| The year 2008 started out so promising regarding | | | | journalists are backpeddling and insinuating that the |
| healing racism in the United States. White voters in | | | | Clintons' did not play the race card and they are simply |
| Iowa voted for Barack Obama and everything | | | | employing hard political tactics(the media seems to be |
| seemed as if it would be okay. White people thought | | | | glorifying them for their gutter politics). Some of them |
| that African-Americans would finally see that not all | | | | are even entertaining Bill Clinton's ridiculous notion that |
| White people are racist and Black people felt as if | | | | the Obama campaign played the race card against |
| White people were finally willing to look at | | | | him. It's both astonishing and perplexing, the way things |
| African-Americans on an equal level where it mattered | | | | have changed. So what happened? |
| most. Black people finally felt included, we finally felt like | | | | The media and many American citizens seem to have |
| real citizens of the United States, all of the | | | | reverted back to their desire for looking the other way |
| opportunities that we had heard this country offers | | | | when it comes to issues of race in this country. White |
| seemed finally open to us. All of this because of the | | | | America seems to be playing into irrational stereotypes |
| rise of Barack Obama. A nation's hopes for getting | | | | about African-Americans. When the media sees that |
| over the biggest blemish on the history of the United | | | | in some places Barack Obama is not winning poor |
| States were seemingly going to be realized finally | | | | White votes by huge margins, they don't say that |
| after centuries of oppression and hiding from the truth. | | | | these White people are wrong for displaying what |
| The media seemed to be willing to help advance the | | | | seems like racist behavior, they instead blame Obama |
| issue of race positively in the beginning of this year as | | | | for "not being able to close the deal" which any fool |
| many political pundits openly acknowledged how | | | | should be able to see will make the divide with the |
| important Barack Obama's candidacy was. | | | | voters worse. They don't give Hillary Clinton grief for |
| Then there was the Martin Luther King holiday which | | | | not having the support of African-Americans anymore |
| this year seemed more prominent on television. There | | | | after having the Black electorate virtually in her pocket |
| were specials on race relations and even John Mc | | | | at the start of this election season. The media no |
| Cain went to Memphis, Tennesee to honor Martin | | | | longer points out that it is almost impossible for a |
| Luther King's death in early April. We as a country | | | | Democrat to win the Presidency without the support |
| finally seemed on track to get over the angst and pain | | | | of the Demcratic party's most loyal voting block, |
| of racism that we all know exists but too many of us | | | | African-Americans. We are no longer embracing the |
| want to hide. As I look at the media coverage of the | | | | politics of inclusion and hope, we are looking down on it. |
| Presidential race now the most appropriate question to | | | | What happened? |
| ask is what happened? What happened to the | | | | Barack Obama gave a riveting and honest speech on |
| promise of a new day that we all seemed to ready to | | | | race to combat the biased media firestorm over the |
| embrace? | | | | Rev. Wright comments. At first, he was heralded as |
| Things are definitely different on the public stage in the | | | | the orator of a new generation and he was praised |
| United States from earlier this year. Most of the | | | | for his honesty about race while running for President. |
| changes have happened in the last month, since John | | | | All of those accolades went away when Rev. Wright |
| Mc Cain pandered to Black people in Memphis. Now | | | | decided to go on his media tour. The media now only |
| we have 24 hour news coverage of the Rev. | | | | talks about how hurt Barack Obama is by the |
| Jeremiah Wright(Who the media knew about long | | | | comments that the media themselves made the |
| before his "greatest hits" started playing on You Tube | | | | number one news story. They are blaming him for their |
| so if it was truly that important, why did they not | | | | manipulations. They don't seem to care that |
| expose him long ago?). The media now seems to be | | | | African-Americans are becoming more and more |
| sitting in wait for some new thing Rev. Wright says so | | | | disillusioned about not only this election, but also our |
| they can immediately insinuate that it means Barack | | | | place in American society. If the media is this biased |
| Obama is some sort of racist. | | | | against Barack Obama who is the posterchild for unity, |
| Now we have Democratic Primary debates where | | | | then none of us have a chance. If they don't like him |
| basically the first hour is dedicated to badgering the | | | | because of what his Black minister said, then it is over |
| African-American candidate on his ties and supposed | | | | for all of us before we even start because surely |
| ties with controversial figures such as the Rev. Wright, | | | | most if not all African-Americans know people that do |
| Louis Farrakhan and William Ayers, the latter of whom | | | | have angry beliefs and feelings about this country, and |
| most Americans had never heard of. Nevermind the | | | | it's not just Black people. I would be surprised if Hillary |
| fact that it is seemingly inappropriate for White people | | | | Clinton doesn't have relationships with people who by |
| to be questioning a Black man who personally lived | | | | some would be considered radical. But then again, she |
| through the horrors of the Civil Rights movement | | | | is white, so she is not going to be held to the same |
| probably being physically abused and verbally | | | | standard as an African-American. She can be judged |
| assaulted in the name of racism. White people can | | | | on her own merits along with John Mc Cain who |
| never understand what it is like to be Black in a racist | | | | actively sought out the Rev. Hagee's endorsement |
| society and where they might have legitimate | | | | after Rev. Hagee made deplorable comments |
| questions, if they truly wanted to heal the racial divide | | | | condemning the Catholic Church and New Orleans |
| in this country they would step lightly over what they | | | | after Hurricane Katrina. What happened? |
| say. This is definitely not happening with the so called | | | | It is not too late for things to get back on track. The |
| Rev. Wright controversy. They don't seem to care | | | | media can start to be more objective in their coverage |
| that this whole thing is leaving a very bad taste in the | | | | of the presidential race. They can stop openly giving |
| mouths of millions of African-Americans. If they don't | | | | tips to Hillary Clinton on how to beat Barack Obama. |
| care then why should we? Black people will not forget | | | | That only leads to the electorate believing that she still |
| this just as White Americans don't want to forget | | | | has a chance to become the nominee without ripping |
| about Rev. Wright! | | | | the Democratic party in half and most experts say |
| Earlier in the year when the Clintons' played the race | | | | that is all but impossible. The American people can |
| card against Barack Obama the media pounced on | | | | start rejecting the political game that is being played on |
| them for doing so and told it like it was even when | | | | them. Most importantly in relation to the Presidential |
| some African-American pundits wouldn't forcefully | | | | race, they can vote for Barack Obama and end the |
| condemn the Clintons for fear of a backlash from the | | | | destruction of the Democratic party in an election year |
| White community against Obama. Some journalists | | | | where they are more than heavily favored to win. It is |
| even noted their dilemna and openly admitted the | | | | time to be realistic about our society. Together we can |
| reason for Black people having to hold their tongues | | | | change this country to reflect the positive image that |
| one journalist even said this about Barack Obama. It's | | | | we think we have. It all begins with the individual! |
| not like that anymore. Now, some of those same | | | | |