 |  |
The recent reaction to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's YouTube video loop illuminated the cultural divide in our country between white
The cultural perspective is what is important here. Humans are tribal animals. Having a "different" culture is usually viewed as insulting/infuriating/dangerous by the majority culture. Uncountable millions of people have died in tribal conflicts on every continent on earth. It goes on today in places such as
Although most white people deny it, there is a white culture. In my observation, the denial is due to obliviousness, which is not an excuse but a condition. White culture is as obvious to white people as nitrogen, which is 78 percent of the air we breathe.
Our nation's white culture likes a champion (Super Bowl, World Series, March Madness), so when someone like the Rev. Wright preaches Black Liberation Theology, people like Sean Hannity impose a contrast comparison to point out the "differences," creating the "competition." In fact, Black Liberation Theology does not dictate that white people must lose--although some of Wright's comments are so abrasive that they make this distinction difficult to focus on.
Wright's intemperate words are especially powerful because he is Black and describes himself as preaching from a perspective of Black Liberation Theology. This sets up a powerful hierarchical situation. White culture tends to resolve perceived conflicts by forcing the other tribe to lose. I think this is underscored by the complete lack of attention paid to similarly disturbing quotes from Sen. John McCain's self-described spiritual advisers, Revs. Hagee and Parsley (do a web search on their names, but be prepared for some really troubling comments). Because they are white men, they're not perceived to be from "other" cultures and therefore are not perceived as a threat.
Not that I think it's that important. All of the candidates have more than enough of a track record to be judged on their own. Embarrassing quotes from pastors--or outrageous behavior from relatives--should not define the candidate.
It is important to understand that the majority culture is the defining culture. In this country, when it goes unsaid, you can assume the adjective "white" can be inserted in front of the noun. White church, white corporation, white college. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that; white people can be proud of our country and its progress toward ever-greater civil and human rights. Majority "tribes" often consider themselves above criticism, which accounts for all the foot-stomping by Sean Hannity and his ilk, but we should keep in mind that people who severely disagreed with their parent "tribe" founded our country.
It's also important to understand that cultures change over time. One hundred years ago, southern European and Jewish immigrants were not considered white. Popular culture of the time described dozens of "races" that don't exist in the popular lexicon today. No doubt that some of this is because of other cultures being subjugated, but our "white" culture changed too. This is an ongoing process and it is speeding up because of dramatic increases in global communication and business. Many white people tend to think of our culture as static, but it clearly hasn't been, and I don't think an evolving culture can be disconnected from the incredible success of our country.
Tribalism is a barrier to good business. There is no need to establish hierarchical dominance if you view your business partner as a peer. Doing so increases relationships and, therefore, margin. This requires a conscious effort because it is unfortunately counterintuitive for most people. This is why, in a corporate effort, you must really communicate to middle management and hold them accountable.