Despite the flat and uninspiring Inaugural Address by now-President Barack Hussein Obama, there was a memorable moment that caught me by surprise: Reverend Joseph Lowery's benediction. He said:
'Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen. Say Amen'...
On a day that we are supposed to be post-partisan and post-racial, the Rev. Lowery's racist "prayer" is truly disturbing. President Obama has spoken about new beginnings, hope and other glowing images throughout the campaign and since his election. We are supposed to believe that his election brought a new era of societal advancement where content meant more than color.
I wrote in an earlier post - soon after Obama's election - that the Civil Rights Industry should be shutting its doors and moving on to other issues. Our racial problems have been solved right? I mean, we've elected a black/white man to the highest office in the land. What more can Jackson, Sharpton, Lowery, Lewis, et al do? The promised land has been reached. MLK's vision has been achieved.
Unfortunately, people like Lowery do a great disservice to this country's ability to move on. His comments about "whites embracing what's right" is a slap in the face to thousands of white people who have done good things to improve race relations. Why can't we just move on with the hard work that we have ahead of us? Why must we continue to stoke the flames of racism (yes, black people can be racist)?
I'm really uncomfortable with the fawning treatment given to a man before he's been tested, but I will try to give him a chance. However, if this type of racial rhetoric is going to be the order of the day, the only change we can expect is more racial turbulence in our cities and throughout the country.
