Acting White: Why Blacks Can't/Won't Criticize Obama

Talk show host Tavis Smiley criticized Obama during the Democratic primary and was swiftly castigated by the black community. The task of scrutinizing the new president is left to those, white or black, with sworn allegiance to Republican or conservative ideologies, as they have already been taken over by the ‘dark’ side.

Now I have my own spin. In black culture, criticism, on average, is presented and received personally, regardless of its objective base. With whites, alternatively, professional or political combatants of one moment are often seen ‘breaking bread’ soon after, which blacks view as hypocritical and whites see as on par. Illinois Professor Kochman, in his book, “Black and White Conflict in Styles”, argues that whites debate the idea, while blacks debate the person debating the idea, a significant distinction.

If Professor Kochman is correct, this would explain why black criticisms of Obama are rebutted with personal attack labels of Uncle Tom, sellout, and the like, all of which Mr. Smiley experienced. However, this response also insulates the President from a level of scrutiny of his believers, which he needs to be effective. Obama is up to his neck with the country's problems, and this suggests two things.

First, blacks who expect Obama to significantly change the group’s plight should understand that said plight, such as it is, will change only inasmuch as that of all Americans changes. Second, motivating the President cannot be accomplished by attacking him personally, nor should we assume that any criticism of him by blacks, or whites, constitutes a personal attack and/or requiring an in-kind response.

If we can put these ‘kid gloves’ and knee-jerk reactions aside, perhaps we can arrive at a point where people who support Obama can influence/disagree with him as well, tossing away the rubber-stamp and rose-colored glasses. And this would be a good thing.

James C. Collier

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