Teen Ink

Home > All Opinion > Still Not Colorblind

Report abuse

Submit my work

Share/bookmark

Tag as favorite

Still Not Colorblind

Next article »
« Prev article

Rate this article:

By Aaron S., zebulon, NC

More by this author

I often heard about the presidential election on the news. You probably did too, if you expose yourself at all to the sickly sun of the American media. Journalists, reporters, and every other member of the information army practically

Photo credit: Jessica F., Bradford, MA

wet themselves with exultation at the election of the United States’ first African-American president. And so have American citizens. There are still “Obama ’08” signs in yards, on cars, bridges, babies, and anything else that can be decorated with that godly O – his supporters still have that smug smirk glued like a bumper sticker across their faces.

Reading this, you might come to the conclusion that I am a rabid racist and torch-waving conservative, but hear me out! I am not a racist – in fact, I am almost certainly more colorblind than you, Obamanite. Barack Obama is now America’s first black president. You may say “Hooray!” but I say “So what?” You might tout his victory as a sign that racism is dead, and equal opportunity is, if not here, then well on its way. I disagree.

Racism is discrimination. Discrimination is not simply the act of deriding or oppressing a particular race. I believe it is any emphasis of racial differences. If a caucasian sees himself as “white” and identifies with others of his skin tone to form a coalition promoting his race, this is racist. By this logic, pro-black coalitions are racist too. And those who vaunt Obama’s presidency as a victory for African-American people are included.

In my experience, modern society is not discriminatory in its presentation of opportunity. There are black CEOs; there are white hobos; there are members of every race in every position. It’s the beauty of America! And yet still some insist on highlighting Obama’s victory as something strange and wonderful. Not only is it an insult to the American spirit to be fascinated by a black president, it’s an insult to those who have fought for this spirit.

The proper response to Obama’s election should have been: “We have a new president. Will he do a good job?” It is foolish to think that just because Obama is black, he will do a good job. Those who share my opinion see Obama not as racial crusader in shining armor, but as a politician whose actions must be analyzed logically. In short, the fact that America still perceives races as “different” is shameful. In a land of equal opportunity, the best will win – and the best has been chosen.

Celebrating Obama’s victory in a racial context is simply celebrating past racial divides. The election was not a victory for African-Americans, but a victory for all Americans.

This piece has also been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.

Join the Discussion

This article has 21 comments. Post your own!

Report abuse

E.L.W. said...
yesterday at 12:59 pm:

Very good article -- and I love the point being made. We have all black colleges which many applaude, but if there was an all white college nowadays there would be an uproar. Racism goes both ways.

Report abuse

LUVSPIE!!! said...
Nov. 12 at 7:53 pm:

This article really made me think. Part of me agrees and the other doesn't. I'll be thinking about this writing for a while, but good job.

Report abuse

firstsnowfalls said...
Nov. 12 at 6:19 pm:

I can kind of hear what you are saying but I don't believe it is for the right reasons. If racism is so nonexistent in this country, then why has their never been a black president before now? Are African Americans less smart, less qualified? No. Are women inferior to men? No. But somehow, this is our first black president and no females yet to speak of. I agree that we should look at candidates for what they bring to the table, not their color. But this is still an amazing point in... (more »)

Report abuse

simmokim said...
Oct. 21 at 6:44 pm:

it raises the question... was Obama elected in spite of his color or because of it?

Report abuse

EcoWriter3 said...
Oct. 21 at 4:48 pm:

Beautifully written. I agree that we should not judge Obama by his race or skin color, but how well he performs his duty.

Report abuse

GirlWithWings56 said...
Oct. 21 at 4:20 pm:

Good article. First of all, I see your point. Second of all, I somewhat disagree with it. You say it shouldn't be a triumph and we shouldn't be so excited that we have the first black president, but we are. the fact is, the US is an extremely biased and racist country and it IS a triumph to have the first black president, because the US history is full of bigotry and prejudice and the fact that the American citizens have elected a black leader is astounding. And yes, just because he is... (more »)

Report abuse

PurpleFeather said...
Oct. 21 at 2:08 pm:

there was alot i agreed w?in this article, and a lot i didn't. yes, its true that we must judge PRESIDENT Obama for his political actions, not just his race. yes, there is still discrimination in the us. yes, race shouldn't matter.
BUT, the truth is, race still does matter. it does. and just because ppl consider President Obama's victory to be a victory for blacks, doesn't make them all racists. it IS a big deal for African-Amercians. there are people in my family who ... (more »)

Report abuse

beanzalib said...
Oct. 21 at 12:59 pm:

I agree. It's nice to finally have a black president (when i was in like second grade and i first saw a bord w/ all the presidents i wondered why they all look the same) but, if he was an awful presentent, it would be awful. A black president is a good thing, but he has to be good at the job two. I don't know for sure yet but i think he is.

firstsnowfalls replied...
Nov. 12 at 6:31 pm :

:) haha i hear ya about the presidents all looking the same. why is it that theyre all white, old, males?

