Jason D. Hill's Open Salon Blog

What Should Obama Presidency Mean to African Americans?

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:01:04 -0500

As the nation marks the one-year anniversary of Barack Obama’s ascendance to the presidency, we will once again be subjected to endless discussion about the significance of the nation’s first non-white president. For many African-Americans, this may be a time to again celebrate the achievement of one of their own. As a person of color, I would like to offer a word of advice on why it might be best to table such inclinations.

Clinging to an overly strong racial, ethnic or national identity is akin to addiction. It is a psychological crutch that allegedly bolsters “self-esteem” and promises to confer some a sort of “biological prestige.” But in reality, it creates barriers to our ability to relate to those outside our group in profound and insidious ways. In this increasingly globalized and interconnected world, clannishness will likely produce only more conflict.

We all must be careful not to lean on the laurels of our kinfolk. Pride can come only from individual achievement and accomplishment, not from being born into any particular tribe. As a native Jamaican, I am well-aware of the success many of my fellow countrymen have enjoyed–especially those who have immigrated to the United States. The traits they attribute to this success – resilience, strong work ethic, dignity and a “don’t-take-crap-from-nobody” attitude – are indeed pronounced for many of my countrymen. But then again, aren’t they also cited as positive personal traits of virtually every other ethnic group?

Many of my fellow Jamaicans bask in the achievement of Usain Bolt’s achievements of setting the record as the world’s fastest runner. Perhaps they feel this provides some measure of national prestige. In reality, it has nothing to do any individual Jamaican and to the extent a person thinks it does is likely to diminish their capacity for personal growth. We should be proud of human achievements, period—wherever we find them in the human community.

As a huge fan of Barack Obama, I was filled with pride at his election. But that pride flowed not from the similarity of our skin tones. Rather it was in the capacity of the people of the United States to move beyond its traditional limitations, to show the world that the U.S. has the ability continually renew itself and fully abide by the fundamental principles of its constitution.

It was, first and foremost, rational pride I felt in America and in the collective ability of a majority of voters to transcend its own clannish ways in choosing a new leader to take us forward. It is America and the American people that deserve praise for executing this extraordinary historic phenomenon. Perhaps the crowning irony came when Obama himself observed that it was easier for him to be elected president in the U.S. than it would have been in his father’s native Kenya, as his father did not come from the right tribe.

It was a collective achievement that proved itself eminently worthy of emulation. Perhaps this realization on the part of the American people has made other noteworthy political firsts possible with minimal fanfare. For example, the recent election of Annise Parker as the first openly gay mayor of Houston seems to have occurred without too much fuss among any group.

It is understandable that people flock to their own in a society as historically race- obsessed as America. You are implicated in the achievements and failures of members of your group when you are a minority. Yet tribalism goes awry when we imbue morally neutral features of a person like race, ethnicity and nationality with moral significance.

As we move further into the 21st century, we are seeing globalization spark a resurgence of ethnic, religious and nationalistic pride across the globe. Globalization is perceived as having a leveling effect, and I fear that in order to hold on to their particularity, people are going to bolster their tribal identities. To avoid letting these tendencies bring us to a constant state of conflict, we must move beyond the conventions, the binding norms and the oppressive mores of our cultures.

Jason Hill is an associate professor of philosophy at DePaul University and the author of the recent “Beyond Blood Identities.”

OS's Pondi Road Interviews Jason Hill On His New Book

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:10:51 -0400

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20091024T060000-0500_162495_OBS_BEYOND_BLOOD_IDENTITIES.asp

Why President Obama Won The Nobel Peace Prize

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 08:10:26 -0400

President Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize for Peace today. For those who have doubted his sincerity and are wondering how this happened, I submit that it is because of his moral credibility rather than his foregin policies--most of which have yet to come to fruition. Here, then is the moral credibility of the New Nobel Peace Prize holder

America was born with a terrible birth defect. It covered broad swaths of its quirky body and took hundreds of years to begin correcting itself. That birth defect, of course, was slavery, the moral compromise made in this nation’s conception, and whose lasting influence has destroyed the lives of many, and left an ugly stain on the collective consciousness of others.

Although our new President is not a descendant of slaves—his mother was white, his father Kenyan—he is unmistakably an African-American and one who, by virtue of his very embodiment, could symbolically and literally correct that terrible birth defect. Obama has much going for him, a lot of capital, if you will.

· He has The Capital of Transformation. Because of his incredible leadership skills and the support of a nation that transformed itself in electing him, Obama will avoid the natural suspicion that comes with those who have transformative powers and want to do something with it. He has been preaching change, and transformation is the logical terminus of change. This transformation is not a radical shift in substance and quality. It is an incremental but organic shift in style and orientation; a transformation of the way things are done. Obama’s very demeanor, his ageless grace, his quiet and patient demeanor and his enviable listening skills, speak to deep transformation taking place in American politics. This becomes undeniably clear when you consider the unconscionable lip service of talking-heads politicians and those who hear only what they want to hear so they can start wars and plunder a nation’s wealth. And, on a lighter note, just look at the way Obama has transformed his full name from a political liability before and during his campaign into what is now, as he launches himself on the global stage, a diplomatic asset.

