gratitude and much respect to all of the people knocking on doors and spreading the truth about the election. you are obama's much vaunted 'ground game,' and i and everyone who shares your ideals your hopes and your vision, salute you.
while trying to find a way to understand the dynamics of race as they are playing out in the current election cycle -- and more specifically, the challenges facing a black candidate attempting to gain the support of a populace divided by racism -- i vaguely remembered a story i heard about harold washington, the first black mayor of chicago. i searched it out and, listening to it again, i gained a new appreciation, not only for how far america has come, but also for barack hussein obama's unique place in our history.
this, unlike my first two diaries, is not very long, nor very personal. for those of you who take the time to read it, i thank you in advance.
before our story begins, the chicago political machine squeezed black kids into mobile trailers behind public schools rather than let them attend white schools, just blocks away. before our story begins, the chicago political machine built high-rise public housing to hold blacks on the south side and keep them from moving into white neighborhoods. before our story begins, the chicago political machine built a system of highways that coincidentally divided black neighborhoods from white, and particularly insulated the mayor's all white neighborhood, bridgeport. typical inequities: unemployment in white 11th ward was 0%. unemployment in the 4th ward, where blacks lived, was 25%.
this is the chicago of the late 1980s as described by this american life in their hour-long profile of harold washington. it's a great story, presenting a difficult, complex, and far-reaching moment in chicago's history with TAL'S usual blend of wit, insight and humanity.
you'll hear how harold washington survived racist attacks so rabid as to make mcbain's latest allegations about obama seem absolutely tame by compariso. (die, n****r, die spray painted on the entry of a catholic church? you betcha! hate literature depicting chicken bones and watermelons? say it ain't so! said literature distributed by the chicago police department? joe sixpack! wink!)
you'll hear how the populace rose up in an wave of support for this outspoken, highly intelligent and (to white voters, at any rate) extremely frightening politician. and you will hear how, despite all attempts to force him to fail, washington transformed this groundswell of popular support into an actual functioning government. one that not only improved the lives of countless chicagoans, but also fundamentally altered the way they viewed race and its relationship to leadership.
how important was harold washington in bringing us to this historic moment, when america is on the verge of electing its first non-white president? an argument could be made that he is obi-wan kenobi to obama skywalker. here are some choice moments in this story about this remarkable man.
'[harold washington] completely destroyed the myth that white people will not vote for black people.'
'this was a paradox i came across a number of times. white people who explicitly identify themselves as prejudiced or racist, but would vote for a black person.'
'back then, for me it was white or black. you know, i was prejudiced back then. more so than i am now...i don't turn my back on them (laughs)...i would vote for obama for president, and he's black.'
and yes, you'll hear more about our very own barack hussein obama in this story as well. listen and lose your fear of the bradley effect.