From Taryn, following Palin’s speech at the RNC:

I want to mention something about this “community organizing” issue. It’s something that I think many black people are feeling this morning, however no one, not even the Obama camp will mention it. For me, this isn’t about whether person X will vote for Obama. Or how this will help/hurt his or McCain’s campaign. It’s not about a politics. In other words it’s much more personal to me.

I found the comment vaguely bigoted. It wasn’t calculated, it wasn’t purposeful. I don’t believe Ms. Palin and her advisors sat down and intentionally tried to be racist. No one but the most extreme racists do that. And those people don’t worry me. What Palin said rolled off the tongue so naturally, without any regard for the impact of her words. It convinced me more than ever that prejudice is mostly implicit, at brain-level. It’s so easy to be dismissive of marginalized groups in almost every setting because it’s ingrained in our psyche. Perhaps the scariest part  is that our own implicit biases makes us all complicit in discriminatory activity and in the institution of discrimination, That is something this country needs to come to grips with. So before anyone says, “well I don’t think they were trying to be racist.” That’s beside the point. The point is how easy it was for Palin and her speechwriters to dismiss something that historically, and even today, is a very important part of the black community.

These organizers include some of the greatest, bravest people of our time. They’re the ones who fight for marginalized communities, who stuff sandbags in New Orleans, instead of blaming victims for being in the wrong place at the wrong time (Barbara Bush). They risked their lives to register people to vote in places like Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia. If it weren’t for these people who supposedly don’t have actual responsibilities, we would never have had Brown v. The Board of Education, and all those tens of thousands of people wouldn’t have marched in Washington with perhaps the greatest community organizer of all time, Martin Luther King, Jr.

I know Palin’s comments implied a type of a racism that we are too terrified or even glib to talk about. It’s vague, and it doesn’t wear a white sheet over it’s head or say the N-word (out loud). It’s hard to identify. But as a black person I see it every time this type of thing happens. It’s the belittlement, the constantly calling Obama — a 47 year old man — not by his name, but a “young man,” (which is today’s “boy”), calling him elitist (today’s uppity negro) and now, the putting down of the backbone of many of our communities. What’s next, Republicans, calling out the black church?

You all are my friends, and you happen to be white. You guys are probably some of the more enlightened people out there when it comes to race. But I can understand how even this might make you scratch your heads a little. All I can say is I have a lot of experience dealing with vague bigotry. I know it when I see it. And I saws it last night. I always hear white people say complain about how black people always cry racism. You know, bigotry is such an evil presence in this country. I think anyone who’s been discriminated against for any reason knows how horrendous it is and would never make light of it by falsely accusing someone of bigotry without reason.

Discrimination makes you feel ashamed and less than human. The thing is, talking about it not only says something about the discriminator, it says something about you. I can’t quite explain it, but it feels like you’re giving credibility to the discriminator’s arguments. It’s facing the possibility, however small, that bigotry and racism COULD keep you from achieving your goals, from living that so-called American dream. That no matter what you do it won’t be enough because you’re black, Hispanic, Jewish, lesbian/gay, etc. That’s fucking scary, and that’s something I think about all the time.

In closing, as I said to Adam last night. If Obama loses, and the revolution starts, I cannot make any promises that I’ll save you guys from white slavery. So you all better get going working for Obama!

Your dear friend (until the revolution possibly),

Taryn