Race is still an issue in American politics, two ASU history professors said at a public forum Thursday night.
History professors Thomas Davis and Brooks Simpson led the Healing Racism forum at the Phoenix College’s Dome Auditorium to discuss the role of race in the past, current and future of American politics.
More than 50 people came to listen and participate in the discussions about race and racism in a political context.
“Race is not now what it used to be,” Davis said. “At the same time, race now is exactly what it always has been.”
Davis said he feared the general public was becoming immune to the racial issues that still exist in America.
“Race — like sex, finances and in many ways politics itself — is something Americans don’t feel comfortable discussing in public,” Davis said.
The public forum was designed to give members of the community the opportunity to engage in discussion and listen to scholars talk about issues that will influence the upcoming election, the professors said.
Simpson said race has been a part of the upcoming presidential election since the primary campaign, including a debate about whether Obama was truly black.
“Obama’s race has led some voters to declare that they are not ready to vote for a black man for president,” he said. “That has compensated for McCain's soft support among some sectors of the Republican electorate, an area he hoped to shore up with [Sarah] Palin's selection.”
However, a USA Today/ ABC News/Columbia University survey found, despite supporting different candidates, people of all races shared the same priorities, Arizona Republic editorial writer Linda Valdez said.
Blacks, whites and Hispanics all rated the economy as the No. 1 priority and more than 70 percent agreed the country is “on the wrong track,” according to the survey.
Valdez, along with Asian Chamber of Commerce member James Tang and Tempe City Council member Corey Woods, led a panel discussion at the forum.
Recreation and tourism management junior Amanda Gow attended the forum for an ethics class and said she was impressed by the discussions that took place.
“I think race will play a role in this election,” Gow said. “I don’t think it should play a role in the elections, and I think it would be nice if it didn’t, but that probably won’t happen.”
Both history professors stressed the importance of understanding how race is influencing this election. They also said it is important the issue of race not be ignored, especially now.
Davis said many Americans think that because a black man is running for president, racism is irrelevant.
“Race has always been a part of American politics, but this time it involves more than ever the reactions of Americans to a candidate who is non-white, and it's directly tied to a nominee's identity,” Simpson said.
“Moreover, while it looks simple, it’s deceptively complex since there are assumptions about how people as individuals see race — their own as well as the candidates’, shape their outlook on politics.”
Valdez also said a recent USA Today poll showed that 92 percent of blacks, 57 percent of Hispanics and 36 percent of whites favor Barack Obama, indicating a divide among racial groups, Valdez said.
But Valdez said a racial divide didn’t seem so prevalent when she attended the Democratic National Convention.
“I looked at the faces of the white people there, they were transfixed by [Obama], and I thought to myself, ‘Things really have changed.’”
Reach the reporter at: Lauren.Gambino@asu.edu.
