Drawing The Line In The Sand - Race 2012

I've read just about everything I can on Romney and Obama. I have watched interviews, sat through debates, and even cringed each morning when I would turn on my laptop and read the Huffington Post's headlines. Everything is just so far right or far left in this presidential election, and it's a tough pill to swallow.

When I agreed to write a few posts for my blog friend, Monica at Monica's Tangled Web (who happens to work for PBS and just so happens to be friends with the documentarian of RACE 2012 to air on PBS (nationally) tomorrow night,) I never knew how much it would ruffle my feathers. Not the idea of writing, on the contrary, I was thrilled to be involved. It was more so how the country is behaving.

I know this is not the first time a candidate has drawn a line in the sand before an election. I would be bored to tears if things did not get a little heated. But this election is different - this election involves a white man and a black man (bi-racial.) Which means, when people start waving their political flags pronouncing who they plan to vote for, and if they really don't understand the policies - they turn to racial slurs to get their point across.

That's what ruffles my feathers.

I've seen it happen on both side of the spectrum.

By agreeing to do this blog series, I have opened myself up to actually paying attention and reading the crap on the internet. I have to purposely open up the comments below some ridiculous cartoons on FB and read what each person has written. I did this, but only to see if there really was warrant to the whole idea that race plays a role in the way people vote.

From what I can see, I am afraid it does.

I remember the first time around Obama was running for president, my friend, Tiffany and her boyfriend, Sean, told me to take a look at Obama's ideas. I was skeptical, having voted Republican in every election. But this go around, I really wanted to see if there was someone different, someone who lined up with my beliefs. Someone who could possibly bring change to Washington, and thank goodness, I found my candidate.  I was tired of the war in Iraq. I had a Kurdish Exchange Student, and she and I were just watching each week as more people were losing their lives. She was scheduled to go back to Northern Iraq, and it concerned me. Just a few months later, I would find myself going through the immigration process with my future husband (who happened to be Egyptian.) I needed things to change there also. I was worried about my pre-existing health conditions.. I was worried about the economy - I was worried/worried/worried - and like magic, Obama had the answers I was looking for.

It had nothing to do with his race. But his policies.

Then I was invited to meet Obama and campaign for him in Birmingham with my two friends. I had no idea I would get to stand and actually have conversation and a picture with him. It sort of sealed the deal for me at that point - this was the man I wanted representing the United States of America.

One thing I noticed at this event, probably 97% of the audience was African American. I can understand the allure, and yes, I was voting for him, so anyone in that room thrilled me, but why were the majority black?

I am ashamed to say this, but before I even ask someone who they are voting for, I sort of play this little game where I bet I can guess who it is. I am usually right, not all of the time, but for the most part. It never fails, but the people who I know have used racial slurs, or have joked about things that are completely inappropriate, and are (in my opinion,) a bit on the redneck side, are voting against Obama. It never fails.

That does not mean the people who support Romney fall into that category. No, I'm not talking about the people who like Romney's plan - I'm talking about the people that are in desperate need of some of the social programs that Obama wants to keep and Romney wants to cut. If they took the time (and maybe they did,) to read the fine print, they would more than likely line up with a different candidate.

But it's not about that. I think it goes deeper.

I think it goes back to race.

I hope I am wrong.

With all of that being said - tomorrow night PBS will air RACE 2012. Check your local listings for the time. Race 2012 is a conversation about how race will affect our next election and how politics are changing the face of America. For more information on the documentary - please click on the RACE 2012 logo on the upper left side of my blog.

What are your thoughts? Do YOU think race will affect the way you will vote? How about your friends or family? Which of my readers are brave enough to share their reasons for the way they are voting? Who would be willing to discuss race? Feel free to leave your honest opinions below. I will not be responding, but will read... and I will continue to listen.

Thanks for following me this month!

Race 2012 - Take a Look In the Mirror

Last week, I watched as Mitt Romney put on the performance of a lifetime. I'll give him credit when credit is due, his ability to convince those so ready to be convinced went flawlessly. On the other hand, I watched Obama deliver a different performance, a calmer approach with a lot less "misrepresentation" of the facts.

