Ever since Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, people with common sense around the globe immediately noticed the level of contentiousness towards him escalated with extreme prejudice. After everything that occurred during George W. Bush‘s presidency, it was hard to believe that America could find more conflicting character than him — but the country did, in its first Black president. This was apparent in the subtle racial jabs made by members of the GOP, the incredibly racist “jokes” made at the expense of Barack and Michelle Obama, and the overt xenophobia displayed by the Tea Party. But still, Obama’s staunchest Caucasian opposition refuses to acknowledge their implementation of the dirty, little r-word into their politics. Most become incensed when there’s mention of their political dissent being tied to prejudice. And this is why every American — Black, white, or other — must read James Lincoln Collier‘s op-ed, “The Nigger in the White House.”
Since we live in a time in which people don’t read full articles as much as headlines, it’s easy to see why Collier’s piece received so much reflexive backlash. However let’s be clear, Collier, an old white man, is taking it upon himself to bring credence to a truth many other white men and women are unwilling to admit: Their hatred for President Obama is predominantly based on race. I don’t believe Collier is a racist, but I do think he has an adept ability to call bullshit on his own community more effectively than those outside of it could ever do. Collier isn’t trying to belittle the Black community by explaining to us what we already knew — that racism extends all the way to the White House. Instead, he is attempting to cut through the rhetoric of racist whites who use every excuse imaginable to legitimize their political extremism. And Collier blatantly put the word nigger in the title to encapsulate their hatred towards the President because no other word accurately embodies the unprecedented level of hate Obama has faced.
The hatred against Obama is without precedent. The idea that he has faced the same level of hate as Dubya is an excruciatingly ignorant false equivalency. That would be like comparing the hate some white baseball players faced, to what Jackie Robinson had to deal with when he first put on a Brooklyn Dodger uniform in the 1940s. Race in America is just as explosive of a topic today in 2014, as it was in 1947, yet we address it less under the guise of living in a “post-racial society.” Whether Black folks use the word nigger (or nigga, for those of you who claim there’s a pointed difference), it still is an extremely jarring word to hear from some people, especially out of the mouth of a white man. And that is why Black people NEED to read the “Nigger in the White House.”
Although we are not the intended audience, it’s important to let that headline make us uncomfortable, mad, frustrated, and fed up. It’s not just one writer’s headline — it’s the war cry of our white co-workers, neighbors, teammates, colleagues, teachers, students, friends, and even in-laws.
LAB
Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.