Andy Young to Barack Obama: You Need To Act "More Black"
The high school that I went to in Atlanta was very diverse racially. In fact in 8th and 9th grade I was the only white guy at my lunch table. I didn't think much of it; they were just the guys I hung out with.
I do recall one episode in particular in high school that heightened my awareness of race. There was a black guy one grade ahead of me that I knew fairly well. We had a few classes together. Unfortunately this guy often was the butt of jokes from other black guys at our school who said that he "acted white". By this guy's senior year he was sick of the taunts. So at the start of the school year, he showed up one day at school with a gun. Not to shoot anyone. But because in his mind (and based on those who had taunted him for "acting white") "acting black" meant acting like a thug.
I am reminded of this sad story today as I watch this video of former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young talking about Barack Obama. When asked about Obama running for president this year, Young commented that he wanted Obama to be president but not until 2016. In contrast, he was vocal about his support for Hillary Clinton because of Bill Clinton who "is every bit as black as Barack." He also mentioned that Bill Clinton has "probably gone with more black women than Barack".
It appears to me that Andrew Young is making the case that being black is mostly defined by one's actions. I'm not trying to bash Bill Clinton here, but what exactly does Clinton do to "act black"? This whole concept is highly insulting and someone like Andrew Young, whom I am long respected for his Civil Rights work, should know better.
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Agreement
Young should indeed know better. If you criticize (very rightly) stereotyping and generalizations, you have to be (biblically and logically) pretty hesitant to apply them yourself
disagreement
BHO's blackness is a small part of the criticism stated in the clip. The bulk of what Andrew Young said is that BHO's inexperienced in big time politics, compared w/HRC. He is less experienced. It's funny to me that AY points out HRC's experience dealing w/bimbo eruptions is cited as experience, especially since Gennifer Flowers, Monica, and Paula haunted the BClinton elections and administrations.
That being said, saying that BHO shouldn't be elected b.c. AYoung doesn't know more of his people and that Bill Clinton is more black than him is not defensible.
I think Andrew Young is
I think Andrew Young is responding to the expectation that because he was so intimately involved in the Civil Rights movement, he should support Barack Obama. So in saying, the Clintons are as every bit as black as Barack, what he means is that they are equally committed to the black cause and warrant the same support that Barack warrants for someone who marched with MLK.
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