The Fragility of Post-Racial Ideology in American (Visual) Culture

The Election of Obama

    With the historical election of President Obama in 2008, the American liberal population, which was already playing with the ideology of colorblindness, believed that American society has finally eradicated its “race problem,” and had entered into an era of post-racialism. This idea emerged out of the thought that because the American population had the ability to elect an African American man as President of the United States, then “what has been deemed as progress by people of color in this country, apparently translates to the end of racism.”1 The theory and ideology of colorblindness, of which, “race is only skin color,” props up and goes hand in hand with the idea of post-racialism.2 These two ideologies, which completely ignore the fact that race and skin color have been deeply embedded into the fabric of American social, political, and economic structures, present a dangerous situation of ignoring and looking past the disproportionate inequalities that have affected people of color in America since the country’s “birth.” This idea also promotes white privilege and safety, by focusing on the fact that race in America is no longer an issue that needs to be dealt with, and perpetuates the problematics of ignoring the daily microaggressions and institutional racism that people of color have been made to live with.3,4

    On the other hand, while many were cheering and celebrating President Obama bringing in the post-racial era of American society, there were other American’s who were actively opposing his election, outraged over the fact that an African American could hold the Presidential office. The protests that resulted operated by “using the vilest anti-black stereotypes,” such as a Midwestern man making a sign that said: “Hang in there Obama,” accompanied with an image of a noose, evoking the legacy of white supremacy, and the history of the KKK’s violent attacks targeted at Black individuals.5 The backlash against Obama continued throughout his entire time in office, and are evidence of the fact “that Obama was and remains an unstable signifier of black masculine otherness, and one, moreover, who troubles the privileged status of the white Western subject.”6 This backlash further shows the fallacy in thinking that America had achieved post-racialism.

 

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