Obama will not be bound by Shelby Steele

I watched Bill Moyers Journal last night and as always enjoyed Kathleen Hall Jamieson's comments on media coverage of the political campaigns. Then Shelby Steele came on to plug his book on Obama. His premise is that black people fall into one of two categories: bargainers and challengers. His categorization is so simple-minded that I won't repeat it here. Suffice it to say that I am a black person who is neither a bargainer or a challenger.

What bothers me is that the media (even the esteemed Bill Moyers) love to hear this kind of nonsense from "black conservatives." No matter how ridiculous and malevolent their bashing of blacks as a group is, they always receive institutional backing and lots of air time.

Armstrong Williams was appointed to positions in the federal government and appeared all over television as a pundit. He's disappeared since he disgraced himself by taking money to promote a government program on his nationally syndicated show.

Clarence Thomas has taken his distaste for black people all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

And Shelby Steele has written a book that attempts to undermine the viability of the first black man to have a real shot at becoming president of the United States. As a reward for this rank opportunism, he has been invited to promote his book all over television, not only on "conservative" shows, but on Bill Moyers Journal!

One thing Shelby keeps saying is that nobody knows who Barack Obama really is.

Those who can and do read know more about Obama than any other candidate. Obama has written and published two books that reveal much about his personal life and experiences. What other candidate has publicly revealed so much information about him/herself?

Shelby, the titles of the books are: Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope. They are available everywhere books are sold. Read them. Maybe that will help you understand who Obama is.

The public prominence given to these men, whose bitterness is often palpable, underscores the fact that denigration of African Americans, one of the salient features of racism, is yet alive and well in this country.