The Atlantic - Latest Comments in Race and politics panel at Aspen

Re: Race and politics panel at Aspen

Doctor Jay — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:47:58 -0000

I also endorse the generational theory. Remember that for us over 50, part of our collective experience was seeing people getting killed in race riots and white backlash on TV in living color. With 80% approval of white folks. That's only a slight exaggeration.

My children's school is kaleidoscopic in a way mine never was. Which is maybe not enough in itself, but still a very good thing.

Re: Race and politics panel at Aspen

Dan Goldman — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:38:38 -0000

Agreed. I thought the Celtics/Toby Keith riff was hilarious! And I'll double-down on the generational theory. As someone who's militantly pro-youth, I have to wonder why the Aspen organizers are afraid of the under-50 set?

I think next year's festival needs more age-based affirmative action!

Re: Race and politics panel at Aspen

Ta-Nehisi Coates — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:06:02 -0000

Nah, no white devil joke there. Were I racist, I'd like to think I'd be more clever than that. Cooly inserting "Why'd he" for "Whitey" perhaps?

Re: Race and politics panel at Aspen

Joel — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:14:28 -0000

Too bad the Celtics joke didn't go over better. As a Celtics fan (a white one), it definitely alleviated some of my white guilt to see this team get support from black fans. You grow up, and you're a fan of a team before you realize what a team meant historically--what a city meant historically. The Celtics were especially complicated since the ownership and its GM throughout the 80s were famously NOT racist, but the city was. The first black player in the NBA was a Celtic, and Auerbach was famous for just wanting the most talented players.

Still, I know of the tensions from the 80s (though I am too young to remember them) and on some level always felt I would have enjoyed the Lakers' style more, as what young person doesn't like fast-paced pretty basketball.

Kevin Garnett was very weary of playing in Boston, and rightly so given the city's history, but it's a testament to cultural changes in Boston (if not socio-economic, geographic, etc.) that most of its most beloved athletes in every sport are not white. Terrible city to live in though, blah.

Re: Race and politics panel at Aspen

gussie — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:12:48 -0000

'Guilt' is the wrong word. 'Anxiety' is closer, and off the top of my head I'm gonna say it falls into two categories. 1) The anxiety that we'll say something that's taken as racist, and 2) the anxiety that we'll say something that's racist. Well, and 3) all of the above.

And granted, you're right about the tribes of whiteness, but I'm not confident this is such a generational thing. I think that younger white people might--speaking -incredibly- generally--have more -personal- comfort with blacks than older whites, so you don't see the stone-faces and the awkwardness. (Though I dunno about your joke: "I'm having a white devil of a time moderating... ") But I think the price of that is the whole 'I'm completely colorblind' thing, and 'I don't even -think- of him as black', and 'let's just treat everyone exactly the same'--in other words, a pronounced lack of awareness about institutional and society and cultural racism vs. mere personal racism.

Re: Race and politics panel at Aspen

Matthew — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:37:15 -0000

Personally, I only read your blog out of white guilt. I'm sure it's very nice, but I don't understand most of it because I don't speak ebonics. Please give me your address so I can send you reparations.

Re: Race and politics panel at Aspen

asl — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:23:50 -0000

"Where are all the black leaders to tell black people about social responsibility" and "Will Barack Obama be assassinated."

Banging my head on the keyboard.