Race and the American West Presidential Politics

Race is part of America’s story. But the West is neither the South nor the East. The racial picture is different and more varied, with large American Indian, Asian, and Hispanic communities. With its vast distances, the American West could never be a monolithic entity on racial matters. Moreover, Out West is where many people went to escape what was going on Back East or Down South. As Bill Gwaltney put it “The West has always been seen as a place of opportunity. And this was certainly as true for people of African descent as for anybody else.”

That the West, like the rest of America, sometimes grappled badly with issues of race is a matter of historical record. That matters are better today than in much of the past, is also part of that record.

So Barack Obama’s speech on race in America, “A More Perfect Union” will be read with interest in the West, and also read differently than in other parts of the country. It will be read differently in the barrio and on the Rez, in the cities and urban campuses and on the ranches and farms. How it is received may well determine who will be the next president of the United States. It is a thoughtful and personal speech. Some will find it overwhelmingly positive and powerful. Some will dismiss it out of hand. Some will compare it to Mitt Romney’s speech on religion. Both speeches deserve to be read, and will be part of the legacy of the 2008 campaign, regardless of who becomes president.

A campaign is more than speeches, but the best speeches give us a unique window into the soul of the speaker. The reaction to some speeches can also give us a window into the soul of America. This is such a speech. I hope you will all read it.

Leo Brown | March 18, 2008 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Race and the American West Presidential Politics

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