The importance of the colour of one's skin can be understood only when a coloured ordinary person (read a person who is not white in the accepted Western sense) is among the whites. The unease, the diminished feeling. VIP coloured persons are, of course, exempted. This could be experienced by a coloured person who lives in Europe, England and America, especially North America including Canada. We should not forget Australia and New Zealand, at the other end of the world, where colour prejudice is rather severe when compared to elsewhere in the white world.
Mercifully, in US, these days nobody asks you, “Hm, you are coloured; from which country are you?” Instead the same question is asked euphemistically, “Hm, your accent is different; from which country are you?” Some mercy!
Just as religion and caste are playing their own negative roles in Indian politics and society, in white-dominated countries religion and colour play an important role. Take the example of America which is never tired of boasting about its democracy and democratic values. Read the preamble to The Declaration of Independence (1776): "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Ha! Pursuit of happiness!! I was in America recently on a prolonged stay and will surely vouch for their abiding faith in and love of these Constitutional rights. After all, “pursuit of happiness” is possible only if there is Life and Liberty. Happiness certainly is the goal of every human being and Americans are very well focused on this goal. Hope this goal will not be stretched to the hedonistic level! Let it be.
The Declaration says that “all men are created equal”, but sadly in a white man’s world, whites are more equal than others (with apologies to George Orwell, author of Animal Farm). However, I am in a forgiving mode on this point because we in India are ourselves guilty of similar conduct with our Dalits.
Take for example the way the Primaries were conducted for the selection of the Democratic Party's candidate for the Presidential election in America due this November. Hillary Clinton apparently thought it would be a cake - walk for her, no matter who the other contenders were. But, unfortunately for her, like a bolt from the blue, there appeared an unlikely candidate Barack Obama.
In the beginning nobody took him seriously at all, for he was not an experienced politician, at least as experienced as Hillary Clinton and, well, a Black. They even forgot that in truth he was half - white. There was another advantage also for Hillary Clinton, being the wife of the former President Bill Clinton. Despite all odds, Barack Obama pushed his way up in a phenomenal manner that made every American wonder what was happening in the Democratic Primaries. It was as if, after the Twin Towers, the Empire State building was targeted for terrorist attack! Barack Obama was bulldozing his way up by sheer dint of his oratory, intellectual capability and conviction that America needed a change, especially in its foreign policy.
Till the last, Hillary Clinton gave Barack Obama the fight, refusing to concede gracefully, hoping that some miracle would happen to make her win the Primaries. One of her statements towards the tether-end of the campaign, when it was clear she was losing despite her inherited advantages, was rather bizarre. The diabolical statement made in a subtle way recalling the assassination of Robert Kennedy during Primaries in 1968. By inference she had hoped that what happened to Robert Kennedy could happen to Barack Obama and that would pave the way for a sudden and easy victory for her. So, prolong the campaign. Sadly it did not happen. The TV and newspapers were agog with her sinister speech. However, as the negative comments began to appear, it was stymied in time.
Even after the battle was over, Hillary Clinton was licking her wounds. The word was spread around that the Presidential election for the Democratic candidate was doomed. How will the white vote for a black candidate? America is not ready for a black President and the whites may not resonate well with Black Obama, her campaign said. But is America ready for a woman President? Nobody asked this question. Jokes in bad taste were heard in the pubs, parties, drawing rooms and restaurants. The White House should be renamed as Black House if Barack Obama wins, said one. The White House would be a mess with a Black inside, said another making wry remarks on American blacks in general.
In America it is very difficult to know whether a person is Black or White from his or her name because of the Christian names common among both Whites and Blacks. In fact many Whites are often embarrassed or surprised on discovering the person in question is a Black and this mindset of Whites is known to the Black Americans. Luckily for Barack Obama, he never had this problem of the name because his name clearly indicated that he is of African origin and, therefore, there cannot be any confusion or mistaking. Yes, an attempt was also made to link him to Islam, a religion for which American and all Whites seem to have an allergy, because Obama’s father was an African Muslim.
However, the whispering campaign in this regard came to an abrupt end when it was vigorously publicised that his biological father had long divorced his white wife leaving his son, Barack Obama, baptised as a Christian, to the care of his white mother and later white grandmother.
Reflecting on why the Blacks with Christian names make themselves conscious of their name being mistaken as that of a White, I remember the former American President Ronald Reagan's experience which he has written down in a book. He gives the example of a four star General of the US Air Force, General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. Ronald Reagan never had an opportunity to meet the General face – to - face although they talked on the phone a number of times. General James Jr was in charge of the homecoming arrangements for the returning PoWs.
Reagan was the Governor of California then and talked to General James Jr. over phone as the PoWs were returning from Vietnam by way of California. Reagan says "it was in one of those calls that for some reason he felt it was necessary to tell me he was Black." Reagan, however, was well aware of this and told General James so. It was a case of "so what?" for Reagan. "My surprise was that he felt he had to interject that in the discussion we were having which was about the requests we were both getting for appearances by the PoWs," Reagan writes.
Reagan wondered if the General felt he had to tell him because it might make a difference to Ronald Reagan.
The former President reasons out that it could be because the General grew up in an America which had a racial problem. The racial prejudice was such that though General James Jr., in his early days in the forces became an officer, he stayed a first lieutenant for seven years, apparently because of his colour. It was unfair but he did not complain, says Reagan. General James Jr., it appears, had known times when he was not allowed to enter an Officers' Club. That did not make him bitter. His photo as a Fighter Pilot hangs in the Pentagon and on it General James Jr. the black American has written:
"I fought in three wars and three more would not be too many to defend my country. I love America and as she has weaknesses or ills I will hold her hand."
I am sure Obama too knows the weaknesses or ills of America and like General James Jr. he will surely hold her hand. If the whites allow, that is! However, it is very, very difficult to erase the pride and prejudice ingrained in lesser mortals like, for example, America’s one of the many Radio hosts John Donald Imus. A white man, he is also a controversial Radio host who loves to walk through racially treacherous waters. As recently as 23.6.2008 morning, his racial prejudice manifested itself when he was interviewed by a TV channel. The Anchor was mentioning about a black sports person Adam Jones (baseball & football) who had the record of multiple arrests. This white man Don Imus immediately reacted “what colour is he?” “He is African American” the Anchor responded. Don Imus instinctively said, “Well, there you go; now we know”. The inference is that it is not surprising for a black to have the record of multiple arrests.
Tail Piece:
A wag argues why call American Blacks as African American? If it is correct, then call American whites as British American, Scotland American, German American, French American etc. US citizens of Indian origin are now known as “Indian American”. After all, the sons of the American soil are Red Indians. All others are immigrants.
Stop it stupid.
