I have come to fully believe that we now live in a postracial America and, as a result, a postracial world. It is not that racism is over, or that racist policies or politics are thing of the past (they are very present indeed), but that postraciality is “tendentially the hegemonic form” (to use Micheal Hardt’s language) that will in the future impose its form and mode on all areas of life. Being the leading ideal does not mean everyone lives in a postracial reality but that all of reality is being molded by or developing according to that social ideal. In the 19th century, for example, the leading economic ideal was industrial production. But if you went back to that time and looked around, you would find that most people were not working in factories. What made the age industrial was not the prominence of factor buildings and work but that the factory logic was being imposed on all areas of life: work, school, military, prison system, and even agriculture. And so when we speak of a postracial society, we are saying that its logic is leading and shaping the society’s future.
America today is the most racially advanced society the world has ever known. I even think it surpasses 12th century Spain.
We should probably start to expect the Spanish Inquisition then.
So does that mean Jewish families have to hide their valuables and send their children abroad to escape the religious trials?
Hey thanks for telling me this!
I’ll call my 50% African-American son and tell him all about your great new discovery.
I feel compelled to point out that the image used for this post can be analyzed in terms of the white male dominating over the woman, which hearkens back to not only ideas of colonialization of foreign lands by white men, but also the subjugation of women. The woman’s expression is difficult to read–I think she almost looks a little sad. And much can be read into the posing of the two people–the white man facing and boldly staring down the camera, and the non-white woman looking over her shoulder, possibly turning away from the camera and to her white male companion (captor? maybe some stockholm syndrome in there too?) for protection…
…or, it could just be two hawt young starlets posing for a magazine. Whatever.
Go to Brazil. Totally post racial. You either have money, or you are poor. But your color doesn’t matter at all.
And yet (as 4 mentioned ) the same tired roles of the submisive, exotic other, the oversexualized image of the black woman as the feet of the white master if you will remains. So much for postracial.
How is the woman submissive in the photo? Because she happens to be shorter than the man, therefore appearing to be “below” him? The image is rather ambiguous as far as who is in control, if indeed one is controlling the other.
Re-read that first sentence – “the world” no longer follows America to the degree experienced in the past. The power of the good-ol’-USA is dwindling. I’m looking forward to a post-racial world but let’s see some positive movement in Asia and elsewhere before we pop the corks.
Charles,
I more or less agree with you. It wasn’t just the election of Obama (I believe had Clinton been weak in 96′ and Colin Powell accepted the GOP nomination he would have been our 1st AA President) but one of the world’s wealthiest & most influential women is Oprah Winfey. In addition, the USA has had 2 AA Sec. of State. Not a few college/university presidents are AA. There is also a sizable contigent of AA in all media. In fact, I just saw something relatively rare (& pleasant) at the pool I swim at, a young white guy with a young black woman holding hands. I believe we’ve been post-racial for awhile.
Loveschild is just jealous she will never be as hot as Uruha was in the film. Or hell, even Nichelle Nichols.
Finally! It is very much like the country was in delivery, having severe labor pains for centuries, and everyone feared the worst. Finally, a baby was born that shows the way to the future. (Oh, and by the way, nobody sees what they want to see like people of Loveschild’s ilk.)
muh dik
Since i dont watch T.V. – i’m not for integration and its amalgamation.