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Special Discussion on Race in America
This week, in light of Barack Obama's much-lauded and discussed speech on race in American, we asked a handful of academics, journalists and activists (and those somewhere in between) to offer us their thoughts on race in America. Specifically, we asked three questions:
1. Setting aside the politics of the moment (if that's possible), do you think Obama's speech advanced the national conversation of race in America?We'll be posting their responses all week in the Special Guest blog. Feel free to offer your thoughts in the reader blogs and Chuck and I will link over to them.2. Moving forward, what questions do you think we should be asking about race in America?
3. What roadblocks do you think have preventing us from having a productive conversation about race previously? How can they be avoided going forward?
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I posted a blog pointing out that since the hosts of MSM are Caucasian who have little insight into issues of race, network and cable TV will not be a major player in a discussion on race.
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/the-national-debate-on-race-wi.php
Scarborough, Mathews, Dobbs, Abrams, King etc have no insight into the issue of race.
March 31, 2008 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Had to check the masthead to remember who Chuck is.
March 31, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry. CHARLES Gelman.
March 31, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
1. yes
2. reparations
3. white guilt./ Having a candidate like Obama broaching the subject further
March 31, 2008 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
A whole week of opportunities for us commenters to put our feet in our mouths! Just kidding, this is a great idea.
March 31, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ugh.
All these years my feisty Spanish side has been more or less dormant, (except when it's been quite useful and fun), and now it's all about race, race, race.
We're all mutts. Americans? Mutts.
Sorry to burst everyones bubble, but we're all human and the sooner we realize our humanity is the best thing we all share, the better.
I swear, I'm gonna get a tan. Maybe rinse my hair a bit darker. It's hip to be a minority. Who knew?
March 31, 2008 8:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Andrew I'm very new to TPM, but I want to applaud you and 'the powers that be' at TPM for providing the space for these discussions to advance. I have really enjoyed reading through the varied perspectives and arguments presented both from the contributors and the comments. That in itself is a too often-overlooked beneficial outcome of 'the speech', and your part in enabling that benefit is fantastic. Thanks.
April 2, 2008 10:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
The remark about his white grandmother, trying to justify Wright's rantings and his 20 years of apparent ignorance of his church's beliefs, advanced the conversation about race-no. Political expedience-yes.
May 19, 2008 12:24 AM | Reply | Permalink