Regardless of who said what and how it was said, or whether or not there was any truth in any of it- the one thing that is glaringly obvious: we all saw what we wanted to see.

If you support Romney, then you heard exactly what would appeal to a Republican. Buzz words and terms like "return the decision to the states" or "clean coal." (Which, by the way, is the biggest oxymoron- Clean Coal?!) On the other hand, if you are an Obama supporter, you heard the buzz words you might respond to like "Tax cuts for the middle classes" or "Investment in Green Energy."

At the end of the day - people heard and saw what they wanted to, maybe even what they have been conditioned to hear and understand. I feel the same way about how people react to race. I realize when I hear someone make a derogatory term about someone else, this may very well have come from that person's parents. They heard it and learned it from someone they admired. Hate or disregard for an entire race has to come from somewhere.. we aren't born ready to hate, we are conditioned.

When I ask some of the people I grew up with who they plan to vote for, especially if they are white, 9 times out of 10- it's Romney. When I ask "why?" the answer is always the same. Heck, I'll even quote one for you. This was the response from a guy I went to high school with, that is a decent, hard working guy... but his comment startled me. It was about the whole Big Bird scandal,

"It's sad that this is what liberals defend. I guess this is what their priorities are, never mind the important stuff like the economy or terrorists killing our people. PBS will survive without the taxpayers money, if it doesn't , oh well there are better things to watch anyway." 

That doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the more race related comments. However, for me, there was a sensitive remark in that statement- the whole terrorist bit. Who was he talking about? Middle Easterners? That's when hits home for me. (Married to one.. middle easterner that is!)

Basically the issues Romney supporters list are: the culture of big government, health care, tax cuts, more spending, immigration.. oh.. and when they have consumed a few beers and get comfortable, the racial slurs sort of creep in. They do... they really do.

When I ask my African American or Latino friends who they are voting for, 9 times out of 10 it's Obama. Basically the opposite reasons- wanting health care reform, needing better immigration laws (maybe even amnesty,) spending for necessary programs.. etc. Then.. on the other hand.. every so often, I meet someone.. well.. same thing... it becomes about race.

What really gets me excited and hopeful is when I run into someone like me. Someone of the opposite race voting STRICTLY by the policies. There is that on both sides. Both have good reason to vote the way they are choosing. I admire that. It's clear- they have issues that need to be addressed, and their candidate stands on their side.

Sure, there are people that are white voting for Romney that genuinely agree with his policies and yes, there are African Americans voting for Obama, that genuinely agree with his - but the lines get a little blurred in friendly conversation. My question to you tonight - How can it NOT matter? Since there is a racial divide in our country (come on.. admit it..) how can we NOT seek those who side with our stance and views on these socioeconomic issues? I want to unite the country.. not divide. Who seems to be seeking to unite? Who seems to be dividing? Who is spewing more hateful rhetoric cleverly disguised as issues? Finally, are the racial issues more so socioeconomic versus actual blind hatred?

Lots to think about tonight...

Don't forget:

October 16th on PBS.

PS -  More on this later!!!!

Race 2012 - My Journey

I've tried multiple times to start this blog post. I know it is incredibly important that I get things right, say the right words, and do it so eloquently and profoundly that I change the path America is going on.

Who am I kidding?

I need to just state the facts.

We've got issues, folks. Big, ugly issues. It's time for an America Intervention. Perhaps we all need to sit down, hold hands and sing Kumbayah.
Since we know that's not going to happen, let's see if we can break down one specific point:

Does Race Affect Politics?

My honest opinion: I do believe it does.

It's moments like this that I wish I was able to craft a graph of sorts, because the issues can seriously branch off into a million different theories. In the next couple of weeks, on each Monday, I plan to share with you a different profile, a different take on how race affects politics in America. Today, I want to share my story.

I was born in a medium sized town in Central Georgia. Macon is known for it's cherry blossoms, it's rock & soul music heritage, and crazy politics. It does not take a political scientist to figure out that we probably have race relation issues in our community - still.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a working class family - my dad worked for a dairy company, while mom stayed at home with my sister and I. Dad had a college education, but soon found himself with a wife and kids, and did not have the luxury of turning to his mom and dad for financial help. He had to work and work hard. To save money, mom chose to stay at home with us versus throwing us in daycare. They did the best they could with what they had. I never knew or understood that they struggled. My little bubble was very much protected by keeping us safe and creatively busy. Without going into a complete bio - it will suffice to say we were just fine.

