Race, racism engage us at gut level

National Catholic Reporter, April 4, 2008 by Bryan N. Massingale

I am not arguing that the choice is to support Obama or be considered a racist. My point is that we have to be aware of the latent fears--fears that could be deliberately exploited--that may skew our view of him.

Whatever shortcomings Obama may have or whatever our political disagreements with him, at least let us understand that he is not a stealth agent for black supremacy. He couldn't be for a simple reason: He has been intimately shaped, influenced and loved by his mother, grandfather, and grandmother--all of whom were white. He loves, and is loved by, both white individuals and black persons in a way that few Americans can ever understand or will ever experience. Interracial love is a cure for racial domination, not its incubator.

In the New Testament, it is written, "There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear." In my classroom, I have witnessed the transformative power of love. My experience teaching about racial justice shows that when people are able to confront their fears and anxieties with understanding and without condemnation, they can move beyond them. We can't help how we feel, but we can decide not to be controlled by our feelings.

Love is what fuels Obama's hope that Americans can move beyond our visceral fears to end what he calls our "racial stalemate." It is up to us to demonstrate whether we are worthy of such trust.

[Jesuit Fr. Bryan Massingale is an associate professor of theology at Marquette University. A version of this column appeared previously in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.]