· Barack Hussein Obama has The Capital of Trust. In a time when the people of America do not trust the government—its representatives lie, bully, start unnecessary wars, and send them into a spiraling deficit; when they do not trust Wall Street—its players are greedy; when it is disgusted with Congress—it is a lame duck institution; when they do not trust the current President for too many obvious reasons; and when their faith in the economic system has been seriously tested, Obama is one of the few politicians with enough of an unblemished reputation that people can trust. Add to that the fact that he has never been publicly accused of breaking any of the promises he has made; and that his very alleged inexperience in the political arena stamps him with the imprimatur of innocence. Those regarded as innocent are usually regarded as trustworthy. Obama has made a lot of promises. The huge vote of confidence that he received on November 4, 2008 is a clear sign that people believe he will carry through on his promises. Today he is the most trusted public official in America.

· Obama carries with him The Capital of Restoration. The unprecedented outpouring of joy and tears at Obama’s victory from people all over the world is a clear sign that Obama can and will restore America’s rightful place in the pantheon of the world community. Having fallen from grace, Obama can restore America’s moral authority both at home and abroad. That authority has always resided, not in America’s perfection, but in her unfailing attempts to right her wrongs, a self-reflexivity that causes her to pause and exercise self-awareness and self-consciousness in the execution of her actions. Obama, in possessing the Capital of Restoration, can take advantage of the revisability clause that lies at the heart of Americanism. This clause allows the country to revise its positions, change a course of action, proffer moral introspection and, in the course of events, modify its identity. A cursory look at the history of Europe shows the intractability and unchangeable stubborn nature of socio-economic life there. Historically, America may have been the first nation to have re-made and re-invented itself as many times as it has within the brief period of its history.

· Finally Obama carries The Capital of Moral Authority. Moral authority is a quality that emanates from Obama. It is an organic and constitutive feature of his identity. People who possess moral authority are not self-righteous, moralistic and judgmental. What distinguishes them from decent, moral folks is that there is no distinction between their personal identity and their moral identity. Their personal identity is thickly infused with a set of moral ideals. And those ideals limit what is in the personal sphere. The Capital of Moral Authority is a symptom of, not the cause of, moral excellence. The ancient philosopher Socrates carried the Capital of Moral Authority in his heart because he was not only morally correct, that is, he not only lived a morally consistent life, he also lived an actively moral life. His moral consciousness was not passive. He created a road where there was none because as a moral exemplar he inspired others to think, to not live the unexamined life. Obama has shown us as a community organizer, as someone who forsook wealth in favor of public service, and as someone who inspires people to believe in life’s better possibilities and to pursue them, that the power of his moral suasion comes from an unimpeachable and implacable moral authority. He speaks to the best in humanity, and his voice—as was proven on November 4—is a command to rise. And in the name of this moral authority and the spirit of exaltation it spawns, we simply have to rise. We promised him we would change, and change we must. We must not and cannot disappoint him.

Congratulations President Obama

Child-Centric Parents: What to Do About Them

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:09:33 -0400

I love kids. Honestly. For years I dreamed of adopting one, but my partner has no interest in being a parent and, truth be told, the happier I became with my own life the less I wanted a child. We have a lot of friends with children. In fact, most of our friends have children—and we love them to death. But we also have—even among those beloved friends—a number of child-centric friends.

These are friends who are unable to build boundaries when it comes to pursuing the everyday activities of their lives and the whims and desires (not needs) of their children. This is the person who while in deep discussion will tolerate all sorts of interruptions from a child who wants the parent to come and play with the train now. I’m not saying children should not be allowed to interrupt adult conversation. I am saying that there are two words: “Excuse me,” that all children should be taught before they are inserted in the public space. The child- centric parent likes being watched and likes knowing that you know she or he likes being watched—watched tickling the child, kissing the child, and getting on the floor and crawling on all fours with the child. It’s all about ‘look at me being a good parent.’ It’s really about ‘look at ME!’ only it’s a legitimate plea because it is mediated by the child.

The child-centric parent will leave your house when the child demands he wants to go home now; cancel a long-planned Sunday at the beach because little Colin wants to play with his blocks and he’s really, really into playing right now. God forbid you interfere with what the child wants in the moment, in every moment that she or he utters some unintelligible sound that is elevated to the level of elocution-in-the-making. Sometimes children just babble and gurgle and make strange sounds for no other reason than they are learning the art of communication. The child-centric parent takes every sound literally to heart.

