On the evening of January 21, Professor of Government Melanye Price and Professor of Anthropology Gina Ulysse both watched the Democratic Party’s South Carolina debate. During the debate, both women were struck by the race and gender implications of a comment made by candidate Barack Obama.
“[Obama] made a point that Hillary was a woman, [he] an African American, and then there’s John Edwards,” Ulysse said. “It was one of the most fascinating moments so far.”
This moment, according to both Price and Ulysse, highlights the compartmentalization of race and gender in the 2008 presidential election, which ultimately renders African American women invisible.
“By saying, ’Look, we have this woman and this African American running for president, it erases race from the woman, and gender from the African American,” Price explained. “It’s as though to say African Americans will be led by black men, while women will be led by white women. This prevents any space for African American women. I don’t think it was intentional, but it’s a song we’ve heard before.”
Price and Ulysse plan to hold a panel in the upcoming weeks on “racing and gendering” in the 2008 election. Both professors cited an article from CNN on women-of-color voters in South Carolina as a source of inspiration for the forum. The article suggests that women of color would have a difficult choice in the primary, as they are torn between choosing to vote for someone who shares their gender, or for someone who shares their race. Both professors take issue with the article’s statement.
“Why would we be torn between race and gender when we don’t live it split?” Price asked. “Neither does Hillary or Barack. Are people really going to make a decision based on what someone looks like? There are plenty of people who look like me who don’t speak for me. For example, will Hillary vote as a feminist just because she’s a woman? I don’t know.”
Shamiso Mtangi ’08 also took issue with the conflict suggested by the CNN article.
“Black women can vote for themselves; they can do their voting beyond the topical elements of a candidate,” she said.
Yet, in terms of making her own decision, Mtangi admitted that race plays a role. She said that it does not have to do with whether or not a candidate shares her race, but more to do with the relationship between power and race historically in the United States.
“Its ridiculous that there hasn’t been anyone other than a white male in the White House,” Mtangi said. “The way Obama has united our nation beyond just one demographic is significant. The energy behind him is unlike any leader I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. He may become a major figure in our country’s history.”
Consuelo Gonzales ’08 also welcomes a break from what she sees as a backward political tradition in gender and race. As both Clinton and Obama come from historically marginalized groups, Gonzales believes they offer a new perspective that has the potential to spur progress.
“I think it makes their voice more valid when it comes to issues of race or gender because of their personal experience,” Gonzales said. “It makes a difference because they are victims of historic marginalization, so they offer a perspective that is more likely to be sensitive to struggle [when] compared to someone who is white, male and upper class who has never been marginalized.”
In terms of policy, Sharmeen Mazumder ’09 sees the differences between Clinton and Obama as minor. She has decided to view the race symbolically and feels drawn to Clinton over Obama because of gender.
“I think to have a woman president would be great for women and power in this country since woman are marginalized within the law,” Mazumder said. “I would fucking love to see a woman in charge, but I’m a crazy feminist anyway. But if either one of them wins the election in November, I will start bawling.”
On the widespread support of Obama among young voters, Mazumder questions many of her peers’ rationale.
“I wonder if a lot of people support Obama because he is trendy,” Mazumder ponders. “How can you put someone up that high? I mean he’s a politician. Politicians by nature are ambitious and power hungry. You can’t expect anyone to be some ideal leader just from how they look and talk.”
Professor Price shares the view that this election is a historical milestone, as whoever is chosen as the Democrat’s nominee will make American history. She also argues that racism is still present in this election, especially in campaign tactics.
Price said that Obama has run a de-racialized campaign in order to attract white voters. She believes this hurts African Americans, as Obama is unwilling to speak decisively about how the nation is still divided along racial lines, instead preaching abstract national unity. This makes it very difficult for Price to believe that Obama is going to deal with race-specific issues like Hurricane Katrina. She sees the de-racialization as a political tactic used to combat the subconscious racism of many white voters. The methods used by the Clinton campaign to counter-act Obama’s strategy also worry Price.
“Let me tell you what is disturbing to me about this election as a woman of color,” said Price, “It’s that Clinton and her husband have engaged in race baiting of the most insidious kind. They are trying peg Barack Obama as the black candidate in hopes that whites will not be willing to vote for a black candidate. I refuse to vote for any woman of any race who engages in race baiting. It’s dirty. You become an enemy of black people when you play on the subconscious racism of whites.”
Professor Ulysse also sees this election as historical, and she believes it will reveal old stereotypes on gender and race that still exist in our society.
“What does it look like to have Hillary cry, for example?” Ulysse asked. “That was such a regendering moment, all of a sudden she’s fragile, emotional: a culturally traditional view of femininity. Or when Barack pointed at her; this is a black man berating a white woman. How does that play to a public and its cultural stereotypes imbedded in the past?”
Price is hesitant to embrace an Obama victory as a total civil rights triumph.
“I think a lot of people may use it as a sign of the end of racism,” Price said. “People could use Barack Obama to beat down blacks on other issues related to race and racism, to triumph a post-racist America. But then again he plays right into that.”
While Professor Ulysse sees the historical potential of this election, she also sees a historical tendency for change to trigger violence in American history.
“It’s an exciting time to be in this country, but also a potentially scary time: are we really socioculturally ready for that change?” asked Ulysse.
Even after the votes are counted on Super Tuesday, we may not know what kind of history will be made in 2008. Both Clinton and Obama have raised record amounts of money, and have promised to stretch their campaigns until the Democratic Convention in late August in Denver, Colo.
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