This year’s presidential election is obviously one to remember. Barack Obama is the first biracial president of the U.S. With him winning the popular vote by around three million, I am proud to be an American, because it means people put race to the side and voted for the man who is best for the job. It means that our country is actually living by the phrase, “All men are created equal.”
And while Election Day was a great day for our country, to my disappointment, it was a sad day for Mississippi. I have never in my lifetime seen as much racism between blacks and whites as I did in the hour after Obama was named the new president-elect. People were voicing their opinions through Facebook statuses claiming they were moving to another country or they were scared for the lives in this country. I literally became sick to my stomach when I read some of the things that were being said about our new president and about our country. Racial slurs were thrown around like it was the 1950s, and segregation between blacks and whites became evident once again. I am not putting all the blame on those who were saddened by the victory of Democratic candidate but those who were upset about the color of Obama’s skin. Both races are at fault when it comes to ignorance.
I have heard rumors that a white Mississippi State student was attacked by a group of young black men on Main Street in downtown Starkville after voicing to vote for McCain. The attack was caught on video and allegedly posted on YouTube. I’m not sure what he said or how he said it, but to be physically attacked for having an opinion on who should be the next president is appalling. And the attacks didn’t stop after the election was finished.
Tuesday night, after the announcement of Obama’s win, a young black man at the gas station rudely approached me. He threw the West Side gang sign in my face and said “Obama ’08, how’s it feel to be white now, bitch?”
After telling him that I support Obama and have supported him even before he was elected, he reassured me that it was only because I was scared not to. But if he really wanted to know how it feels to be white, I guess he could ask half of our new president — the white half.
Here’s a scenario for people to think about: If Hillary Clinton was elected president, history would also have been made because she would have been the first female president of the United States. Would it have been acceptable for me to approach men and say, “Clinton ’08, how does it feel to have a penis now?”
Of course that wouldn’t be appropriate, and I doubt it would cause a complete divide between genders. So why does Obama’s race divide the races of black and white people when it should be seen as a step of progress for our country? Aside from the fact that voters all across the country elected the first black man as president, he is another Democrat just like Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy. The only difference is that his and his wife and kids’ skin is darker than theirs.
I can understand if Mississippians are upset that a Democrat is our new president, because we are a red state. But the fact that people are upset that he is black is what really makes me ashamed to be a Mississippian. And I admit that when this presidential race began, I had my doubts about Obama, not because he is black but because I didn’t know if he was politically ready for this position. After doing some research, I am confident that he will be an impressive president for the next four years. If you look back into American history, in 1991 to be exact, when Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles police officers, you will see that this behavior being recorded on public streets isn’t new, and riots began because the officers were acquitted. On the third day of the horrendous riots, King pleaded the famous question, “Can’t we all just get along?” This question has obviously not been answered for King yet.
In Mississippi, as a whole, we need to realize that it is 2008 and should be ashamed of ourselves for returning to the days before the Civil Rights Movement. As far as Mississippi State students are concerned, people from both races are shocked and offended by the remarks that have been made about Obama’s win.
MSU student Lorenzo Butler, an Obama supporter, said: “We need to unite as a country right now. I’m okay with people not voting for Obama because they don’t agree with his policies, but to not vote for him because of the color of his skin is very ignorant, because as a country, we have come farther than that and it’s time to put racism aside.”
Parents, teachers and religious leaders need to be shown how their teachings have affected the young people of Mississippi and should think twice about using language that makes their families think one race is better than another. As corny as it may seem, the worst thing for our country right now is segregation among races, especially of those sitting next to each other in classrooms, because the people in colleges now will soon, if they don’t already, have children. The only way for a young child to learn to be racist is for someone older to teach them it’s OK.
Those who feel they need to leave the country because we elected a black president should probably stop talking, pack their bags and go to Australia for the next four years, because nothing is changing anytime soon and people younger than us don’t need to be taught anything else that will make them racists in the future.
Bailey Singletary is a senior majoring in communication. She can be contacted at [email protected].