Let me say that in America parenting is rough. There is rarely an extended family to absorb the extra-demands of the child, and since time has to be heavily structured most working parents legitimately want to get the most out of their time with their children. Child-centric parents are not bad people. It is not a moral issue, rather, in several cases an understandable weakness of will. Society is as much to blame as are the parents themselves. If we had more social networks that offered time-support to parents then parents would probably feel less guilty in saying No to every demand. Children can survive the word No. They adapt and move right along. I’ve seen it happen many times.

It seems, though, that there is some degree of narcissism on the part of some parents. They are vicariously living through the child in the sense that they are manufacturing a world where the child’s every desire, need and whim gets catered to. Psychically they are reliving the world they longed for but never had. Parenting becomes a performance, a stage-show in which the parents are the lead actors and the kids the bit players. The frustrating thing about this kind of parent is that it’s really not about the child. It’s about their sublimated need for glory and affirmation. Which in all honesty every parent should receive—affirmation, that is, given the near virtual isolation in which child rearing takes place.

But it’s not parenting that needs glorification. Part of the solution lies in reassuring parents that their near pandemic fear that their child will hate them if they learn to broker his or her demand has no basis in reality. But this has to be done gently and with compassion. As I said, parents have it rough. For my part, I intend to do as much baby sitting as possible. Children need alternate realties that are as supportive as home base. That way they learn the art of navigating among a multiplicity of cues of multiple caregivers who care for them as deeply as if they were their own.

How OS Got Me Two Book Contracts And a NY Agent

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:09:54 -0400

Today marks my first anniversary as an OS writer. I’d written and published one academic book, articles for Salon as well as editorials for several newspapers and magazines over the years. My writing life came to a halt when I was diagnosed with bipolar a few years back. Between the Lithium and the cycling I could not even finish a paragraph in a magazine much less a book, nor could I write anything at all for two years. My professional life came to a halt. My writing career seemed to be over. Creatively I had to say, I was a lost cause. I had no thoughts other than the mundane ones devoted to getting by on a regular basis. I was devastated.

A friend suggested blogging and I scoffed at the idea. It was way beneath me the professional writer and it seemed pathetic—people writing for instant feedback. Where was their self-esteem? Besides, my mind was a fog of mental debris, my hands shook constantly so I couldn’t hit the keyboard keys properly and I had a constant flat feeling that would not go away. If I held a thought it would stay in my mind but never organically unfold into other thoughts. I had one unfinished philosophy manuscript that had been rejected over a four year period for not being academic enough. It was a trade book I was told.

I abandoned the book and decided I would never be published again. Another commercial book I’d written was rejected by twenty publishers and then my agent “fired me.” Seventy-five others had rejected me.I told my doctor to cut the Lithium in half, decided I was going to make it one way or the other—I just didn’t know how, and a friend said again: “start blogging, and I have the perfect place for you, it’s called Open Salon.” I was desperate, so with a shaking hand I penned my first piece which no one read but it got Editor’s Pick. The same day I penned another piece that made front page and from then on I became a writing maniac.

I wrote every day. I added 150 pages to my academic book, wrote a 562 page novel in two months, secured a publisher, got an agent (that story will be told another time) and got commissioned by yet a third publisher to write an academic trade book on cultural differences. I returned to my poetry and got a few published in literary journals. And all this without any mania. All this accomplished by reexamining how great writers on OS went about crafting their wares. Most didn’t write like bloggers. They wrote like professionals. If people worse off than I were doing it, then so could I, I told myself.

Why do I say OS got me all these things—the book contracts and the agent? Of course it’s not meant literally, but OS was a beautiful training ground. It provided a loving community that was there to offer me encouragement when I thought my shaking hand would win the war of the words; it made me respect the art of writing all over again and taught me that it doesn’t matter how many comments you get, it’s the writing that truly counts—writing is an end in itself; it restored my confidence in my abilities to be creative once more; and it gave me permission to fail without the consequences of losing my ego in the process. It restored my confidence in the beauty of words and in my own capacity to create some order out of the chaos of my inner life.

Three months after I started blogging, as I said, I began a novel and finished it in two months. After three hundred pages I found an agent who said: “I need to see this.” After I finished my second academic book the publisher had heard of me where…..? You guessed right. Even radio stations came a calling after they’d read an article I wrote on the monarchy. When the mere completion of a sentence is an accomplishment for the day, a blog becomes a magnificent triumph.

I neither lost my ego on OS, nor did I gain one. I gained balance and perspective which equipped me with the spiritual ammunition to go back into the world and fight for who is at the core of my identity: a person who loves to write. Nothing more. Nothing less. And that’s what the agent and the publishers saw: a determined person who had emerged from a state of paralysis and walked right back into himself.