Posted by A four part essay by Glen Browder, former Congressman and now a political scientist begins at Birmingham Weekly.
An excerpt to wet the whistle:
So, what would Wallace and King say about Alabama and the South if they were alive today?
Sadly, they would realize that racism extends into the new century. But they also would have to acknowledge an intriguing story of systemic transformation absent legal perversions of white supremacy. They also would note that mainstream Southerners themselves — often black and white working together — are leading efforts against stubborn vestiges of the Old South. In many respects, this region now practices a relatively sophisticated, still racially contorted, but somewhat normalized version of national politics.
Legislative Dispatch
Purple Dot Connection
2010 Big List
2010 Senate Elections
2010 House Elections
Press Releases
I think the voters of mostly white Cullman County demonstrated a new day in Alabama when they recently elected a man of color and great character to the Alabama House of Representatives. I look forward to the day when all of Alabama will vote for a candidate based on the depth of character and experience, and not the tint of the candidate’s surface.
I agree 110%.
>>Sadly, they would realize that racism extends into the new century.
And so does greed, lust, robbery, and a million other vices. Anyone who is waiting for ALL racism to cease is either a fool or a demagogue. People will always be people.
Life has always (and will always) consist of dealing with good people and bad people. This is true no matter what the color of your skin is.
the only way you will know if alabamians are voting on issues vs color of skin is to get into their minds…something that you cannot do. therefore you must assume the best, or the worst, in people and put racism on the shelf and press on. unfortunately there are many that need perceived racism to exist, aka al sharpton, jesse jackson, so that they will continue to make a living. that is the problem.
A while back I got a call from a young man who I have helped through a few rough times in the past. His car was dead beside the road out on the Troy Highway. Another young man was at the house getting help with his car and I asked him if he wanted to go help the other kid get his car going. We drove out the Troy Highway, found the kid and his car. I determined that he had broken his timing belt and the car would have to be towed in. As we waited for the tow truck an Alabama Highway Patrol car stopped to check on us. He decided to turn on his lights for traffic protection and joined us in the wait for the tow truck. So there we were, four white guys standing by the road passing time. At one point he mentioned that he had made a recent drug bust when he stopped a guy that fit the AAHA profile. He got this shit eating grin on his face and asked if we knew what the AAHA profile was and we all shook our heads. He laughs and says “African American Hairless Ape”. Usually when I hear a racist joke I go along and even trade a joke to two and talk about how race ties into current issues. But, the younger guys spoiled it by telling him that that is a bunch of racist crap. He was surprised by the reaction and he started backing off saying how when he worked Macon County he was well liked by the blacks and that they were unhappy to see him transferred out of the county. So, I did not get a chance to get his comments on Obama as President or Davis as Governor.
Yes Onelife, the racist are still with us but today a couple of young men can call an Alabama Highway Patrolman on it and he backs off. It was not always that way. Things have changed and they will change more. The day will come when depigmented people of African ancestry will vote for a pigmented person of African ancestry based on the content of their character rather than differences in pigmentation.
Wow! Pecan Jim, well said my friend, well said!
One of my good Republican friends was telling me the other day how impressed he had been with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson this campaign cycle. I was kind of flabbergasted, but he said it was because they have been more or less silent throughout the campaign even though an Obama presidency would by and large mean the end of what he called “race pimping.” There’s a lot of truth to that.
i think it well be interesting to see how Artur Davis navigates race the next year. I attended two events he did with Randy Brinson and Cam Ward in Montgomery and even hard core Republicans were impressed by his skill.
He has a shrewd way of moving right and still sounding a progressive tone.
Davis is not the most popular person on the blogs but I think he is more formidable than Pecan Jim and some others think.