As time went on, I moved on into the public school system- racially integrated, a wide variety of financial situations, and wouldn't you know it - politics were hardly an issue. My biggest concern was whether I got the good swing on the playground at recess.

However, looking back, I remember my parents openly praising Jimmy Carter and then grumbling about the "idiot Reagan," oh yes, the life and times of growing up with Democrat parents. Luckily, my home was a safe bubble, where the "n" word and other derogatory terms were never used. Unfortunately, I could not tell you whether or not my family would vote for an African American President back in the late 70s and early 80s, because.. well.. an opportunity never really arose.

I remember a time when I was in high school I saw Nelson Mandela giving a televised speech. For the first time in my life I asked myself, "How can South Africa have a black President before we do?" In our Foreign Relations course, our teacher tried to get us to debate foreign policy and human rights. Here we were discussing whether Israel should allow the Palestinian refugees their own state, yet here at home we were blindly living in a Caucasian dominated world where the racial divide was still going strong in our own backyard.

When I went off to college, I remember my shock as I walked into the cafeteria for the first time. All of the white students were sitting to my left and all of the black students were sitting to the right- by choice. It was 1991. In my five years at that institution, it never changed. That was my first taste of racial divide post Civil Rights in what should be the modern south.

I finally saw how hatred could really raise its ugly head when the OJ Trial was taking place. I remember walking into Maxwell Student Union at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, GA and watching as the black students cheered during the verdict and the white students groveled and spit out racial slurs. It broke my heart, but opened my eyes.

I went on to work in television during the Clinton era. I suppose time and society got to me and I was voting Republican and spitting each time I had to cut more tape for a VOSOT that evening. I remember giggling as I heard President Clinton say, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," but then realized how scary the times were.. that in the same evening I had to write a short story on the bombing in Iraq. I began to feel conflicted about my thoughts, the policies, but never feeling like America had a true representative of the general population. Which brought up the question - were our elected officials really representing our best interests? Was my best interest any different from someone of a different ethnicity?

By the time Obama came around, I found myself in a tough spot. I was in the process of trying to marry a middle eastern immigrant and slowly but surely, becoming more and more upset with Big Brother in DC. The Patriot Act as well as other profiling measures suddenly put me in an interesting place. I felt like I was in the minority for the first time in my life, with my trip to Egypt, my love of a young Arab man, who just happened to be Muslim and wanted to marry me. I saw things a little differently and felt like I should vote accordingly. I grew angry as people were screaming about immigration, as if the only immigrants in America were Latinos - what I wanted to scream from the top of my lungs was that we were all hurting in some way due to the cultural misunderstandings. Our country was at a ethnic boiling point post 9/11.

When I decided once and for all I would support Obama, my white friends sort of snarled at me. Not all, but a lot. I asked them what their issues were with Obama, and of course the main complaints were that they thought he was a Socialist and was too young or too inexperienced. As time went on, and as social media became the platform for raising social consciousness, I saw that the underlying root of some of the anger was race related with hateful cartoons, not in the "picking on a person's policy" sort of way, more often than not they were racially motivated. I would often see references to the white house becoming a housing project and a ton of other ridiculous ideas.

My eyes were wide open. I listened. I debated. I challenged. I fought along side Obama, whether or not he realized it. I fought for African Americans, I celebrated that we as a people voted for and made history, I took a HUGE sigh of relief as his policies were secured.. and suddenly I had hope for our nation as a whole.

Finally, when I was asked to participate in RACE 2012 for PBS, I decided to ask my "friends" their opinion - Does Race Affect Politics? One answer from one of my more staunchly conservative friends was, "I think a better question would be how much does it affect?"

Food for thought.

Please make plans to watch RACE 2012 on PBS October 16, 2012. Check your local listings for time.

Race 2012, a PBS election special about race and politics in the 2012 election and beyond. Premieres October 16th at 8pm on PBS! (check local listings)

Support for Race 2012 comes from CPB, PBS, Latino Public Broadcasting and Southwest Airlines.

