Getting Used to a Black President - Melissa Harris-Lacewell

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2008/08/05/Color_Blind_The_2008_Race_and_Beyond

Political scientist Melissa Harris-Lacewell examines how Barack Obama may affect Americans' conceptualization of race and the Presidency, should he be elected to the position.

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Barack Obama's success so far in the 2008 election cycle has fostered optimistic rhetoric in mainstream media about race relations in the United States.

But does Obama's candidacy transform Martin Luther King Jr.'s American dream into a reality?

A recent New York Times/CBS poll found that Americans are sharply divided by race on their views of Senator Obama and the state of race relations.

In addition, with an increased presence of other minority groups, issues regarding race in political and social life are no longer black and white.

What role does race play in the 2008 election and beyond?

Can America ever truly be a color-blind society? - The Century Foundation

Melissa Victoria Harris-Lacewell is an American writer and political scientist and Associate Professor of Politics and African American studies at Princeton University. She received her B.A. in English from Wake Forest University, her Ph.D. in political science from Duke University and an honoris causa doctorate from Meadville Lombard Theological School.She is the author of Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought on the methods African Americans use to develop political ideas through ordinary conversations in places like barbershops, churches, and popular culture. The work was awarded the 2005 W.E.B. DuBois book award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. Harris-Lacewell's writings have been published in the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Crain's Chicago Business and Newsday. She has provided commentary for NBC News, Fox News, Showtime, HBO, Black Enterprise, National Public Radio and other radio and print sources.

Category:

News & Politics

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• barack
• obama
• race
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• voters
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• black
• white
• african
• american
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• presidency
• americans
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[Dammix]

Melissa Harris-Lacewell is so amazing. I will worship her and the ground she walks on. I am a good obedient white person and i know my place. black is simply superior. ;)

[BattleAngel]

Only to a true racist is to say one is black "racism." You obviously didn't read my comments. black is a political term and race is not biological or based on blood only racists like you would believe that. So its not about claiming "blood." Do you embrace your African heritage? Its scientifically proven we all came out of Africa the real question is why you only claim Northern European Heritage and not your African blood.

[dymchurch1]

I wonder how the film "Deep Impact" or the TV series "24" folds into these events.

[qpwillie]

I think it's only the left who thinks of race when they hear of "president".

[tothatextent]

Negros are funny

[petera41]

great idea great motives however he is now the president honour him and this country

[MIKKAMETDIESTIKKA]

you gave me an idea. And by the way I was picturing ur applebottem sorry about that

[ultimatetalesfan19]

If you agree with me then why is my idea ridiculous?

LOL You don't make any sense.

Also if you think my ideas are ridiculous then you are saying her's(woman in the video)are too, only even more so because her ideas are based purely on greed and jealousy, and mine are based on the pure equality that blacks fear will someday take place.

[asanteosu5]

@ultimatetalesfan19 lol! your idea is so ridiculous that it must simply be laughed at. Yes there are all these schemas I suppose that benefit black ppl. We shld consciously push to integrate ideas of white basketball players and black on white crime. We shld also push to integrate white or female intellectuals etc.