Racism+-+'The+Black+Avenger'

Racism: "The Black Avenger"

It's been 150 years since the Civil War began and ultimately brought freedom to the African-American population, but the story doesn't end there; it's been 50 years since 1960, the decade most commonly associated with the Civil Rights movement, a lot has happened in that time, but race still seems to be a big issue. No longer are people going out and killing people over race, yes, but we're now in the awkward situation of trying to make up for past wrongs after saying "sorry", at least that's what most whites think. Ken Hamblin says differently, who feels that the time for retribution is over, "most Americans can't trace their family tree back enough ... to the ownership of slaves, be they black people or indentured Irishmen" (388). There is still a definite feeling of guilt hanging over America's white population, from a combination of many factors, one of them the media's constant reminding of differences between blacks and whites whenever the chance arises. I definitely think white guilt is prevelant today, if only unrecognized as guilt. Dorothy King accusses whites of secretly being "relieved to have been born white rather than a disenfranchised minority" (388). People could argue the point all day, but it's true; I know I'm pleased to have born white, as is the rest of my family. The problem here is that it's somehow wrong to be proud of yourself for what you are, in this case: white. In a society that encourages people to stand up and be proud for who they are, it seems out of place that white people shouldn't do so, because it makes you look like a white supremacist. All this be-who-are talk goes towards minorities but is not directed at whites because whites are suppose to feel ashamed for their actions. White guilt isn't obvious, but it's there; it's that awkward feeling you get when you interact with a black person, or any minority, it's that feeling of "Oh God, I'm so sorry for whatever I may have done to you in a past life", and I think it's a huge inhibitor to achieving good black-white relations. Hamblin agrees, that's whay he created his Certificate of Absolution.

Hamblin argues that white guilt isn't just from the media reminders, it's absolutely everywhere. The programs we set up to try and give blacks an equal opportunity is just another reminder that we made it so that blacks weren't equal, and we did a dang'd well job if it's taking this long to get them up to a decent position. The problem though is that, just like 19th century slaves who took advantage of their supposed stupity, blacks today are reveling in the supposition that they've been grossly mistreated and still need every ounce of help possible. Hamblin notes that "[Whites] respond to the poverty pimps' demands for more and more reparations for black people ... They want consideration for the years of affirmative action that gave black Americans a pass to automatically step to the front of the employment line" (389). Now, even if black Americans were to pick themselves up and stop their "woe is me", they wouldn't be absolutely equal, even women today aren't entirely equal to men in employment. It appears that the greatest concern for black Americans is that they won't be treated equally if they were to stop being dependent on social welfare programs. Hamblin acknowledges that black Americans won't give up their welfare without a fight, going so far as to say that "'Truth, justice, and the American way' [are] not "black" values because these American principles weren't afforded to black people" (387).

Hamblin's response, and perhaps one of the most important quotes in the article, to these "poverty pimps" is "the logical American response: "Hevens no, we won't give you a house. Go out and work for it'" (388). That response is definitely the logical, or what should be the logical, American response for hand-out demands. The problem is that if a white ever uttered those words to a black person, in today's offended-prone society, that white person would be labeled racist and horrible and all kinds of names before he knew what hit him. Hamblin can safely say these things because he is black, and for a black person to call another black person racist only shows the ridiculousness of our offended-prone society, which would hurt the "disenfranchised minority" image. Hamblin is definitely hard-set path of work to success, and sees that we won't effectively move forward until blacks can finally acknowledge they can get at a white person's level. Until then, we simply have the ridiculousness of the Denver black women who got offended at the mention of watermelon in their presence. Hamblin definitely voices the opinions of a large, perhaps silent, majority of white people who want this silliness to stop and bring America off of race and back on to "truth, justice, and the American way."