Racism in a 'post-racial' America

It was the shot heard 'round the world: After President Obama's State of the Union address last Thursday, Chris Matthews remarked, "I forgot [Obama] was black tonight for an hour."

As soon as I heard this, I laughed at Matthews' gaff. His comment seems almost silly in today's world. At the same time, Matthews fell right into my stereotype of upper-class, white political commentators--looking down at minorities, the poor, the sick--basically anyone who doesn't play 18 holes at the country club and sip iced tea with lunch.

Then again, maybe we, myself and Matthews included, can learn from this blunder...

Matthews' comment highlights a truth we often overlook: As diversity lawyer Natalie Holder-Winfield reports on The Huffington Post, "There are well-meaning white men who do not associate intellectual greatness and leadership with people of color."

Like Holder-Winfield, I don't think Matthews is a racist. But his comment proves Holder-Winfield's point. That a black man could stand in a room of mostly white men and deliver an eloquent speech as the most powerful man in the world is an anomaly in the minds of many white people. Whether we blame the agenda setting function of the news media or ourselves or both, we feel the need to remark when a black person succeeds.

We saw this when Obama accepted the bid for President. A black man. For President. Did it matter that Obama was black? Are we acknowledging racism by even discussing his race? How much attention, if any, should we pay to Obama's skin color?

I don't think we can recognize the successes of any racial group as "the successes of the ____ race." Rather, these successes need to be those of individuals. As much as Matthews' words are deplorable, I'm glad he made them. In a world he dubs "post-racial," Matthews shows us how much work we have to do to overcome racism. Lynchings and school segregation may be a thing of the past, but they've given way to a more subconscious, some may say more dangerous form of racism. If Matthews forgetting Obama was black helps us recognize, and hopefully combat, this invisible racism, I'd say Matthews has done more good than harm.