THE NIGGER IN THE WHITE HOUSE
By James Lincoln Collier
Published July 2014
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James Lincoln Collier is a writer and musician. His book My Brother Sam Is Dead (1974), was a Newbery Honor book that was also named an American Library Association Notable Children's Book and nominated for a National Book Award in 1975. His email addess is Jazzcol@aol.com
Jim Collier is a straight talking man so when a few months ago he wanted to use the word “nigger” in an article to shock us into accepting that there still are people who believe and use this outrageous word, our editorial staff took collective objection and we did not print it. The editorial staff continues to object. In this article however Jim reminded me that the New York Times avoids using the word which convinced me that WestView should. –George Capsis
The uproar in the press at the stunning defeat of Eric Cantor, the former majority leader of the House, “unrivaled in the history of Congressional primaries,” according to the New York Times, has shown a spotlight on the persistence of racism in the United States. The newspaper reports have said that Cantor was “insufficiently conservative” on issues like immigration. This is undoubtly true; but it covers a greater and more important truth: Cantor was defeated mainly because his opponent, a man happily named Brat, was able to tie him to Obama in the minds of voters. Again according to the Times, Brat’s most effective campaign tool was a photograph showing Cantor standing next to the president. Brat took it for granted that a connection to Obama would be disliked by the voters in question. The Times added that such conservative Republicans have “a vocal base that demands unflinching opposition” to Obama and are “determined to stage confrontations with the president at every juncture.”
Presidents have been subjected to stinging attacks before. Franklin Roosevelt was royally hated by conservatives for his advocacy of social programs and support for unions; and Lincoln was shot for his tolerance of the recent enemy. Ironically, Obama has never strongly pushed for the strong social programs liberals expected of him. He has, indeed, been quite passive in his approach to governing. Conservatives ought therefore to have recognized that for a Democrat Obama was about as good as they could get. But, says the Times, “any hint of cooperation with the president” was the kiss of death for candidates in conservative territory.
It is possible to draw only one conclusion: these far right voters hate Obama because he is black. The simple truth is that there is still in America an irreducible measure of racism. A large minority have for some six years have been quietly angry that they must have in the White House a member of an inferior class of people. Until recently. however, they have felt constrained to keep their mouths shut. But America’s increasing tolerance of far right opinion has made racism more acceptable, so long as it can be disguised, however thinly, as politics.
Unfortunately, the media, including the New York Times, has been wary of addressing this issue. In its reporting on the subject it says only that Cantor’s problem was his support for immigration reform, including the legalization of people who had been smuggled in as children. There is no doubt that easing of restrictions on immigration, which basically means admitting more Hispanics from Central and South America, is opposed by substantial numbers of Americans. So doing is entirely consistent with what we know about the behavior of groups, about which I have written in WestView before. Groups don’t like strangers, and to non-Hispanic Americans these Central Americans are strangers, with a different language and set of folkways.
But blacks are seen as even more “different.” In this viewpoint, Obama is not “one of us” to many Americans and is therefore, if not exactly the enemy, at least an outsider.
One of the great surprises of this particular election was that the polls consistently showed that Cantor had a huge lead over Brat. The polls were not just slightly off, as they often are, but dramatically wrong. Nobody should have been surprised. Clearly, a whole lot of people who would not admit to a stranger on the phone to being racist, in the polling booths did what their hearts urged them to do: vote against Obama, even though he wasn’t on the ballot. And one of the results of the Brat victory is that we are unlikely to see another black candidate for president for some time to come; the risks are too great for major political parties to take.
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»» The Headline Offends Me
432 Responses to “THE NIGGER IN THE WHITE HOUSE”
David Voss
Jul 7th, 2014
To tie a vote for Brat to racism is lazy reporting. That is something I would expect to see in the comment section of an article online, not within the article itself, unless the statement was backed up with some solid evidence. There is little of that in the article.
I live in Richmond and from what I can tell, people in this area wanted a Representative of their interests. Cantor was no longer a local representative, but attempting to become something much greater than the office to which he was called. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be upward mobile, but don’t try to do it at the expense of your existing job. That is what got Cantor fired.
Dawn
Jul 8th, 2014
The evidence is in the location and the company kept by those who make no sense in their arguments against candidates and incumbents of anything but white antiquated spirtual thinking, and by the number therein.
D Pitt
Jul 12th, 2014
Why is GOD here , for hate to build in the white house , just say it you you hate blacks and while you’re at it say to the GOOD LORD you hate black for no reason and will stop this bitterness . SO this is politics
James
Jul 18th, 2014
Hatred, prejudice and bigotry are always done by cowards in darkness. Whether the darkness of night, a hooded sheet, a voting booth or a smile, they don’t have the courage to face the realities and consequences of thier own truth.
Tyb
Aug 7th, 2014
Hatred, prejudice and bigotry are all tied to fear and ignorance.
richard
Nov 6th, 2014
James should learn to spell their ignorance stay home
Jsph
Nov 20th, 2015
Com’on…don’t be stupid!!! We’re ALL racist…..just some of us will admit it.
marc b
Dec 7th, 2015
Because he is black? No..Just the worst, ignorant, dumb, cowardly, cant admit he has failed america, person to step in the whitehouse!! More worried about offending muslims than terrorists killing us…Letting a third of lazy americans stay on welfare, and gave the ok for nuclear weapons along with billions of dollars to Iran, the biggest sponsers of terrorism in the world!! Wake up people, these are the facts..Plus he is racist..Called the woman who raised him a “typical white woman”..If a white president called someone a typical black person, they would be impeached!!
