Are We Living in a Post Racial America? Or, Jim Crow Junior America?

After all, as the New York Times claimed, the election of President Obama into the White House, swept "away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive". Really? Then, why are the African Americans suffering more than any other group of people at this time? Remember, many of the white supremacy members said they voted for Obama to send the country into a tailspin...foment a race war.  One former member, Tim Zaal, said, "The faster this country falls, the sooner white revolution will arise." 

"Could it be that the nomination of Obama finally sparks a sense of unity in white voters? I would propose that this threat of black rule may very well be the thing that finally scares some sense back into complacent whites." -- Neo-Nazi, with the pen name, "LastOfMyKind"

For instance, under Mayor Bloomberg, the NYPD’s practice of “stop and frisk” - — practice of officers stopping city residents on the street and searching them- increased to 600,000 stops performed last year. "87% of those stopped last year were black or Hispanic, a number disproportionate to their share of the population. And just 7 percent of the stops resulted in arrests, meaning the vast majority of those stopped committed no crime. The NYPD argues the practice reduces crime, but it has been coming under increasingly intense criticism in recent months".

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According to Tavis Smiley, African Americans still "lag far behind in every single leading economic indicator category....Life for black citizens now is at depression era levels." In fact, a recently released Pew Research Center analysis indicates the median wealth of white households is 20 times that of black households and 18 times that of Hispanic households. There is no doubt that African Americans are more disenfranchised now than they have been for a very long time.

There are a disproportionate number of black felons who, if not incarcerated, or awaiting their demise in a cell the size of a parking space, on death row,  are unable to vote, unable to gain jobs with a living wage, unable to retain housing, etc..  Why is it, then, that President Obama ignores the black population?  Could it be, like almost all of our political leaders, his real service is to the plutocrats and oligarchs? As Cornel West said, "in a society in which oligarchs and plutocrats rule in an almost uncontested way, all of your leaders of any color are up for sale."

On leadership:

"Leadership is not about being out front. Not about the titles. Not about the degrees. Not about the car you drive. Not about the house you live in, or the friends you have, or the access you have. Leadership is about loving and serving people. And, by that definition, I think all of America is being let down by its leaders of every race, creed and religion...What is the depth of your love for everyday people? And, secondly, what is the quality of your service to them? " - Tavis Smiley

"You can't lead people unless you love people. You can't save people unless you serve people." - Dr. Cornel West

As Tavis Smiley said Dr. Cornel West always says, "It's in the telling of the truth that allows suffering to speak".