Tavis Smiley's Race Problem
From this MSNBC story, choice quotes from Tavis Smiley on Barack Obama:
It appears that in Smiley's World, race will always be a problem, and because of this, politicians like Barack Obama are beholden to deal with it. The flaw with this logic is that race issues are not just a black/white thing. America has many different races and each one has a story to tell. By using his ability as an "advocacy journalist," Smiley is (unwittingly or not) boxing Obama in...something every critic and detractor has done since the guy decided to run in the first place.
Obama's role is not to be a spokesperson for Black America; it is to be president. The moment Obama decides to publicly be "pro-black" anything will be the beginning of the end of his campaign. Everyone from FoxNews to John McCain is waiting for Obama to stereotype himself (especially since they've done a masterfully pitiful job at doing so themselves). When I read Smiley's quotes about "doing his job" in regard to Obama, I almost swear that I can hear Bill O'Reilly's voice.
But I'm curious as to how far Smiley's advocacy goes. What's his stance on black people who have a religion other than Christianity (or no religion at all)? On interracial relationships? On gays in the Black Community?
What about Black Women in the Workforce? Or Black Fathers taking up responsibility for their families? Or racism in the military and police force?
I've heard or read Obama address many of these issues. And quite frankly, if Smiley would just go to Obama's website instead of sniping at the guy on his TV show, he would have many of his questions answered.
I'm not too sure whether Smiley knows the difference between discussing race as a component of American politics (and more specifically, the 2008 Presidential Election) and forcing Obama to make public declarations that favor Black America at the expense of other Americans and his own presidential campaign. And until I see Smiley "challenging" other prominent black leaders in the same light, I'm going to have to lean toward the later.
In matters of politics and government, there's only two people more powerful than the proverbial King: the Kingmaker and the King killer. I hope Smiley's true motives have nothing to do with being either.
UPDATE: This story on theRoot.com sums up the Tavis/Tom Joyner Morning Show tale (and Smiley's real reasons for leaving) pretty well:
"There is no such thing in America as race transcendence, and Obama’s going to find that out real soon.”
“There’s no such thing as ‘post-racial’ in America, because if you push the envelope too far, you’re going to hear about it.”
“Just because Barack Obama is black, doesn’t mean he gets a pass on being held accountable on issues that matter to black people. I’m not an Obama critic or a McCain critic. The term itself is dismissive and insulting.”
“I want to do what I always try to do, which is to be authentic in my coverage. I’m an advocacy journalist, not a journalist in the traditional sense. I believe my role in the media is to get people to re-examine the assumptions they hold.”
It appears that in Smiley's World, race will always be a problem, and because of this, politicians like Barack Obama are beholden to deal with it. The flaw with this logic is that race issues are not just a black/white thing. America has many different races and each one has a story to tell. By using his ability as an "advocacy journalist," Smiley is (unwittingly or not) boxing Obama in...something every critic and detractor has done since the guy decided to run in the first place.
Obama's role is not to be a spokesperson for Black America; it is to be president. The moment Obama decides to publicly be "pro-black" anything will be the beginning of the end of his campaign. Everyone from FoxNews to John McCain is waiting for Obama to stereotype himself (especially since they've done a masterfully pitiful job at doing so themselves). When I read Smiley's quotes about "doing his job" in regard to Obama, I almost swear that I can hear Bill O'Reilly's voice.
But I'm curious as to how far Smiley's advocacy goes. What's his stance on black people who have a religion other than Christianity (or no religion at all)? On interracial relationships? On gays in the Black Community?
What about Black Women in the Workforce? Or Black Fathers taking up responsibility for their families? Or racism in the military and police force?
I've heard or read Obama address many of these issues. And quite frankly, if Smiley would just go to Obama's website instead of sniping at the guy on his TV show, he would have many of his questions answered.
I'm not too sure whether Smiley knows the difference between discussing race as a component of American politics (and more specifically, the 2008 Presidential Election) and forcing Obama to make public declarations that favor Black America at the expense of other Americans and his own presidential campaign. And until I see Smiley "challenging" other prominent black leaders in the same light, I'm going to have to lean toward the later.
In matters of politics and government, there's only two people more powerful than the proverbial King: the Kingmaker and the King killer. I hope Smiley's true motives have nothing to do with being either.
UPDATE: This story on theRoot.com sums up the Tavis/Tom Joyner Morning Show tale (and Smiley's real reasons for leaving) pretty well:
For the next 12 years, Tavis became a popular figure, crisscrossing the country from L.A. to D.C., creating a loyal and enthusiastic cluster of fans. They—especially the women—shouted his name like rock-star groupies at his frequent public speaking engagements.
But the cheers turned to curses earlier this year after Tavis questioned Obama's fidelity to black people in a series of commentaries on TJMS. Those radio essays outraged a nation of listeners. The issue came to an acrimonious head after Tavis lambasted Obama for campaigning in Ohio and Texas, instead of attending the State of the Black Union, an annual forum hosted by Tavis.
It was a miscalculation on Tavis' part because if a talent show can draw together black folks, then outrage at 'hating on the brotha' will turn that crowd into a protesting mob. Bottom line: Tavis' audience loves Obama, a man on the verge of becoming the first black President of the United States, more than it loved Tavis.
And they let Tavis—and Joyner—know it. Apparently, Tavis was stunned by the intensity and mean-spirited blowback.
So, citing fatigue and other obligations, he announced his departure. Joyner said Tavis left in frustration. "The real reason is that he can't take the hate he's been getting regarding the Barack issue—hate from the black people he loves so much," Joyner said, offering a candid view of the sudden turn of events.
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