Tonya Tipton
Jan 19th, 2016
To Marc B…The Iran deal was made to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, the billions of dollars you are talking about is already Iran’s money. The woman who raised the President was his grandmother, his blood and him calling her a typical white woman is no where no how racist. President Obama has done a great job as President and it doesn’t matter if you hate him or not, he’s done his job.
John
Jul 8th, 2014
The article speaks the truth people like David live in denial. The article is also a statement as to what a large portion of white america is thinking and saying behind closed doors.
David.W
Jul 8th, 2014
First of all, John, how do YOU know what people say, let alone think behind closed doors? Do you have some magic power that allows you to hear people thoughts and listen through closed doors?
Second, Dawn, what the hell do you mean by “antiquated white spiritual thinking.” It sounds like something you picked up listening to left wing academic types. Don’t you that no one has taken left wing academics seriously since the 70s. If you have your degree you are no longer required to regurgitate their spew.
Third, I came to this website because I wanted to see what excuse the publisher would come up with for using the “N” word. I don’t buy their excuse. The only time I ever hear that word used any more (whether or not behind closed doors) is when I am in the locker room: For some reason young Black males are not content the word to fade into history, and so they call each other the N word in front of whites as if they enjoy watching the discomfort they create.
Finally, there is in fact a Black who could potentially successfully run for President in 2016 and his name is Dr. Ben Carson. Of course that does not fit the false STORY line that ignores that it was Republican’s who papas send the voting rights bill, and a a Republican who proclaimed emancipation..
H.A. Brown
Jul 8th, 2014
Well said David. End of discussion!
Rick M
Jul 8th, 2014
@ David W and H.A. Brown. While I don’t disagree with some of what David is saying, you two surely you don’t think that some whites aren’t saying or thinking this behind closed doors do you??? If I am hearing this in front of me (I am of Japanese descent) then I would be hard pressed to think they aren’t saying the same when I am not there, i..e., behind closed doors.
While racism is less prevalent then it was when I was growing up, I also believe it’s not as overt. Instead of calling me a “Chink” (which isn’t even the right slur) to my face, they now say things like “your people” or “your kind” or you speak good English (funny, because I don’t know a “lick” of Japanese).
So before either of you spout off about what is being said, maybe you should walk in my shoes and hear what is still being said to me.
SlW
Jul 9th, 2014
This is obviously a race-baiting piece.
I am a conservative white and would have no problem casting a vote for Ben Carson or Allen West.
The Hispanic immigration debate has less to do with them being “strangers” etc. as it does with what it is going to do to our welfare system along with employment problems AND the money that will be needed when we are in no position financially.
Weak argument for the comparison to Roosevelt. Obama has expanded those programs and cell phones weren’t around in the 30’s.
Try being a responsible journalist. NOTHING good came come from this sort of rhetoric.
Benito
Jul 8th, 2014
Not well said, David W. John does not need to stand behind closed doors to hear conversations and racists words spewed about Obama. Our country is in deep denial about having a Black man run this country. Forget the fact that he is a Harvard educated law professor who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008. He is Black and that scares the crap out of Whitety who are so brainwashed and delusional to think we are Christian nation. Bullcrap! The birthers and Donald Trump can keep the myths and lies to themselves. Obama is a progressive President trying desperately to get this country out of the 1950s pre-birth control pill where white men forced their wives to stay home to raise the kids. We are the last nation to adopt universal health care and we still subsidize billions to farmers who don’t need the money. We are a country of the rich by the rich and full of elitist, racist, older white males who rail against any progressive move to help everybody who doesn’t make $100K a year or more. Dr. Ben Carson is a lunatic who believes science is hogwash and this coming from a man who is a doctor.
Jill
Jul 8th, 2014
I am white and got married to a Black Man in 1981 and have 3 grown children. I can tell you that when most white people talk politics to me, they do not know my connection to Blacks so if they were going to say disparaging racial remarks “behind closed doors”, they could fire away. I have not heard one white person reference race to Obama. Either they are extremely for or extremely against Obama. On the other hand Blacks continually reference race, and continually state that white people are against him because of race. Also the majority of racism I have personally experienced was from one group, and the same group that physically attacked my kids back in the 80’s, and 90’s while spewing racist remarks was the African American group. I think the author of this article should spend a month renting an apartment in a predominately black neighborhood and then write an article titled The Honkey at the Typewriter, if he is still alive.
Trevor D
Jul 8th, 2014
Racism is still very prevalent in the United States of America and the case of President Obama is the clearest example possible. No one ever spews their racist remarks unless completely comfortable and surrounded by individuals that they KNOW share their opinions. They change the words to “socialist” or “criminal” or (one that has been directed throughout my entire life) “thug.” Or dare to say he wasn’t born in America. The far righters will do ANYTHING possible to discredit a president that is 10x greater than his predecessor. I truly believe that the level of hatred shown toward the president directly correlates with his nationality not his policy decisions. The immigration fight shows the far right’s obsession with keeping America as white as possible, keeping us living in the days of northern Jim Crow(subtle and unspoken racism).
Richard Mullen
Jul 8th, 2014
Thanks Benito,
It’s nice to read some “common sense”. Most conservative republicans that I know dance around racism but struggle to identify what evil President Obama has wrought upon the country. They use conservative-speak that comes from talking points repeated over and over until those in a trance believe it.
When is the last time you heard entertainment news mention the stock market or the increase in jobs numbers? At one point it led every news cast.
Finally, Thanks to Mr. Collier fro letting the elephant out of the closet and back into the room.
Ben M.
Jul 9th, 2014
Interesting comments David W. Tell me…. how far is it from where you live to REALITY! Also, Dr. Ben Carson is as black as Pat Boone. The fact that the President has accomplished ANYTHING speaks to his brilliance and, like most history, the truth will be rewritten to conform to WHITE standards. I.E N