Comments for The thing about Eric Holder

The thing about Eric Holder

2008-11-19T15:00:02Z

...I mean, besides this being the first step in Barack Obama's plan to institute a Mugabe-style transfer of wealth to the ghettos of America. I was talking to Kenyatta this morning, and she was making the obvious point that the "first black Attorney General" thing doesn't change anything for the average black kid walking down the street. I countered that this gets it backwards. Holder and Obama's "first" status isn't suppose to directly, 1 to 1, improve the lives of black folks, but rather mark how far black people--and by extension the country--have come. I know Obama is a product of many things. He is first, and foremost, the product of the home his parents and grandparents made for him. But he's also the product of the South Side of Chicago, the historic economic and political power center of black America.

The first black congressmen to be elected in the 20th century came from the South Side of Chicago. The first big black banks and insurance companies (at least in the North) were products of the South Side. Indeed, the city of Chicago, itself, was ~~discovered~~ founded by a biracial black man. The only other semi-successful run for president was Jesse Jackson--himself a South Side resident. My point is that all of these achievements were made possible by black people working in consort with many other people. In that light, I see Obama--and Holder--in light so unremarkable and cliche that it makes me shudder. They are both markers of what Negroes can do when they go out and vote.

UPDATE: I'm not sure why, but I think people are taking this as some sort of statement on the black vote in the past, or the lack thereof. I guess it is a statement, but the point in listing Jackson, Dawson, De Priest etc. was to give some historic context--in other words to specifically avoid the "Negroes don't vote" canard. Obama is obviously the most spectacular marker of us voting. But he isn't the only one.

Comment from Jaybird on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T15:38:55Z

Look at Holder's history on the Drug War.

The Drug War is one of the things doing the most damage to the inner city... and I fear that Holder is going to be indistinguishable from his predecessors on the issue.

Comment from Paul Gilmartin on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T15:45:30Z

If he is against inhumane treatment of prisoners and warrantless wiretaps then he has my vote!

With regard to him being an African-American, there will be plenty of haters on the right saying that this is the reason Obama picked him. What's funny, though, is the fact that many on the right see a black man appointed to a position of power and their first thought is "he doesn't belong there, he must have been given the job because he's black'.

Obama was not elected because he's African American and Holder was not selected because he's African American. Another thing I like about this selection is that it shows Obama to be color-blind.

Comment from Green on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T15:55:55Z

Whenever I see that "how far black people have come" statement, I think, not really. I mean black people have always been here, just as talented, fighting just as hard for a piece of the pie. Really, black voter turnout has usually been pretty good in the past...
To me Obama really says much more about how far the country as a whole has come than it does about black people in specific.
I know, you said something like that, but I wanted to make the distinction.

Comment from Ta-Nehisi Coates on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T16:09:30Z

Jay,

Thanks for that drug war tip. I'm going to look into it.

Comment from Denene@MyBrownBaby on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T16:18:11Z

They're also markers of what Negroes can--and HAVE been doing--period. Thanks to them, a light is being shined on the BEST of us, instead of the WORST of us. For this, I'm grateful.

Comment from Mike on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T16:26:25Z

Indeed, the city of Chicago, itself, was discovered by a biracial black man.

"Founded", perhaps?

Comment from Allan on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T16:33:12Z

What excites me about Eric Holder (besides his views on torture and civil liberties) is that, when I first heard about him, the blog I was reading (Sullivan) didn't feel obligated to point out that Holder was the first black AG, or even that he was black. I always feel like "first black [/female/gay/...] XXX" accolades are a double-edged sword, characterizing the annointee as a weirdo or outsider in his/her new role. But now that we will have a black President, a black AG doesn't seem so strange anymore... and we take another step forward.

Comment from Lester Spence on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T16:33:44Z

Is the implication that we don't vote already?

Comment from Lon on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T17:53:29Z

The striking thing about the Holder pick is that he is the competent non-political choice. He was, after all, the deputy attorney general in the last Democratic administration. There are many flashier more political choices that could be made with one of Obama's most high profile appointments. And, as Pat Buchanan correctly pointed out, at some point among the team of rivals appointments Obama really should pick someone in the truly liberal camp, but Holder is not that pick.

This was a choice of competence over politics (in the position which most presidents most want to have someone to politically cover their ass). And the fact that Holder is black really does seem besides the point here. Not that it is irrelevant for historical purposes, but that it is irrelevant to why he is natural person to get the job.

Comment from marcus on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T18:41:35Z

One overlooked point my girlfriend noted from her time as a defense laywer:

there are three pictures hanging in federal prison, the president, the vice president and the attorney general.

that image alone will have some impact on those on the inside.

Comment from Jason on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T19:30:36Z

After Obama, do you think anyone is ever going to care about a "first African-American" story again?

I mean, now that Obama is president, the idea that it's a big deal to be the first black AG just doesn't titilate like it use to, you know? The ceiling is broken.

Comment from kd on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T20:27:02Z

@Jason--I think having multiple black faces in the administration will still be incredibly refreshing. Imagine a photo of Obama and Holder meeting with, say, Valerie Jarrett and Joe Biden and Sec. of State Hillary. All that power, and just one white man in the bunch! When have we ever seen that before?

Comment from rikyrah on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T20:40:38Z

...I mean, besides this being the first step in Barack Obama's plan to institute a Mugabe-style transfer of wealth to the ghettos of America.

why you scaring White folk like that.

LOL

Comment from WestIndianArchie on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T21:13:07Z

As has been said in other places, this is a power grab from the native born Af-Am's to the foreign born Af-Am's.

Comment from Cash on 2008-11-19

2008-11-20T02:48:13Z

Y'know, I've been reading about Holder on the web for three or four days now, hearing this and that about his opinions on Gitmo and wiretapping and so on...

Somehow this is the FIRST time I've run across any mention that he's black.

So if it's a sign of progress that a "first black ___" storyline can get buried under the discussion of what the ___ in question is actually likely to do as ___, I guess we're progressing.

Comment from Jason on 2008-11-20

2008-11-20T12:37:41Z

> the South Side of Chicago, the historic economic and political power center of black America

Yep! John Rogers, Jr., friend of the Obamas:

“When you remember that there have been just three African-American senators since Reconstruction, it tells you something that two of them, Barack and Carol Moseley Braun, came from Hyde Park.” (link)

Comment from jacobli_2281 on 2008-11-20

2008-11-21T04:18:25Z

there is an amazing news....
a woman in the --interracialromancing.com said she have ever been the Obama's girlfriend and she wants to extort money from the president... how about going to chat with her and stop his crazy mind...