Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to the Washington Post on race last week. Few mainstream outlets aired her comments. Even after the uproar concerning Black America’s patriotism or lack thereof her comments went virtually unpublished by many other news outlets.
Sad.
The discussion of race in America is non-existent. Simply put, it becomes a surface cocktail hour conversation when provoked by white folks saying something “colorful” or black folks screaming injustice. Obviously, the manner in which many of these discussions begin and end is unproductive and worthless.
I must add that Rice’s comments are profound and dead on. I encourage my readers to engage me on this topic. Read the Secretary’s comments below.
On Obama’s speech on race… “I think it was important that he gave it for a whole host of reasons.”
On race in America…”There is a paradox for this country and a contradiction of this country and we still haven’t resolved it. But what I would like understood as a black American is that black Americans loved and had faith in this country even when this country didn’t love and have faith in them, and that’s our legacy. Black Americans aren’t immigrants. We may call ourselves African Americans, but we’re not immigrants.” Blacks and whites founded this country together and I think we’ve always wanted the same thing.”
On her family’s feelings on patriotism…”My grandmother and my great-grandmother, and my father, who endured terrible humiliations growing up — and my father in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and my mother’s family in Birmingham, Alabama– still loved this country….But if anybody believes that black Americans love this country any less than white Americans do, they ought to go and talk to people who live under very tough circumstances, sometimes doing menial labor and doing tough jobs, and really all they want is the American dream. All they’re focused on is is their kid going to be well educated enough to go to college and have a better life than they had.”
On her aspirations to be McCain’s running mate…”Not interested. I’ve been at this, as you’ve kindly said, a long time. It’s time for new blood.”
And, by “new blood” who does she mean, exactly? Developing…
Filed under: Barack Obama, Conservatives, Democrats, John McCain, Politics, Presidency, Republicans, Violence, Voting | Tagged: Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice, Democrats, John McCain, Patriotism, Race, Republicans
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