Is THIS 2010?

I have a feeling that small-mindedness is going to be the death of America.  Well, let me back up a bit.

I've always been the one who argued that racism did indeed still exist in America.  How did I know?  Through my own experiences in the workplace.  Plenty of little subtleties let me know where I stood.  Many of my friends of color who chose the more "acceptable" tone in discussions on U.S. race relations loved to label me as "radical" or too focused on race.  Regardless of what anyone called me, I remained intent on delving beneath the surface of "advancement".  And if my seemingly "privileged" background ran into race issues, I could only imagine the barriers that less fortunate African Americans faced.

But now here we are in September of 2010, and even the so-called "arrived" African Americans have to admit that the rampant refusal to accept and support our first African American president is quite disturbing.  What is it that people refuse to see about Barack being an agent for change and unity? Well, I know what it is.

When Barack was elected, I like Michelle was for the first time, proud to be an American.  Now, with the Pastor Jones/Tea Party/Fox News furor blasting all over the airwaves, I am actually embarrassed to be one.  I see that my upcoming year in Africa will have to be especially guarded, as not to give people the impression that I am one of those Americans.  The stark ignorance of eying all Muslims with suspicion is dangerous, sickening and downright mortifying.

Maybe I'm the only one who notices that lately Barack has these strained expressions that scream just how frustrated he is with the forces that work round the clock against him.  Well we can at least say that no matter what happens in an election or economy nothing can tarnish his name or legacy.

I'm reminded of how much people of color have just been expected to accept, even when it was unjust.  Yet when the tables are turned and the U.S. finally has a brown person in the White House, there are throngs of people who just refuse to accept that.  How utterly selfish and childlike.

Other first world nations seem to be more cultured and exposed to the global aspects of the world that we live in.  This seems to be part of the reason that so many Americans embarrassingly hate anyone who doesn't look like them.  It is the product of living in an faulty bubble.  However, this ignorance is a Black and White problem.  Plenty of educated Blacks are floating around still not knowing anything about the world or even caring to learn about a new culture.  I'm still recovering from hearing African American Christians call Haitian Vodou, "devil worshiping". Too many of us still don't even have the propensity to study about a Black nation.  How often do we research a successful black country like Barbados and study the formula for their 98% high school graduation rate?  How frequently do we brainstorm methods of investing with our distant relatives in Africa?  We too are often guilty of this small minded mentality.

But don't these foggy-headed Americans at least realize that this narrow atmosphere is not only a toxic representation for the nation, but it is also a recipe for disaster.  How long can we afford to deny the diversity of this planet?  How long can Americans continue to view themselves as better than or unconcerned with someone with whom they're unfamiliar with?  Nations that were once deemed as un-threatening are suddenly developing stronger and more sustainable economies than our own.  They're rightfully moving full speed ahead in the midst of all of our petty divisiveness. 

Are we moving toward the end of the era of American prosperity?  Are we going to destroy ourselves?  Despite my so-called "radical-ness", I genuinely believed that we, as a nation, were moving forward when Barack was elected.  Now, I'm starting to wonder.