John Rosenberg and I have had a fair number of differences over the years, but few of them were based upon a disagreement of terms, rather of the significance of our respective advocacies. That's about as deep as I want to characterize our discussions for the moment. Suffice it to say that I've let the matters drop as I headed into a different direction.
One idea I have certainly abandoned since finding Cobb's feet was any investment in the idea that whiteness studies would gain a significant foothold among hardheaded rationalists. Quite frankly, although I don't lament it so much these days, I have essentially given up on a credible and popular anti-racist movement. Rightly or wrongly, the overwhelming majority of Americans have decided for themselves that they are not racist and their personal commitment to such transformative politics is an unnecessary discipline. Note that this applies equally to blacks and whites. As silly as multiculturalism gets, that basic battle is won, and is probably not yeilding anything more significant that a new lexicon of dainty terms for new classes of non-mainstreamed Americans. Mark my words you will soon know the difference between little people, dwarves and midgets. Seriously, the hope was that your generic white person would undergo a liberating post-racial identity change. Those were thoughts I sustained before 9/11. I know it ain't happening anytime soon, especially with immigration battles ahead.
With that in mind and my commitment to beat up on identity politics for the sake of Western modernism and social mobility, there has to be some shelf upon which to put racial priorities. Class is a no brainer, though insufficient. Nevertheless with regards to black empowerment I think advances in economic and social status in only marginally improved by accomplishing a higher national consciousness. Or put another way, if all racial progress can be considered frozen by the very existence of a Republican president and yet blackfolks still advance economically, and continue to graduate from college, maybe far too many eyes are on the wrong prize.
I dealt with this kind of practical brick wall long ago during the years of 'Constructive Engagement'. Frustrated at (now foolish that I think about it) the refusal of American corporations refusal to shutdown their South African operations I conceded that a 100% embargo of Nationalist run SA was not worth fighting for. So now I am reviewing my weak but consistent defenses of the racial preferences of Affirmative Actions of all sorts in the context of the failure of a popular political consensus. We have a set of laws that don't seem to be getting under anyone's skin any longer. Ward Connorly's crusade has gone about as far as it's going to get in a nation preoccupied with larger geopolitical issues. The Supreme Court has spoken in Michigan, and there's not much to talk about. So if there's no motion in the law (Hmmm, I wonder what happened to / is happening with the Civil Rights Commission - LKS? Anyone?), which way should our ethics be pushing us?
I've always asserted the necessity of a colorblind Constitution and color conscious politics working out the kinks of racial hostility and injustice. But I think that our politics too have hit a spot of equilibrium... All that said, I'm ready to take a fresh look at Rosenberg's persnickety form of intolerance for racial tweaking of any sort. Maybe he's operating under delusions, maybe he's onto something.
I'm watching, and you should too.
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