“Keepin’ It Real: Essays on Race
in Contemporary America”
James Baldwin, the famous 20th century American intellectual, once observed:
“History is the present. We carry our history with us.
To think otherwise is criminal.”
This is an important point to ponder during the annual Black History Month observance during February in the United States. Baldwin was an iconic and outspoken figure of his time who was internationally recognized as a leading voice of the African American experience.
Thus, as Baldwin reminds us posthumously, we should not only focus on trailblazers of centuries past, but also consider more recent history when assessing the state of racial progress.
That’s why a compelling book by historian Elwood Watson, Ph.D. is recommended reading, especially during Black History Month: Keepin’ It Real: Essays on Race in Contemporary America.
Keepin’ It Real (University of Chicago Press, 2019) runs 200-pages, separated into four distinct parts containing dozens of short essays. Watson is a tenured professor of Post-World War II American History, African American Studies and Gender Studies at East Tennessee State University. He writes the following:
- “It is a disappointing reality that many of the indignities (racial and otherwise), as well as differences in perceptions regarding the history and treatment of Black Americans ominously discussed during the 1960s, still apply today.”
- “While some segments of the Black population are faring relatively well, far too many other factions are living in a state of crisis that is just as unsettling as the state that their parents and grandparents lived in under the oppressive era of segregation.”
Indeed, the bold vision enunciated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his historic “I Have a Dream” speech in August 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington has still not been fully realized, as Watson comprehensively demonstrates.
Watson reminds readers of an inconvenient truth: Racial harmony in the 21st century has been an illusion at best, despite progress made over many decades.
Gullible Assumption
Watson has authored numerous books, academic publications, newspaper articles and social media commentary focused on bridging the racial divide by fostering increased communication, education and mutual understanding between disparate sides of the White and Black populations.
He believes that in order to effectuate racial harmony Whites must first fully comprehend and acknowledge the painful African American experience. This will lead to a mutually beneficial open dialogue to help bridge the racial divide.
- “The gullible assumption that America had become a post-racial society upon the election of President Obama was a radically misguided illusion,” asserts Watson, who is a widely recognized thought leader, scholar and prolific writer on issues of race.
“My motivation for writing this book is to revitalize the public conversation around issues of race, despite the pessimism and staunch cynicism of a large segment of the American public.”
All audiences can benefit from Watson’s astute analysis and important insights on fairly recent controversial issues involving racial equality and social justice which still resonate years later.
Watson deftly chronicles racism in contemporary society with a no-holds-barred approach which provides much needed transparency in today’s overly saturated high-tech Information Age.
His unadulterated writing style may strike some readers as brash. However, he stands firm in the conviction that this type of blunt and bodacious discourse can lead to a meaningful, empathetic national conversation on race that ultimately yields concrete results.
He writes:
- “The history of Blacks in America has always been one step forward, two steps backward.”
“Whatever gains that were secured by law were often overshadowed or mitigated by larger oppressive forces bent on curtailing such progress.”
- “In a nation where all the demographic data indicates that non-Whites will be the majority by the mid-2040s, it is imperative that we begin to have frank, candid, uncensored conversations about one of America’s most provocative issues — race.”
Watson’s viewpoints should be weighed within the full context of an increasingly diverse and multicultural society.
Beyond One Month
Consider some of what Watson writes in his powerful essay, Black History Month: Beyond One Month:
- “Black history is not some entity that should be confined to one specific month of the year. Such an attitude is disrespectful and patronizing.”
- Rather, the history of Black people (as is the case with the history of other ethnic groups) is one which deserves our full and undivided attention.”
“Black History Month explores and exposes the ample diversity and plethora of talent that has always existed in the Black community.”
- “Black History Month provides a crucial and vital forum for facts, statistics, distinguished accomplishments, and triumphs that are far too often obscured and dismissed from the public discussion.”
- “This diverse exposure dispels the largely held myth by many (particularly White America) that Black America is a one-note monolith.”
Watson cautions readers about ignoring racial equality and social justice for the Black community.
- “We as Americans must be willing to embrace one another, look internally and challenge one another to strive for, and embrace, our better angels.”
“Deflecting and denying the issue will not save us.” — Professor Elwood Watson
Scapegoating Obama
In another eye-opening essay, Conservatives Still Scapegoating Barack Obama, Watson makes the following points:
- “Right-wing talk radio [and other conservative media] has made blaming President Obama for race relations a cottage industry.”
- “Race relations did not worsen under President Obama…America has always had a tortured racial past.”
“Does this mean the president is devoid of any responsibility in regard to race? Of course not.”
- “There are a number of people (I am one of them) who have at times felt that the president has not taken an aggressive enough stance on discussing racial issues.”
- “In some cases, we feel that he has erred on the side of caution far too often in an effort to placate, pacify, or, at the very least, neutralize his critics who monitor every comment he makes and were/are ready to pounce on or, in many cases, distort comments he makes.”
“The cold, hard fact is that race has been, is, and, for the foreseeable future, will be a crucial and ongoing issue for Americans.” — Prof. Watson
Birtherism Hoax
In another passage, Birtherism = Bullshit, Watson addresses Donald Trump’s malicious smear campaign to discredit Obama based on his national origin and religion.
It’s a proven fact that Obama was neither born in Kenya, nor is he Muslim — as Trump once recklessly asserted to shape public opinion in a racist way. Watson writes:
- “The birther issue was a highly effective, if not perverse strategy in appealing to America’s most jingoistic voting electorate. It was red meat for the nation’s most racially afflicted voters.”
- “There is a sizable segment of the White American population (as well as some non-White Americans) that could not come to grips with the fact that the nation actually elected a Black man as president, and still cannot even after he has left office.”
- “For the bigoted, it is an affront to both their racial sensibilities and to the sort of Jim Crow America they love to envision. One that was largely free of deeply entrenched multiculturalism and a semblance of equality.”
“To these men and women, having a Black man as leader of the free world was/is incomprehensible.” — Prof. Watson
Final Thoughts
Readers of good faith need to absorb the full weight of Watson’s message with an open mind and clear conscience.
His language may appear to some like a cold slap in the face of their perceived reality, as cemented by popular culture and “fake news” in today’s ubiquitous world of information overload.
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