The end of racism? I think not

Nov 10 2008 by Kevin Rowan for The Journal

APPARENTLY desperately short of good news stories about the United States of America the global media has enjoyed a frenzied feast on the landslide, landmark election of Barack Obama.

Not only is he young and black, he’s also, apparently, incredibly bright and, obviously, a gifted orator.

I would have to admit to being caught up in the excitement of the moment, I can’t think when was the last time I stayed up through most of the night (I lasted until 4.15am) to watch the coverage of a British election, but there really has to be a line drawn somewhere.

The particular claim, or was it a soundbite, that initiated my metaphoric sobering up was that this was “…the end of racism in the US.”

That a young black man of Kenyan descent manages to secure a fantastic victory in the election for the most powerful position in the world just 40 years after the leading civil rights campaigner of all time, Martin Luther King, was assassinated, is a truly, truly remarkable achievement.

There can be little doubt that this achievement will produce a dramatic boost in the arm for all minority groups in America and in Europe and will give anti-racism campaigners renewed optimism at a time when the far right, nationalist parties are gaining some ground, feeding on the insecurities of the current economic crisis. But ‘the end of racism’, I think not.

The truth is that America today is a vastly unequal, divided society. Ethnic minority workers in America are much more likely than whites to be employed in the lowest paid, lowest skilled jobs, they are much more likely to be at risk of vulnerable, insecure terms and conditions of employment, more likely to be suffering from ill-health and much more likely to end up in jail.

Also relevant are America’s focus on deregulation in the labour market and the extreme welfare policies for those out of work.

What is a concern for UK workers is that our government continues to toy with the idea of US-style welfare policies. The current benefit reform proposals have sent a shudder through trade unions, anti-poverty campaigners and family groups, especially in times of economic downturn, the government needs to focus on enabling people into work, not forcing people into poverty.