The Farrakhan Fiasco February 29, 2008

The day after the most recent debate between Obama and Hillary a friend of mine sent me an article dissecting Tim Russert’s question about Louis Farrakhan’s endorsement of Obama. For those who missed it, here is a link:

The article talks about how several journalists have harped on Farrakhan’s support of Obama, and, additionally,  have implied that Obama holds the same beliefs as Farrakhan and is, perhaps,  a threat to [mostly White] American sensibilities…A Washington Post piece by Richard Cohen being a prime example of this sentiment.

The first thing that struck me as I watched the debate and as I read these two articles is the need for a more multicultural media. It is another example of the lack of responsible journalism when it comes to issues effecting minorities. In Cohen’s article, for instance, he writes that Obama’s Church Trinity United,  stated that Farrakhan “epitomized greatness” when it was really the Trumpet Awards–a separate organization–who made this claim.

But in all honesty– if the church did actually say this about Farrakhan, it still doesn’t mean that Obama shares this sentiment.

Neither article from either Washington Post or ArchPundit acknowledged that Farrakhan’s views–particularly his anti-Semetic views–have changed for the better. Not to mention the number of positive things Farrakhan has done in his own community. But as long as the media is dominated by white males, you will almost never hear this side of the story.

On a related note, I was so impressed by the amount of class and grace Obama showed throughout this debate, and his reaction to this off-the-wall question is just one very clear example of this.

Next stop: Ohio.