I think the reason accusations of “racism” are still being flung about, as this pleasantly diverting past time has evolved within our culture, stems from an unconscious desire to reassure black Americans that, collectively, whites have no plans to harm them and, in turn, from a desire by the black community to bend the white community to their will as a sign they are both valued and possess their own unique, and accepted, cultural strengths within the greater American community. Start with the concept of being a “minority” within any larger culture, the temptation is to circle the wagons, remain within your own “kind”, keep a watchful eye on the greater majority community and fret over the potentially aggressive actions of those others “not like you ” – add to those actions an active resistance to assimilation which would invariably force the individual to leave the emotional shelter of their “group” for the lonely role of “just another American”.

The other day, for example, the French announced their government plans to crack down on Muslim women wearing full body veils; the announced rationalization is that such veil wearing women obviously refuse to assimilate into “French culture” – however that culture is defined. Muslims can no longer seek immigration entry into France if they plan to thumb their noses at French culture and choose, individually, to remain visibly apart.

European immigrants to America tended to cluster within our cities frequenting their own sections of our urban areas, “Greek Town”, “Mexican Town”, Hamtramck in the Detroit area for Poles, Chinatown in San Francisco – as the immigrants assimilated into the general populace, these geographic enclaves slowly disappeared except as lucrative “ethnic” tourist attractions – but it was the younger, American born children of immigrants who drifted away, while the older immigrants tended to cling to the emotional safety of their familiar streets and shops while they yet lived.

Blacks have taken much longer to assimilate completely into the greater American culture due to an active and widespread hostility and discrimination towards them left over from colonial slave holding times. And this emotional legacy of fear and deep seated suspicion held by black Americans hasn’t completely disappeared by any means. So, part of the reason whites felt obligated to vote Obama in, and only partly, was another attempt to reassure blacks they weren’t in danger of annihilation through a racial jihad. This fear of annihilation may seem faintly ridiculous to most white Americans but remember Obama’s mentor Rev. Wright and his bellicose condemnations of white society, many blacks don’t find such an idea ridiculous by any means. Many whites remain confused as to the reasons for what they see as unwarranted paranoia on the part of blacks, but the tension is all too obviously there and it isn’t going away.

For black Americans, their ability to set and ultimately control the agenda between the races provides both emotional reassurance and a sense of empowerment. Don’t call us Negroes, we’re African-Americans, no, we’re black Americans, no we’re “persons of color” – rather juvenile in the constant changes of “accepted nomenclature” but, by defining accepted cultural norms in part, blacks constantly “test the waters” of both mood and benevolent intentions within the greater white community.

Looking at Obama himself, his autobiography reveals his fixation on race, his concern and resentment over the treatment of black Americans. And he served the normal apprenticeship of black leaders, he allied himself with Rev. Wright to build his power base within the black community, then he distanced himself, in order to obtain a personal advantage, when it was time to move into the greater political arena. His career stepping stones are hardly unique among black political leaders, each step along the way being a familiar one to many blacks, as well as to observant whites. When it came time to move onto the national political stage, Rev. Wright received the symbolic boot – black Americans understood and accepted this repudiation as the price that must be paid when you’re trying to overcome repression by “The Man”.

As to Republicans, they lost out to the Democrats in obtaining the enduring loyalty of the black community, they were out smarted and out maneuvered repeatedly during the heyday of the Civil Rights era, not exactly a new position for them to be in either – check the percentage of Jewish Americans who vote Democrat consistently election after election. And looking at the Jewish voters, Republicans are eternally mystified as to the reasons the Jews won’t come over to their side – a side historically allied with the movers and shakers within our nation. It’s going to take decades before Republicans can claim black voters as their own, assuming it could actually happen.

Even this author reflects the Republican form of ineptness in racial matters. The sanctimonious attitude that Republicans aren’t like Democrats and shouldn’t go after Reid when he’s politically vulnerable is self-defeating. And somehow a “show of weakness” in their persistent, philosophical musings won’t reassure many Americans as to the Republican’s ability to effectively lead – and as Republicans had hoped that it would – another lesson the GOP never seems to fully grasp.