The Face of Change!

The mythological American ‘Melting Pot’ is fast becoming a greater reality. The ascendancy of Barack Obama as the Democratic Presidential nominee has set many people talking. Some are talking about his politics, others his religion, and still others about the issue that race plays in his selection as the next president.

During a discussion I had this week with one of my long standing clients, an architect who happens to be white; we talked about the issue of race and the real anxiety among whites of being called a “Racist” if they don’t vote for Obama. Earlier this year, I was meeting with another client, a mental health therapist who happens to be white. She is married to a native born African who is a naturalized US citizen. She told me of her desire for her children to meet Obama because he is the first inter-racial presidential candidate. I thought to myself, I never really considered him inter-racial, but she was accurate.

It occurred to me that few people ever address the issue of his mixed ethnicity as an element of his identity. In fact, my architect friend asked, “Wasn’t he raised mostly white?” His question raises many other intriguing questions such as, “What does raised mostly White, mean?” These discussions prompted me to pull out an old piece I wrote in 2000 for the Radixes Journal that addressed the issue of mixed ethnicity and impact it will have and is having upon our Nation, Culture and our perception of Race.

What is the future of “race”?

During the census conducted in 2000 provided respondents with the option, “Check All That Apply” (CATA) in the race category. While this may seem insignificant, there are important implications for the church and our community. According to the U.S. Census approximately 6.8 million people chose the (CATA) option. While this only amounts to 2.4% of the total population, it represents a significant philosophical shift in the definitions of race and culture.

Approximately 1.8 million of those who checked at least two of the available options would have previously been limited to the choice of “Black”.

Implications :

The historic classifications of “White” and “Black” when applied to community institutions may disappear in years to come. Churches particularly, wanting to remain viable in the coming years may need to broaden their self-concept to accommodate the changing perceptions of race, culture and ethnicity.

The introduction of the (CATA) option points to the real issue of classification. What is race and how do we determine its parameters? The (CATA) option is a landmark in the evolving culture of America. It gives clear notice to all, of the rise of a new cultural community that will as it continues to grow, change the complexion and personality of every institution that supports our communities.

Seeds Produce the Harvest

At the heart of this growing segment of the community is the increasing number of interracial marriages. From 1960 to 1990 the total number of married couples, same and other race grew from 40,491,000 to 51,475,834. The 27% increase over thirty (30) years represents some 10,984,834 new married couples in three decades.

Over the same time period the number of interracial marriages grew from 157,000 (1960) to an astonishing 1,373,578 (1990). The number of interracial marriages exploded by approximately 800%. Complete data from the 2000 census is not currently available.

When considered as a whole, the rising multiracial/ multiethnic population, the reclassification of racial identity and the swelling numbers of interracial marriages all point to a shift in the politics of race and ethnicity in American culture. The shape of the emerging culture, the direction it will take and its impact: economic, political and religious, remain to be seen.

The 1990 Census figures indicate that the occurrence of White/Black marriages (206,374) is by far the smallest when compared to White/Asian Pacific Islanders (465,332) and the White/Native American, Eskimos & Aleuts (334,143). One thing is certain, interracial marriage has reached a state of critical mass in America. The results of such a pervasive cultural phenomenon promise to change the face of all that we “think” of as American in this generation and those to come.

What does this mean?

The reality is that we caught in the crossfire of cultural change and must address ourselves to the people who are affected by that change. Will these “multiracial” families find a place void of “stigma” in our communities, institutions and most importantly in the church that has historically separated along color lines, specifically Black and White? What happens when the lines that once clearly distinguished the two become transparent?

Will the emerging multiracial population forge a community identity based upon its blended ethnicity that is unique from existing community identities? Are we on the threshold of a race-less society or witnessing the birth of new races that will in time supplant their progenitors while creating new “isms” that polarize and fragment?

Change brings with it incredible opportunities as well as significant challenges. The realities of ethnicity and race are less stark, but no less poignant or challenging. We must ask ourselves; where will these families live, work, and most importantly worship, and how will their emergence impact our cultural landscape?