I am really embarrassed by some of the things I have heard white liberals saying about Barack Obama. Some of the things I have heard:

"He's not actually black, because he's half-white".

"Michael Jordan is black. Obama is black-ish."

"I wish people would stop talking about the factor of race in Obama's success. Can't we just move on?"

"Obama could be an Uncle Sam, or he could be an Uncle Tom"

Why do white liberals continue to talk about the black identity and experience as if they are authorities on it? It's really embarrassing that so many white "liberals" and "revolutionaries" refuse to critically examine our own privilege and role in the white supremacist power structure. White liberals cannot speak as if we know the experience of growing up with brown skin in this country. Racial identity is a social construct anyways, "black" isn't a kind of DNA or blood type. But it IS a very tangible social identity that is used by our society to describe brown-skinned people of African descent. This identity has been used to enslave and systematically disenfranchise people with brown skin since the inception of our society.

With this identity and the history associated with it, why do white liberals think we have the right to validate it or say whether or not someone is "black"???? It is really embarrassing to hear so-called "liberals" let alone "revolutionary" people flaunting their own white privilege to talk about whether or not someone is black enough or a sell-out to the black community.

WAKE UP! If you really want to change racial inequality, stop acting like you are an authority on black culture! Step back and listen to what the black community is actually saying- you don't have to agree or disagree.

We just elected a black president in a society where virtually nobody thought this was possible only decades ago. The factor of race in this election is NOT to be ignored, avoided, or marginalized. It SHOULD be talked about, and that dialog should be OPEN without fear. We, as "white liberals", have the privilege to choose to be 'colorblind', however, our society is NOT colorblind, and nothing we do is going to change the realities that people of different skin colors face on the streets, and in the workplaces and homes of America.

Let's take this incredible time in our society to keep a dialog open and continue to challenge our own roles for the greater good.

If I've struck a chord, good!

Comments welcome.

ryan