Nicky Berman | Being realistic about race

Whether it's CBS's latest poll, Anderson Cooper's post-debate special on Race and Politics or last week's blog post on ABC's "Political Radar" Web site, it seems that everyone is talking about the role of race in this unprecedented election.

Everyone, that is, except for the candidates.

At last week's CNN debate in star-of-the-week state South Carolina, identified as a critical test in the fight for the black vote and held on the holiday that honors Martin Luther King Jr., the three Democratic presidential candidates did an impressive job of side-stepping just about every race-related question.

Instead of responding to the moderators' provocative queries about how the respective races of the candidates are affecting this election, Senators Obama, Clinton and former Senator Edwards elected instead to respond with humor or to wax poetic about how all the races must band together to strive for equality as one big happy family.

Sure, these responses may have scored a few laughs. Responding to Toni Morrison's claim that Bill Clinton was "the first black president," Obama's quip that he must first "investigate more of Bill's dancing abilities" before confirming or denying "whether he is in fact a brother" was downright masterly.

But more importantly, their discourse illuminates a conspicuous disconnect that exists between the media, experts and voters on one side and the candidates on the other.

While every newspaper and kitchen table chat inevitably arrives at a debate about both the feasibility and significance of electing our first black president, the candidates seem to be operating on the assumption that this is a non-issue.

It might be tempting to jump on this bandwagon and embrace this "post-racism" approach, but the fact is that in this country, Obama's race - just like Hillary's gender - matters, and the subject of racism needs to be addressed in a real manner.

Perhaps Obama's strategists have advised him to steer clear of such a charged and sensitive issue. After all, the candidate has been grappling with the Herculean task of navigating the delicate balance between appealing to black voters and maintaining favor with a primarily white general electorate. And judging from his recent victory in South Carolina, this strategy might be working.

But Obama's "post-racism" approach is not limited to political candidates: indeed, it smells quite strongly of the way racial issues are often handled here at Penn. Discussions extolling our highly diverse student population - and publications that use race-based stereotypes as fodder for their jokes - greatly outnumber those that address the racial and ethnic tensions that exist among us. Perhaps we at Penn are crippled by the same fear that hinders Obama - the fear of treading on uncharted territory and unleashing what lies behind those sealed doors.

Val Ross, director of the Critical Writing Program, has observed the absence of honest discussion addressing concerns that are racial or ethnic in nature. "My sense from talking with students is that most feel the staleness, the dishonesty, the shackles of current discourse about such issues as race," Ross explained. "Everyone wants to talk, but no one wants to open that Pandora's box."

"There are many outstanding organizations and programs at Penn that are prepared to discuss race and ethnicity," Ross continued. "The problem is that there is no occasion, no safe and unclaimed space for such discussions to occur."

One such organization is the United Minorities Council, whose vice-chair, Derek Mazique, former editor of 34th Street, also recognizes the need for wider and more honest discourse on these subjects. "It's not about turning a blind eye to our differences," Mazique, a College junior, explained, "but rather discussing and exploring them in a constructive way so that we can ultimately coexist on campus."

For Obama, and especially for the Penn community, avoidance is not the answer. Instead of joking his way through the debate, Obama should practice what he preaches and address questions of his race with "straight talk" and honesty.

By the same token, the Penn community should strive to create that safe space where such discourse can arise. We might think about substituting bold claims about the impressive percentages of minority students here, with discussions of issues such as the self-segregation of the Greek system and other organizations - and the quiet consequences they have for individuals.

A candidate for the presidency might be able to justify his reluctance to tackle the sensitive issue of racism; admittedly, unleashing a race war might devastate his political future.

But such an excuse does not suffice on this campus, where the opposite holds true. Our reluctance to tackle the tough questions will impede our progress towards becoming a society free of racism.

Nicky Berman is a College senior from Boston, Mass. Her e-mail is berman@dailypennsylvanian.com. Philly-Bustering appears alternating Tuesdays.

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