My mother is a racist and she's voting for Obama.

[Avalux]

I grew up in the part of Pennsylvania people joke is like Alabama. When I heard Gov. Rendell's comment yesterday about how some white people in PA won't vote for Obama, I thought for a moment he might be right. Then I thought about my mother and wished I could call the good governor and tell him he's wrong.

I love my mother dearly. However she's lived in the same central PA small town all her life and has had no personal relationships with African Americans because there simply aren't any there. Because of this, she has preconceived ideas and they aren't good. Very narrow-minded and borne out of fear of the unknown.

It's difficult for me to admit she's a racist; it embarrasses me and if I could, would change it in an instance. I have tried over the years but she would never listen to me.

So now she tells me she will be voting for Obama in the PA primary on April 22nd. I was shocked by this and asked her why she has decided to vote for Obama. Simple she said - because of his message. She wants change and believes he is the person to lead this country in a positive direction from what she's heard and witnessed over the past few months.

So many people give Obama a hard time for his "platitudes" and "empty words" but look what he's accomplished with my mother. He has somehow managed to get this 64 year old white woman to look beyond her bigoted views - something I haven't been able to do for 20 years. She sees beyone the color of Obama's skin and I would call that nothing short of miraculous.

If this can happen to my mother then it can happen to others who up until now, would have never considered voting for a black man.

[rox63]

1. Wow - Thanks for sharing this great story

K&R for your Mom.

[butterfly77]

2. Do you think she will change her mind if..

Sharpton, Jackson or Farrakhan endorse obama or show somehow during the campaign?

[Avalux]

7. No, I don't think so. She's made up her mind. n/t

[David Zephyr]

3. How redemptive!

Never give up. That's the lesson.

Now start loving your mother more. You only get one, you know.

:hug:

[Avalux]

9. I'm very proud of her - I love her dearly. n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. There's millions of people just like your mom.

For better or worse.

[formernaderite]

5. I'm actually NOT surprised

Even people I know who have racists streaks...in that they tend to "judge" people and stereotype, don't do that to individuals, rather they stereotype the "Group". I would tend to believe your mother falls into that group. I personally believe Obama will do quite well in PA...let's just wait and see.

[damntexdem]

6. We're all racist -- we grew up in a racist society. The question is what we do to reduce our racism

It sounds like your mother isn't doing so bad in her circumstances.

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. I don't agree.

Not everyone believes that their race is inherently superior to others.

[IsItJustMe]

37. My thoughts exactly. When I say that to people, some look at me if I am not right, but I truly

believe it. You can not grow up in the American society without being tainted by some form of racism. This has been going on for hundreds of years and in the stream of time, it has just begun to change.

We are all affected by it, regardless of whether we are honest enough to admit that to ourselves or not.

It only varies in shades, intensity, and degrees.

[dansolo]

43. Not just American society

You act as if this is something that is solely an American phenomenon. Xenophobia, which racism is basically a form of, occurs everywhere. It is part of human nature. I don't deny it exists, but I don't like it being portrayed as solely an American trait.

[IsItJustMe]

48. You are right. It's not only American. Some countries do better with it and others worse. And yes

it does seem to be part of the human condition.

[predfan]

8. Re: Pennsylvania

Heard a comment once about Santorum "Pennsylvania........Philly on one end, Pittsburg on the other, and Alabama in between" Apparently so.

[OnionPatch]

54. I don't know about Philly

but there are plenty of racists in Pittsburgh. When I go back home to that area, I'm always stunned at the racial epitaphs that come spewing out of people's mouths. The funny thing is, lots of them plan to vote for Obama. :shrug: Sometimes I think the racism is ingrained in them as a general thing that doesn't always play out in the pinpoint of their reality.

[Thrill]

You don't have to be a Democrat or like a black person to know

Obama will be a better President than McCain.

Anyone with half a brain would know that

[oasis]

10. The "power" of Obama. Some narrow minded white folks will be sold, others.... frightened.(eom)

[Cha]

31. The Power of a message

that has gravitas behind it.

[RiverStone]

11. Thanks for sharing and there is hope for your mom....

I grew up in GA in the 60's and and saw many prior racist pigs slowly but surely crawl their way to the light of day.

On some level, there is an intuitive heart shift - it needs to happen on it's own rather then convincing anybody.

Your mom has obviously had a heart shift and there is no going back. In baby steps maybe, she is letting go of the old thinking and trying on a new thinking for size.

The fact she is supporting Obama says a lot.

Congrats to your mom and congrats to Obama for being a true uniter!

[Unsane]

12. Racist or prejudiced? There is a difference.

Does she just have preconceived notions about black people, or does she actually think the race is inferior to the white race?

[Avalux]

14. I'm not going to write some of the things she's said in the past -

but I would say she thinks the race is inferior to her German heritage.

[Unsane]

16. ok, fair enough

[Barack_America]

13. Make sure she knows the primary is April 22.

Not April 21. ;)

Glad to have her support! :hi:

[Avalux]

15. I've fixed it and yes, she knows.

:hi:

[wellstone dem]

17. I wish I had a heart left, I'd give it to you

what a message of the power and possibility of redemption.

