When Money and Activism May Not Mix
Syracuse University
Black Prof
by Boyce Watkins
When reading Tavis Smiley-related blogger comments on YourBlackWorld, I actually started to feel sorry for Tavis. Not since Milly Vanilly have I seen a brother lose so many fans so fast. His attacks on Barack Obama were about as popular as Cheeseburger flavored Ice Cream, and the brother was going down hard. It’s one thing when your enemies hate your guts (i.e. the racist viewers on Fox News), but it’s another thing when your old friends are feeding your kidneys to the family dog.
I didn’t hate Tavis for being hard on Obama, since I happen to believe that healthy skepticism is….well….healthy. Obama-mania is a frightening reminder of the same support Clarence Thomas received during his Senate Confirmation in 1991, and we all know how that one turned out.
Race matters in America. However, race matters are minimal compared to MONEY matters. America is more capitalist than it is democratic, it is more capitalist than it is religious and it is certainly more capitalist than it is racist. Wealth is, arguably, the single most important factor in the obtainment of influence in this country. Universities sell their souls by admitting (and not graduating) unprepared students to earn billions via NCAA sports. Doctors force patients to decide which life saving surgery they can afford to purchase. Many churches sold just a little slice of Jesus in order to expand the collection plate with faith based initiatives. Young kids are dying in Iraq to fill the bank accounts of dirty old executives. Many powerful black lawyers, doctors and professors are afraid to speak honestly about racism because it might jeopardize their job security.
