spectrum.
Some people don’t interact with Black people on a regular basis. Scratch that — a lot of people don’t interact with us due to location, one’s workplace or lifestyle. Therefore they base their judgements and ideals about other ethnic groups on what they see on the evening news or in movies. It’s human nature. So if all you’re seeing are entertainers, athletes, and homicide suspects… well, you’ll definitely have a warped perspective — yet you won’t have anything else to base your beliefs on.
And let’s remember: the Civil Right Movement wasn’t even 100 years ago. The people who hosed down and billy clubbed marchers and school integrators didn’t disappear into thin air. They are still here. And if they’re not still here, they have offspring. And I’m just not talking about Rednecks in the South. I’m talking nationwide. So changing the mindset of a nation takes time. The election of President Obama was a huuuuuuge step in a progressive direction.
What can be done to combat this problem? Continuing to be our best. Continuing to be ‘twice as good,’ as our parents would preach. And at the same time, keeping the lines of communication open. Sometimes races don’t understand one another because they don’t interact. Therefore, breaking bread with others outside of our comfort zone. I’ll stop there. Again, great piece!
The realest isht ever written.
I enjoyed this.
I am engineer so throughout college you were tested, literally and your tests reflected your ability. So most respect went to the smart person regardless of skin color, in fact it was almost opposite, if you were Black and within this program YOU MUST be a genius, lol, like a rarity. So it wasn’t until interview time and job hunting time did I discover how much my appearance really didn’t fit the typical description of my profession, and watched caucasian frat boys who barely passed the curriculum get hired faster and paid more. Now this could be due to the ‘who you know’ principal too. But as someone above mentioned you always have to try harder and be ‘twice as good’. Not fair but its part of being a woman, black and successful. .
Great Article!