[lumberjack_jeff]

18. Your mom is like most of the "racists" I know.

They say the stupidest shit because they're ignorant.

The process of curing that ignorance is gradual. During that process they say things like "Mexicans are lazy, but I don't mean Jose' here, he's my pal - he's okay".

Or, like my own sister; "(My grandaughter) is the best kid! I wasn't sure about my daughter being (whisper)gay(/whisper) but they're a great couple and (her partner) treats her great"

The truth is, the improvements in race relations in our country are largely because of integration of the military. People have their attitudes changed by person-to-person connections.

My stepmother was very much like your mom, until a black lady became her best friend. Life is funny like that.

[stellanoir]

19. It's interesting

how I've been hearing the "america won't elect a black man" more from the Afro Americans I know than anyone else.

Then again, I thought we were way beyond bigotry decades ago as a kid and really have been saddened and astonished by its and homophobia's pathetic resurgence.

I've been thinking about starting a thread about reverse racism, about how people are just so fed up with the corruption, criminality, and hypocrisies of male caucasian rule that we are collectively hungering for an alternative. That coupled with Clinton fatigue and people being fed up with all the divisive and intractable bickering are huge influences in what we are seeing now IMHO.

Good for your mom though.

It's a great story.

[Avalux]

20. I think there's something to what you're saying - reverse racism.

Do you feel a sea change happening? It's something I can't quite put my finger on and I lack words to describe it but I can feel it. :hi:

[stellanoir]

Yup

and its funny that you employ that particular term for it. I've been feeling it incrementally for nearly a year.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=443035

Still as a 13th generational american on my mum's side, I can attest to a palpable sense of "white man's guilt" exuding from that half of my gene pool though the natives here all died of disease and were pacifists. My ancestor migrated because he was totally appalled by the slave trade where he first settled.

I've always gotten a kick out of reverse racism. People are people ya know?

:hi: right back atchya

[EFerrari]

27. I don't think it's "reverse racism" so much as just learning.

When you are harmed, you learn to be vigilant to the origin of the threat.

[BumRushDaShow]

21. I voted for Rendell

twice for mayor and twice for governor. And although what he says under typical circumstances, is sadly true, I think he is missing (or perhaps not "missing" given that he has endorsed Clinton) the unusual circumstances occurring in the current geopolitical and economic environment of the country. I.e., there is a unique shift in sentiment in this country and a hunger for something to relieve the stress that so many feel. The standard max % of whites willingly voting for a black candidate has generally been in the 30% range. Yet Obama has consistently broken that barrier in state after state. In essence, he is the anti-Bill Clinton - capturing a broad constituency but without overtly dissing or doing back-hand slaps at one's ethnicity to "capture" some specific other demographic, but embracing all. And each faction of the party initially feels left out and has in fact lashed out against not receiving special attention. But as time has gone on, the bitterness among many of the factions have softened and the desire to rally around defeating the repuke this fall is growing stronger and stronger.

Having been a Kucinich supporter who watched my candidate handily swift-boated during a single debate and dismissed as a kook, I would hope that the state of PA isn't similarly dismissed and assumed to be a Clinton lock. On the contrary many state-wide races here have been decided by the largest metro areas and if Obama can appeal to the central, generally rural part of the state, then Clinton is not going to win here. Many of us in PA despaired of being the last big state to vote - usually a position where our votes would have made no difference. But hopefully we will actually be able to help decide this crucial 2008 election.

[Cha]

32. Thanks for your input from Pennsylvania, BumRushDaShow..

And welcome aboard the DU. :)

[Avalux]

34. Thanks for your point of view - welcome to DU.

:hi:

[caseycoon]

23. OH very very cool! K&R n/t

[Eurobabe]

24. Good for mom

a leopard can change its spots. :)

We have a racist friend in Cincinnati (he's not MY friend, but my hubby's diving buddy, I already told him off about the racism stuff) ANYHOW, I know he won't be voting for Obama, but I might tease him about it. :rofl:

[Flabbergasted]

25. Good post! kr

[woolldog]

26. Wow

Obama is even beating Hillary with the white supremacist demographic. :rofl:

[starroute]

28. Racial images in general are shifting

I have been struck lately by how many commercials use actors portraying middle class black families to sell ordinary middle class products. I think that an image has been built up in our society -- probably going back to the Cosby Show -- of middle class blacks as just like middle class whites, only a bit more authentic and trustworthy, and that Obama is benefiting from that.

I would guess there are million of Americans out there who might still be terrified of stereotypical images of inner city blacks, who might even have qualms about someone like Obama marrying their daughter, but who are also predisposed by this shift in attitudes to see Obama as likeable and reliable and someone who they are glad to support on a political level.

In fact, to the extent that such people still harbor prejudices -- but have also had their awareness raised enough to feel somewhat guilty about it -- supporting Obama may even be a way of proving to themselves that they aren't *really* prejudiced. If you will, he comes across as the national "Black Friend."

The country is in a strange transitional state when it comes to racial attitudes, but that very ambivalence is likely to play to Obama's advantage.