In the coming weeks I will break down various aspects of how I believe race affects politics, and I would love your feedback.

Things I am Obsessing Over

Another week... and yet there is never a lack of things to become obsessed over.

What's fascinating to me - about a month or so before Psy came onto the mainstream with Gangnam Style, I had posted an obsession about that song and specifically K-Pop.

Could it be? Is it possible? I am locating trends before they go mainstream?

This is becoming more and more fun!

 

 

Gallon Pour Thing

1. Isn't this just simply genius?? I HAVE to get one.

 

Lid & Spoon Rest

2. I saw this.. and I thought.. yes.. exactly.. another life saver!

 

Tea Bag Buddy at the Container Store

3. This happens to be one of those things I desperately need to get for my husband. I am SICK of cleaning up little bags around the kitchen.

 

 

Bed fan with wireless remote

4. Check it out!!! A WAY TO KEEP COOL AT NIGHT, but keep the sheets on. I am in love.

 

5.  A great version of an old favorite song:



6. Another great different version of an old favorite song:

7. Anything Otis Redding. It's his week on my Ipod. I know my Macon peeps know this, but did  the rest of you know that Otis was from Macon? Yep. Just two weeks ago, I was sitting at the Rookery and at the table next to me was his daughter, Karla. She called us over to her table and was asking about the museum. *sigh* Here is one of my favorite performances - sorry.. could not embed.

8. Speaking of PSY and Gangham Style... remember the beautiful red headed Korean chick in the video? Well.. we now have her version of the song! (You can say you saw it here first. ;-) )

That's Hyuna! MAN - I HEART K-POP!

9. If you have known me for any significant amount of time, you know I am super crazy about Audrey Hepburn. WELL.. I am FINALLY having an Audrey Hepburn/Breakfast at Tiffany's party for my 40th Bday in Feb. I am OBSESSED with coming up with all of the details I can identify. Here is one I am going for!!

10. I am still playing this song each morning before work! :-)

11. Did I mention last week that I will have the opportunity to do something BIG writing wise? Yep. My NBA friend has asked me to write a 30 minute piece for a documentary going on ESPN. WOot!

12. I have another HUGE project to work on for my friend Monica at KPBS! She's asked me to be an official blogger for RACE 2012- it's a project that is joined with a national special on PBS about race and the election! I'll be working on that piece in the next week or so.

13. AND Ooh La La wines have asked me to review four very distinct variety of wines! I'll even have a GIVEAWAY. (My very first!) I hope to get together with some friends, do a little taste testing party and documenting the whole experience!

14. I have four fun events coming up at the Tubman Museum! (I came up with all but one!!)

15. I agreed to partner up with the Medical Center of Central Georgia for Paint the Town Pink. If you tour our museum on a Friday in October, and wear pink, you'll get $5 off admission!!

16. I wanted to take it a step further and find a way for our museum to participate in the First Friday events downtown. I came up with First Friday Forums! This first Friday will be on Breast Cancer Awareness! I called my old high school bestie, Rebecca, who just happens to be the head of the Breast Center at the Medical Center, and she is going to do an engaging program! Guess what - I wanted to take it a step further and make this event FREE. It will be from 6 - 7:30pm on the 5th.

17. I also threw in a story telling element in the marketing plan, and our new Program Director (and dear friend,) Tonya, came on board and is an amazing story teller. She said - YES and we will begin Second Saturday Story Time at the Tubman! She found a book called Spookley the Square Pumpkin. It's a heart warming story about the importance of embracing our differences. Children can bring a small pie pumpkin to decorate with stickers! (PS - IT'S FREE TOO!)

18. Finally.. my dear Pimp Series is coming down. I worked hard to promote the hell out of Alfred Conteh's series. Next up - Mr. Imagination! He was a Chicago based artist, who recently died. I'll tell you more about him in coming weeks. The opening reception for him will be October 19th.

19. I also volunteered to work with the Historic Riverside Cemetery for their Spirits in October!! If you are local - YOU MUST COME. Nothing like playing with ghosts in a cemetery on Halloween!

20. Finally - My theme song these days. :-(


What are YOU obsessing over?