A recent poll conducted by CNN/Essence Magazine claims 55 percent of African Americans believe racial discrimination is still holding court in Obama's America. That's up from the 38 percent during November's election. I don't know about you and yourn, but brother here still feels the sting of daily discrimination, white liberal arrogance, conservative snobbery and an occasional sense of "We elected a Black president so be happy and back off 'cause things will continue to go our way". That's obviously not the case with everyone, but look here: everybody and their Cousin Judy knows Obama's presidency has illuminated a very scary fact. Black folks spend their days navigating through a white social/economic/educational paradigm.
That's not anything new, I know-I know, but Obama's illuminating powers has made some of us a bit… anxious. Folks are tired of the unwelcoming glances at restaurants. They're tired of the attitude of a taxi driver who's frustrated you're black and going to Brooklyn. They're tired of whites deciding what's worthy in black art or thought. So what's the real solution? Shut up and sit down? Wait for the Revolution to be Cybercast? Ask Obama to ask some white folks to change? Or, is discrimination here to stay? You know, until global warming forces humanity to rethink EVERYTHING.
Keith Josef Adkins is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and social commentator.