[foo_bar]

39. "the national 'Black Friend'" is an apt description

My grandmother would have voted for Obama in a heartbeat, even though her first choice might have been Pat Buchanan (whom she inexplicably sent money to alongside the monthly check to B'nai B'rith, covering all her bases I guess), because above all she loved the Cosbys. She almost stopped watching television after Lawrence Welk's untimely (!) cancellation, but she continued to plan her life around the Cosby Show even though she lived in the heart of Philadelphia and had virtually no "Black friends", so it almost seemed like compensation the way she kvelled about the Huxtables and reminded everyone of their uber cute kids and fine parenting skills, like a politically correct version of Archie Bunker's "a real credit to your race!". But anyway, Obama's kids would have sealed the deal with her, she wouldn't have had to listen to any speeches or anything. On a related note, it's been a while since we had a president young enough to have children young enough to make my grandma go "awwww", which may account for some of Obama and Bill Cosby's "safety net" as non-stereotypical emissaries of peoples with melanin-expressing melanocytes.

[Cha]

29. I tell ya..the only

ones pushing the "race" thing is people like ed rendell who is pushing hilary.

That's an awesome account of your Mom and please thank her from a lot of us who are not in Pennsylvania to vote for Obama but are grateful to those who are helping down there!

[quantass]

30. Inspirational Post -- thanks very much for Sharing!!

Obama is pretty good.

[miceelf]

33. Yeh

My dad, who disowned me for being in an interracial marriage, is (according to other family members) supporting Obama as well.

hell, even racists want good government.

[IsItJustMe]

35. I love your post and your honesty. My dad is the same way. I have tried to change him but I just

end up knocking my head into the wall.

[Politicub]

36. Thanks for for the great post

It's heartening to hear that people can change.

And it's brave that you posted it. I have a few people in my family who are quite racist, and have been that way their entire life. I haven't talked with them about Obama, but I hope his message is getting through to them as well (and this is coming from a Hillary supporter - some things are bigger to me than the politics of the moment)

:toast:

[knowledgeispwr]

47. Cool reply!

It's so nice to see civility and genuineness on a GD: P thread.

I agree with you, it's nice to hear that people can change, or at least open their minds a little.

:hi:

[Yael]

38. Thanks for posting this

:hi:

[Catherine Vincent]

40. Racists for Obama?

:)

[Guava Jelly]

41. For some reason your thread makes me think of a certain Dylan song

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.


Good for your Mother :thumbsup:

[Avalux]

42. Great song - thanks.

:hug:

[Darth_Kitten]

44. My mother is a kind, caring, intelligent woman, and she likes Hillary.

:)

[mtnsnake]

45. A long time ago I did some business in a place like that in PA called Troxelville

That place is out there!

[knowledgeispwr]

46. Thanks for posting this!

It's not easy to acknowledge bigotry and prejudice in our own families and among our own "friends."

Stories like yours gives me some hope for our future.

:hi:

[stillcool]

49. My sister is as well...

we did not grow up together, and she has stayed in the same town for her entire life, with no exposure to people unlike herself. She does not like Hispanics (thinks they all should be sent back home), Black people (she doesn't know any), or Italians( she doesn't get along with them). She insists she is not racist, and has always voted the straight Democratic ticket. Many heated conversations, very little progress. I would consider it a monumental success if I could tweak her mind.

[bagimin]

50. That is a beautiful thing...

thanks for sharing.

[yardwork]

51. My mother is going to vote for Obama, too.

My mother is not a racist. She's totally thrilled to be voting for a black man.

As a Hillary supporter, I said, "Mom, Obama is ok, but some of his actions bother me. What about Hillary?

My mom - "Hillary's fine, but I'm tired of the Clintons. I like Obama. He reminds me of JFK. I like his ideas."

I have to say, I'm impressed with the support and momentum that Obama has built.

[FrenchieCat]

52. Thank you for that!

[cboy4]

53. Your headline sounds like a Jerry Springer epidode!

[Blue_Roses]

55. Louisiana

is the same way...I was born and raised there and my mother is the same way. It's not that they are overtly-burning-a-cross-lynching-spewing-hate bigots, it's just the snideness that I can't stand. My mother does like "Oprah" and few other blacks, but as a leader, she is hesitant. It's the generation and the southern upbringing.

Wonderful story. I think a lot of their bigoted views are from fear and lack of understanding of the black culture--something our generation has not only accepted but admires.

[Klukie]

56. Great Post.....

I come from central PA and I have to say that you nailed the mentality perfectly. I too have family members that are racist and there is no doubt in my mind that it is caused by ridiculous fears. I moved away long ago and I am a better person for it. I have since returned and I am still amazed by the level of ignorance. I will say though that of the racists I know, most of them would vote for Obama before they would vote for Clinton. They hate her and when I ask them why they have no answer. Speaks volumes to me.

[Wickerman]

57. I'm glad to hear she is moving past her background

She sounds like a good lady, perhaps a product of her environment - she's been there all her life you say? It's not only encouraging she is voting for a person of color, it's impressive she is voting in the primary, too. And Democratic, too! :woohoo:

Give her a hug for me next time you see her.