Report abuse

said...
Oct. 21 at 10:57 am:

This is so true. How many people voted for Obama just because he's black? Why do we even care that he's the first black president? It shouldn't matter! We should be focussing on his actions, not on his skin color. Isn't that what we've been taught since second grade?

Report abuse

ClearlyDamnDecent said...
Sep. 29 at 12:54 pm:

Great Article with well made points.Have to disagree with you though. I am not aware what your race is but let me assure that to not champion Obama;s success as a memento of the progress made would be amiss. For those of us in the younger generation a black president isn't really a big deal but for those alive 40 years ago t is so important to demonstate the progress from not allowing a man to handle a bank account we can allow someone to assume control of the Nucelur codes, thats a huge st... (more »)

Report abuse

tweedle dee said...
Aug. 15 at 2:54 pm:

i very much agree with you. people have told me that whoever doesnt like obama is racist and doesnt like having a black president. he wont make a better or worse president depending on his skin coloring, all that matters are his actions. great article!

Report abuse

Rockerray101 said...
Jul. 11 at 3:52 pm:

I hate racism. My dad is African-American and we have got lots of horrrible looks and have been treated badly. Whats is the big deal with skin color? We are all equal!

Report abuse

Sunshineyday said...
Jun. 27 at 3:56 am:

I was an Obama supporter, and I was a little mad that people were making such big "first black president" hype because it did strike me as racially divisive, although, his election DID tear down an unfortunately long-standing racial barrier. Bieng the first black president is impressive, but we should judge him by his PERFORMANCE as our leader, this is coming from a kid who was an adamant supporter, who dragged her whole family to the polls.

Report abuse

:) said...
Jun. 25 at 7:23 pm:

Wow. This is a great article. I had the same belief but for some reason never associated it with your topic. This article was like a mental bridge for me. Thank you.

Report abuse

blondie101 said...
Jun. 13 at 9:22 pm:

i TOTALLY agree! thanks so much for writing this, because it is sooo true. i think its cool that we have a black president, but we dont choose leader by race or religion. and i believe this is what happened during the elections.
anyway, i agree with you completely. thanks again for writing this! it was AMAZING!:D keep up the great work and keep sharing! cant wait to read more!!!:D

Report abuse

Spencer N. said...
May 16 at 1:27 pm:

if people refer to Obama as the first african american president, then that is a littel raicest. i mean why do we see color still as a line,its still a wall socially.

replied...
Oct. 21 at 10:59 am :

Exactly. Why can't we just refer to him as "the president"?

Report abuse

Theresa said...
May 2 at 11:57 pm:

I completely agree. I was talking with a kid in my history class, and somehow we got on the topic of Obama. We both agree that the "first African American president" craze of the last few months doesn't signal the end of racism. It simply highlights a new era of it.

This was a well-written piece.

Report abuse

PolartheBard said...
Mar. 18 at 11:19 pm:

I agree with you. A big issue that came up during the elections was that a lot of people, primarily blacks, said that mr. Obama's election is a fulfillment of Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. But,as a friend of mine said, it isn't. The reason is thus, by pointing out the color of Mr. Obama's skin, the fact that many voted for him simply because of it, completely erases any progress of what Mr. King hoped to achieve. His true dream was of a world when color would not matter, of a time ... (more »)

Report abuse

Chains_of_Ink said...
Feb. 13 at 8:40 pm:

Thanks for this piece, Aaron-I have the same opinion. I think that over emphasizing Obama's ethnicity is being just as racist as someone who wouldn't elect him because of his skin color. If we keep him on this pedestal throughout his four years in office, we won't be able to evaluate his actions as a normal president.

Get Our Print Magazine

Still Not Colorblind

Join the Discussion

Get Our
Print Magazine