I forgot he was black
“Five little words — ‘I forgot he was black’ — have exposed a contradiction in the idea of a post-racial nation.” (New York Times)
Shortly after President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech Wednesday night, MSNBC host Chris Matthews made well-intended (but poorly worded) comments about the President that in some cases, have offended some.
”He is post-racial, by all appearances,” said the seasoned political commentator. ”I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he’s gone a long way to become a leader of this country, and past so much history, in just a year or two. I mean, it’s something we don’t even think about.”
I can understand what Matthews was trying to convey when he made this ill-thought-out statement, but I also understand why this statement would offend a certain percentage of Americans. What exactly is ‘I forgot he was black tonight’ supposed to mean? Is it implied that if you are black you aren’t eloquent? A strong leader?
Personally, this statement saddened me. It reinforces my perception that no matter how politically correct our culture becomes, there are still preconceived notions formed about people based solely upon ethnicity. We are all guilty of it, I guess it is just whether or not one is aware of these influences during daily life.
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Who is this guy? Aaron Mathis is a sales-rep by day and a web-designer by night. He currently resides in the beautiful city of Colorado Springs, Colorado.