I'm Black and for Hillary.Get Over it.
A few days ago, I had the good fortune to sit in Gloria Steinem's living room. The small group included Spelman College VIPs Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Johnnetta Cole, television personality Judge Glenda Hatchett, actress Lisa Gay Hamilton, Feminist Majority Foundation president Eleanor Smeal and CosmoGIRL! Editor-in-Chief Susan Schulz. We had gathered to discuss strategies to raise money for Spelman's Women's Research & Resource Center.
Ironically enough, the center's research focuses on the intersections and tensions between race and gender.
I can't say that everyone there supported Hillary, but I can say there was some much-appreciated space and understanding for those of us who did. Here I was not considered naïve or misinformed, but rather I was acknowledged and applauded for taking into consideration the complex issues of gender that are still getting swept under the rug.
The truth is that the rape of, the violence against and the suppression of millions of beautiful souls just because they have ovaries is happening in every community all over the globe, and most people are not talking about it. Because my spirit swells with compassion for women's causes and concerns, I gave my heart to Hillary long ago. To me, Hillary Clinton represents revolution and radical change for the often unnoticed and forgotten 'other half' of the world's population.
If she inspires even a few of the millions of girls and women in this world to believe that they too could run for an impossible office and win, then she's the harbinger of the kind of change I think the world needs. Until we have a balanced world leadership – with men and plenty of women, especially women of color, at the table - encouraging countries to disarm, creating coalitions, focusing on the environment and supporting the least among them, change will remain a pipe dream.
I envision a new world order that works inside of compassion rather than force and that includes women at every step.
I compared the voting records and positions of Hillary and Barack. She's a bit more liberal on foreign policy and the war and he's slightly more liberal on affirmative action. She's more outspoken on women's reproductive rights, but his voting record indicates that he too is a supporter. And so on. They match or they compliment each other on the major issues. The bottom line is that these two reside in the same political orbit. I have no quarrel with those of you who support Barack – he's a fine choice – but I do get upset with those who begrudge me my choice and who dismiss Hillary because of these recent spats in the media (I know YOU know that CNN and Fox get higher ratings every time they fan the Clinton/ Obama race flames).
Hillary's politics and global intentions are dead-on. And I believe that having a woman in the most powerful position in this country is a step in the right direction of creating the world I dream of. So, again I say this loudly and proudly, I'm a Hillary supporter - through and through.
Tara Roberts is the Senior Editor at CosmoGIRL! magazine.
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I'm Black and for Hillary.Get Over it.
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View All Comments »i77 at 04/25/2008 7:34:53 PM
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The problem is that, even in segregation, white women got to eat at the restaurant while both black women and men were restricted. White women got to ride at the front of the bus; and it is black women who bear the pain of their misguided children due to the inheritance of social economic disparities.
White women are privileged to inherit social and economic advatage over parents who grew in segragation -- parents who couldn't send all their kids to the best schools. The reality is the following generations inherit from the parents whom have inherited from their grandparents.
Race disparity is worse than gender issues. Proof of that is that Hillary can say, as she does repeatedly, that she is running to break the glass ceiling for women: running as the first woman President. Senator Obama couldn't ever make such a bold claim. It would turn white voters off. He can't say, I am running to be the first Black president. He can't say he is running to fix Black issues, while Hillary can say she is running for women's issues. Obama can't say I know Black's will support me (Bill and Hillary do that just fine), or that he is breaking a glass ceiling for Blacks. You will not hear those words coming explicitly from Obama, but Hillary has that luxury.
Black had it worse than women. The history of America has had effect on the present. The foundation of America is as follows. When Blacks slept in the dirty slave quarters, the white women slept in the house and the bed of the rich slave owner. A black woman has it double hard. Hillary can run for office as a woman, but if a Black woman runs for office, she is seen as black, first and a woman second.
Whomever wrote this article, need to recognize being black has its context, which is different form being a woman.
i77 at 04/25/2008 7:31:37 PM
Comment:
The problem is that, even in segregation, white women got to eat at the restaurant while both black women and men were restricted. White women got to ride at the front of the bus, and it is black women who bear the pain of their misguided children due to the inheritance of social economic disparities, while white women are privileged to inherit social and economic advatage over parents who grew in segragation -- parents who couldn't send all their kids to the best schools.
Race disparity is worse than gender issues. Proof of that is that Hillary can say, as she does repeatedly, that she is running to break the glass ceiling for women: running as the first woman President. Senator Obama couldn't ever make such a bold claim. It would turn white voters off. He can't say, I am running to be the first Black president. He can't say he is running to fix Black issues, while Hillary can say she is running for women's issues. Obama can't say I know Black's will support me (Bill and Hillary do that just fine), or that he is breaking a glass ceiling for Blacks. You will not hear those words coming explicitly from Obama, but Hillary has that luxury.
Black had it worse than women. The history of America has had effect on the present. The foundation of America is as follows. When Blacks slept in the dirty slave quarters, the white women slept in the house and the bed of the rich slave owner. A black woman has it double hard. Hillary can run for office as a woman, but if a Black woman runs for office, she is a black.
Whomever wrote this article, need to recognize being black has its context, which is different form being a woman.
samuelt at 03/29/2008 2:50:44 PM
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