from David Wooten
A MEMBER UNIVERSITY PERSPECTIVE
David Wooten is an associate professor at the Ross School of Business, a Consortium alumnus (University of Michigan – Ann Arbor ’87) and a member of the board of trustees. He thanks Lola Ali-Oke and Nadirah Saleem for their helpful suggestions on an early draft of this commentary.
18
< IN MAGAZINE
W
hen Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared a dream that his “four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” he challenged a nation to embark on the journey toward a post-racial society. Forty-five years later, Senator Barack Obama’s historic presidential nomination has prompted hopeful media commentators to ask, “Are we there yet?” As is usually the case with “Are we there yet” questions, this one has been asked much too early and a bit too often. One needs only to look for signs or ask for directions to discover that, despite considerable progress, the nation is a long way from this utopian society, and its citizens do not agree where to find it. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlights the great distance the nation has traveled during a time when visible drivers of racial progress were arrested. The article identifies the rise of Reagan conservatism, court reversals on
Democrats, in a recent study conducted with Stanford University reported negative views toward blacks. These respondents were significantly less likely to vote for Obama than were their counterparts without such negative views. Are signs of racial bias this prevalent in post-racial societies? Michigan State Police recently were called to investigate racial slurs spray-painted on an Obama campaign billboard along Highway 23 near Ann Arbor. Ironically, the first major sign of our proximity to a post-racial society has begun prompting vivid signs of our distance from it. No, we are not there yet. If the signs are discouraging, then ask for directions. Of course, the problem is getting agreement about important landmarks. Advocates of a “colorblind” society presumably point to the day when people no longer process racial information. From this standpoint, we will never get to a post-racial society as long as election coverage continues to include
If the signs are discouraging, then ask for directions. Of course, the problem is getting agreement about important landmarks. affirmative action and busing among the setbacks that occurred during the 1980s. However, according to the article, these old drivers were replaced by such silent engines as more integrated workplaces, a growing black middle class and falling crime rates that brought about more frequent interactions between races, more favorable attitudes about blacks and declining racial fears among whites. The article cites the elections of black mayors and governors in predominantly white cities and states throughout the country and the more than 20 percent of Americans who report having a relative married to someone of another race as major milestones passed along the way. But, is the nomination of Senator Barack Obama a sign that we now live in a post-racial society? No, it is a sign of progress, not arrival, much like the signs for Chicago that appear on I-94 west in metropolitan Detroit. No, we are not there yet. At some point in any long journey, weary travelers will begin to look for answers to the “Are we there yet” question. Unfortunately, travelers on this particular journey will find signs that the race-conscious society in the rearview mirror is actually closer than it appears. For example, one-third of white
discussions of Obama’s race and opinion polls continue to report voter preferences by race. Champions of diversity will point to the day when every major institution understands, respects and accommodates differences among races. From this standpoint, it is useful to process racial information, but not in a way that disadvantages a racial group or its individual members. Results of the Stanford study suggest that this landmark is nowhere to be found. Opponents of affirmative action, like Ward Connerly, are likely to point to a different landmark but, some would argue, in a very different direction. From this perspective, policies once viewed as necessary drivers of racial progress are seen as unwanted signs of racial bias. To them, a post-racial society cannot be reached until these so-called “racial preferences” are abandoned. In short, given the amount of time and distance we’ve traveled in search of our post-racial destination, it is natural to ask, “Are we there yet?” However, based on the negative signs and confusing directions available at this point in the journey, I’m sure we’re not there yet, but I’m not sure if or when we will arrive.