It is ironic that with the ascension of the Barack Obama candidacy many people believe that it is
ringing the death knell for the civil rights movement as we have known it. After 50 years of struggle, are
we reaching the end of the movement that has defined the state of black America for decades? Has
America or more importantly the black community outgrown the type of politics and confrontational style
of the previous generation? Is black America better served by the rhetoric of reconciliation and personal
responsibility being touted by Senator Obama. The answer largely depends on who you ask.

The roster of supporters for the two Democratic candidates I think speaks volumes about the
generational fissures being displayed on the national stage in the black political arena. While the majority
of civil rights leaders of the past came out in full force for Senator Hillary Clinton, the newer black
political leaders supported Senator Obama. How could there be such a disconnect between the two
groups who supposedly want to achieve the same goals? The most vocal critic of Jesse Jackson after
his ill-advised comments concerning Senator Obama was his own son, the younger Jackson stated that
he was “deeply outraged and disappointed” by the comments. There is a palpable stench of jealousy and
envy surrounding the Obama campaign emanating from the early civil rights leaders.

Many of whom have never welcomed the Senator because they view him as an outsider. Some may
even believe like many wing-nuts that he is not fully invested in America. Maybe it is because he doesn’t
share the heritage of slavery or the legacy of Jim Crow, but the truth be told while many publicly
support him they also don’t trust him. You would think that the Obama campaign would be seen as the
culmination of decades of hard work and sacrifice on the part of the civil rights leaders, but
unfortunately it is not. His ability to garner support from large numbers of whites and his references to
personal responsibility have won him few friends among the black elders.

The growing riff between the elder civil rights leaders and the new class of black leaders is not new.
There has been a push by younger more educated blacks to unseat older black elected officials for close
to a decade. The younger black candidates do not share the experiences of their elder counterparts
with the fire hoses, police dogs, and blatant racism. They recognize that racism has become more subtle
and that new methods must be developed to combat it. The older civil rights leaders continue to cling to
the politics of confrontation and blame. The problem with this strategy is that it loses some credibility
when there is no discussion of individual responsibility.

When you have more black men in prison than in college, more than 70% of black children are being
raised in single female homes, and the institution of marriage is all but forgotten in the black community
then it might be time to adjust strategies which the older civil rights leaders seem to be unable or
unwilling to do. Sometimes when you are so close to a situation it is difficult to see it clearly. It is hard
to know you’re in a forest if you continue to stare at one tree. That tree for many years has been race
at the exclusion of so many other variables that are plaguing the black community. For many years it
was unthinkable or unimaginable for a politician or celebrity to comment on or to publicly expose those
self defeating behaviors that plague black America. It was looked upon as treasonous to talk about the
internal misfortunes in the presence of whites. Part of the reason I think some of those elder black
leaders had a problem with Senator Obama was his refusal to play the game by their rules.

According to their rules he would have to bow at the feet of previous civil rights leaders regardless
of their current status in the community or their ability to deliver anything more than memories. You see
Senator Obama did not pay his dues; not only has he not paid his dues but the growing crop of new
black leaders have not either. These new young upstarts are not keeping the focus on the real enemy of
black people; racism. Instead they are no longer identifying themselves as black politicians or as
speaking for blacks only. They are willing to reach out to white voters and represent all voters.

Many of the old black politicians and leaders came up in a time when the best a black politician could
hope for was a congressional seat or a mayor’s office. Usually the mayor’s office was in some urban
center with a reduced tax base, failing schools, and a decaying infrastructure. Many of them also came
from the black pulpits and felt as if they not only represented the black community but also spoke for it.
The other blacks were unable to speak out about the deplorable conditions they faced so it was up to
the empowered clergy/politicians to address these issues. The newest round of black politicians are
college educated, some even at prestigious schools and are just as comfortable with diverse groups as
they are with black voters. They refuse to be pigeonholed as “black” politicians, instead preferring to be
referred to as politicians who happen to be black.

As the black community is facing enormous challenges both internal and external there are many
voices that want Senator Obama to tilt his campaign towards these issues. The problem is that as a
candidate for President of the United States it would be political suicide for Senator Obama to follow
those voices. Senator Obama should not be required to fill the gap vacated by the “so-called” black
leaders nor should he be expected to have to prove his “blackness”. How bewildering it must be for
those older black leaders to see the culmination of all their efforts being realized in Senator Obama and
they not being able to recognize it. I guess one should be careful what one wishes for.

I don't never have any trouble in regulating my own conduct, but to keep other folks' straight is
what bothers me. - Josh Billings

The Disputed Truth