Like so many millions of Americans I was devastated by the news that Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and seven year old nephew were murdered. I poured through the news accounts over the internet looking for details of what happened. But I also stopped to look at the notes of support from her countless fans; people who just wanted to let her know that they shared her grief.
“Jennifer we love you”, said so many writers, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this difficult time!” It was almost unanimous in the expressions of shock, sympathy, despair and love; all rolled up into one big prayer. Like I said, it was almost unanimous.
Because there hiding in the weeds was a nasty, racist note that nearly broke my heart. I have to repeat it word for word so that you understand how painful this thing was to read:
“It serves her right for living like an animal on the Southside of Chicago. She got what she deserved! Plus it’s two less votes for Obama!”
I couldn’t believe what my eyes were reading to me. Could anyone actually be that hateful to write something so brazen, hurtful and full of lies? It reminded me of the murder of young Emmett Till in 1955, who was executed because he whistled at a white woman. There were people in Mississippi who were so full of racial hatred that they actually said told reporters,
“He got what he deserved! How dare that black boy whistle at a white woman; and what was his black ass doing down here anyway; just another troublemaker from up North!”
Those segregationist people is Mississippi didn’t believe a crime had been committed; that if Emmett Till had known his place, he might still be alive today as long as he didn’t live on the Southside of Chicago!
Whoever wrote this post about Jenifer Hudson’s family appeared to be from Chicago and seemed to have his own twisted view of Chicago. He also made it clear that anyone who lives in that Black Community is insignificant and worthless and deserves whatever trouble comes their way. He didn’t care that an innocent woman and her family were slain in their own home, possibly by a trusted family member. It was the kind of domestic crime that could and does happen in any neighborhood, amongst any racial group in America.
While there is crime on Chicago’s Southside, it is just not a neighborhood of killers, muggers, crackheads and thieves. It’s an area filled with thousands of hard-working, law abiding, decent people, who are just trying to make their way. But because of the way news is covered in this country, viewers and listeners assume that most blacks in certain neighborhoods are a bunch of lazy, drug smoking, thieves living on welfare. No one deserves to be murdered under any circumstances; especially in a tragedy like this.
But the final blow to my human instincts was that comment about the election,
“Plus it’s two less votes for Obama!”
Where did that come from? Yes Jennifer Hudson sang our national anthem at the Democratic convention and supports Obama, who also lives on the Southside of Chicago. But for normal people, these murders had nothing to do with politics.
This kind of wacko is disgusted at the thought of a black man from the Southside of Chicago, standing on steps of the White House, and waiting for the key to the front door. He would probably do anything in his power to stop it from happening. It scares me because we know he is not alone in being trapped in a legacy of hate
He could easily have been one of the skinheads in Tennessee who were arrested by the FBI three days later for plotting to assassinate Obama. They also planned to kill another 100 African Americans including the beheading of 14 of the victims. For them the murders of Jennifer Hudson’s family was good news. They must also celebrate every time they hear about the murder rate in Chicago and black on black crime.
For many Americans, the candidacy of Barack Obama is a campaign of hope as much as it is about change. It is a chance for us to show the rest of the world that we are prepared to be take our seat at the new world table of inclusion. It would put us on the same level of international respect that South Africa gained when Nelson Mandela emerged from prison and marched straight into the Presidency. His election saved that country from an almost certain bloodbath in the streets over who would control the government. Yes they still have problems, but they didn’t have the race war that everyone was expecting.
Here in America, we are proud to say that Barack Obama’s candidacy proves that the United States is changing; that the country has come a long way from the bitter days of segregation based totally on the color of our skin. Yes, we’ve come a very long way.
But the harsh reality is everybody didn’t want to come with us.
