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February is Black History month and in this past year, the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency has been one of the most dramatic moments in Black history and American history. From reading the editorial pages of newspapers and blogs one might be convinced that the election’s outcome means that racism in America is over. Take the blog by Jason Pollock in the liberal-leaning Huffington Post who says, “Racism doesn’t play to mainstream America anymore. We as Americans have spoken in our recent election and if you are a racist in America you are not going to get any respect.” Right wing blogs like the Intellectual Conservative have officially pronounced that, as a result of the election, “The old Manichean, neo-Platonic, pseudo-Christian narrative of “Evil White Oppressors” and “Virtuous Black Victims” is now officially exhausted.” Despite such rosy pronouncements, African Americans still get racially profiled in disproportionate numbers, still get shot by white police officers like Oscar Grant, and wrongfully incarcerated like Troy Davis. According to anti-racist analysts like writer and commentator Tim Wise, Obama’s presidency has provided an excuse for white folks to proclaim that racism is dead. Wise is the author of several books including White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son, and Speaking Treason Fluently: Anti-racist Reflections From an Angry White Male. His brand new book, out for just a couple of weeks, is called Between Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama. Tim Wise spoke in January 2009 at the All Saints Church in Pasadena about the topic of this new book.

Special Thanks to Mansoor Sabbagh for recording this speech.