Closing The Door On Victimhood

Here is a good piece from the Boston Globe. How many years did we wait for these things to be said by those who are now saying them.

Read this:

Some black leaders say Obama's political success means it's time to shift away from the dialogue of victimhood. "Racism is no longer the primary obstacle to black progress. With the election of a black man whose middle name is Hussein, the rhetoric of white racism is off the table," declared the Rev. Eugene Rivers, a Boston-based minister with a national agenda and a history of taking controversial stands. "Black people don't want to hear it. White people don't want to hear it. . . . The old school is over." By "old school," Rivers is referring to what he calls the "professional protest leadership" represented by civil rights activists like Jackson. That worldview, said Rivers, calls for "decrying inequality" and blaming white racism for all the problems of African-Americans. Kevin Peterson, a Boston community activist who runs the Ella J. Baker House in Dorchester, also calls for a new brand of black leadership. "Obama's success this political cycle represents a new style," Peterson said. "The notion that black people need to employ racially polarizing stances is now extinct. There are more effective ways to get things done for our communities than being accusatory."

Looks like someone finally grasped the meaning of "not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

You can access the complete column on-line here:

Closing The Door On Victimhood
Joan Vennochi
The Boston Globe
November 6, 2008