Towards A More Perfect Justice

This post is the third of a four-part series leading up to the inauguration.


In about two days, Barack Hussein Obama will take the oath of office of the Presidency of the United States of America. The hope and inspiration he has already brought to our society is reflected in the polls that indicate that he will bring the change he promised during the campaign. If we reflect on the goosebumps we get from his oratory, our sense of optimism and expectations might outrun the reality before us.

Some pundits have actually made the comment that we are now living in a post-racial society. An example is this morning Bill Bennett mentioned on CNN, "We got there." Continuing, he brought Martin Luther King, Jr. to mind by saying, "Free at last..." I'm no fan of Bill Bennett, but he is only one of many pundits who have stated that we have arrived, that we no longer have to worry about racial discrimination in our society, that we now live in a post-racial society.

I agree that we have come a long way from the days of slavery and Jim Crow. We must not, however, let our emotions get the best of us. Simply by looking around, we can see that a post-racial society is still a part of the dream, not the reality itself. As a privileged white man, I cannot fully internalize the significance of Obama's coming to the presidency. I am truly excited, inspired and eager to see what his achievements will be in the years to come. Nonetheless, we must keep in mind where our society has been and where it is now before we declare the we have actually overcome.

Throughout the campaign and transition periods, I have had several "Proustian moments" when when Barack Obama has spoken on an issue and a flashlight inside me was flicked on. That light has led me down the tunnels of my past into the corners of my being that I thought I had forgotten.

The issue of race was present, often below the surface, during the years i spent growing up in Elkhart, Indiana. Although I was born in 1955, at the beginning of the post-Brown era, my hometown was very divided along racial lines, especially regarding housing and schooling. Red lining was a common practice in Elkhart back in the 1960's, so neighborhoods and schools were often segregated by race.

It wasn't until I was in high school that I had a number of African-American classmates. One important class I took was "Black History" with Mr. Middleton. The curriculum opened my eyes to the black experience, plus I was in the minority in the classroom -- a valuable experience to have since I'd only been in the majority throughout my life.

I played on the football and basketball teams at Elkhart High School (at least through 10th grade - after that I left athletics to those who were more gifted than I). Battling for positions and supporting one another on and off the field, no matter what your race, was uncommon in our racially divided city. Nonetheless we teammates usually did just that since we had so many common bonds from the field of play.

It was impossible for the racism outside of school, like so many other social issues, to remain there, however. The pain, anger of racist policies and activities -- such as cross burnings and racist graffiti -- ultimately flowed into the high school and led to race riots in the hallways.

Teammates and classmates of mine who played together on the football team in the fall took baseball bats and chains to one another that spring of 1970. Nothing is so insidious as racism to destroy the humanity in ourselves and towards others. The police broke up the riots, using the tools of their trade: water hoses and German shepherds.

At the height of the riot, I and other teammates on the baseball team were sent to the auditorium by our baseball coach. He didn't want any of us to come between the racist groups roaming the halls, which could have led to more trouble. The last thing he wanted was his players suspended in the middle of the season.

I moved away from Elkhart in 1973, just after high school. I have, however, returned on a regular basis for visits and to keep up with events within the city. I read in the local paper that violence struck ten years ago as a 19-year old Sasezley Richardson was carrying diapers home from the supermarket. He and his white girlfriend, along with their baby, were making a life for themselves in an apartment two blocks away. As he turned a corner, he was shot to death by a two white supremacist, Neo-Nazi teenagers, Alex Witmer and Jason Powell. They were arrested and taken in for questioning the next day. The reason they gave for shooting the young man was he was black. Pure and simple, he was black.

Inauguration Day will certainly be a time for celebration. We will be feting Barack Hussein Obama as the first African-American president of America. Since the days of my high school experience in Elkhart, Indiana, much has changed for the better. Many of the racist barriers have been broken down, and many new opportunities have arisen in the light of a new day.

But let us not delude ourselves into thinking we are in a time of post-racial America. Look at the nooses drawn or placed secretively "as jokes" in our educational institutions. Look around on the corners of our cities where unemployment is visibly evident. Look into our prisons, where men of color are incarcerated at a rate extraordinarily greater than whites. Look at the graduation rates, which in many cities remain below fifty percent. Look at the murder rates, which in Philadelphia average between one and two per day. Look inside the childhood poverty rates. Look at the victims of HIV/AIDS, who are predominantly patients of color.

Yes, let us celebrate Tuesday, but let us look through the glow of the moment to see that there is still a long road to travel until we reach racial justice in America. Barack Obama realizes, as well, that we have not yet arrived. For him, racial injustice remains one of the great challenges before us.

Obama is clear that we must continue our efforts on the road towards equality. He is certain that it will be difficult to prevail and that we ought not take the easy path in overcoming racism and prejudice. As with many other difficulties ahead of us, he wants us to join him in the struggle for a more perfect union. And in so doing, he implores that we "look to our better angels," as we move forward towards the reality of full racial justice in America.