Post-racial my *&%$#*%: The impact of Obama’s presidency on race in America James M. Jones University of Delaware Division 45 Presidential Symposium: Race/Ethnic Relations and the Obama Presidency: Perspectives of Some Leaders in the Field American Psychological Association, 95 th Annual Convention Toronto, Canada August 8, 2015

Overview  Part one: Background and context elected “Race” elected Barack Obama Obama and his presidency were met with racist images, insults and disrespect Polls show growing racial division and despair since 2008  Part two: Legacies of Obama’s Election post-racial is a flawed fiction of colorblindness Self-sustaining (non)racial belief systems Self-justifying racial beliefs Confusion, uncertainty and ignorance Need to prepare people to live constructively in an increasingly diverse world

1. “Race” elected Barack Obama

Obama 2008: Who elected him?

Obama 2012: Who elected him--AGAIN?

The Point post-racial hyper-racial Obama’s elections in 2008 and 2012 did NOT signal a post-racial America but a hyper-racial America

2. Obama and his presidency was greeted with racist images, insults and disrespect

Welcome to the White House Mr. President

3. Polls show growing racial division and despair since 2008— NYT/CBS poll, July 2015 of blacks and whites.

“Do you think race relations in the United States are getting better, getting worse, or staying the same?”

"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling race relations?”

“Has Barack Obama’s presidency brought black and whites closer together, has it pushed blacks and whites further apart, or no effect?”

“Was there ever a specific instance when you felt discriminated against because of your race?”

“How comfortable do you think MOST PEOPLE feel when they have conversations about race with someone of another race?”

PART TWO: Legacies of Obama’s Election

post-racial is a flawed fiction

Assault on Black lives

Post-Racial = Colorblind four flawed facets  skin color is superficial and irrelevant to the quality of a person’s character, ability or worthiness;  skin color is irrelevant to merit judgments and calculations of fairness;  judgments of merit and fairness are flawed if race is included in their calculation  ignoring skin color is the best way to avoid racial discrimination  THE ONLY WAY TO GET BEYOND RACISM IS TO TAKE RACE INTO ACCOUNT—JUSTICE Powell Bakke Decision 1978

Obama’s Election Enables……  Self-sustaining belief systems  Post-Racial ideology  Colorblind ideology  Enlightened (aka NEW) racism beliefs  Self-justifying beliefs  I/we are not racists, those who continue to stress race are the real racists—Obama is a racist!

Obama’s Election Enables…… Confusion, uncertainty and ignorance  Misinterpreted the election—Bush weakness, McCain a weak opponent, and race elected him does not a post-racial society make.

Obama’s Election Enables……  diversity intersects race/ethnicity in uncertain and confusing ways. D&I— Diversity and inclusion—important but complicated because  It tends to exclude whites who then withdraw, oppose,  It includes a variety of statuses which have  different histories, needs goals, and standing within the institutional or societal context.  Accommodating them all creates a complex and open system which we are not very good at addressing.  Demands different paradigm for institutional planning and interpersonal and intergroup relations

Future Perspectives— understand and prepare people to live constructively in the increasingly diverse world we live in  Diversity (intergroup) dialogues—can we talk?  Diversity competency(DC6) as General Education-core competency  Diversity Self-awareness  Perspective Taking  Cultural intelligence and Communication  Personal and Social Responsibility’  Global systems  Knowledge application

My Final take… culture and psyche make each other up!  Racism is embedded in the culture and psyche of America, its institutions and…--culture and psyche make each other up!  Positive outcomes attributed to race, proclaim it has been excised—”enlightened” racism  It never will be, we can only work to minimize and ameliorate its destructive influences,  Create conditions for all people to thrive in a civil and humane society