Drama Overload

“Why did those individuals and organizations do this? The simple answer would be that they are choosing instead to work toward doing away with all racial categories, but it just isn’t that simple. First, they are tired. It’s been a long battle, but that doesn’t mean quitting is the right thing to do. Some of them merely have web sites. Some put on social events. Some throw press conferences. They don’t actually DO the work of an organization dedicated to making a difference. If they are tired, think of how WE feel.”

I don’t feel tired. Maybe Ms. Graham knows something about me that I don’t. While she has done excellent work on the state level with regards to “multiracial” advocacy, she has hardly been the only one working in this area. Some of us who attended the March 31, 2000 meeting have assisted Ms. Graham and others many times in the past. Let’s see, we used our press contacts to spread word of support for legislation, specifically H.R. 830. We wrote our legislators and I specifically sent mass emails and snailmail to ALL Members of Congress in support of H.R. 830 and specifically asking for cosponsors, something Project RACE failed to do. Graham goes on to say:

“Second, being tired and frustrated, they chose to turn their support over to a man named Ward Connerly, whose sole thrust is getting rid of affirmative action. Mr. Connerly, a Conservative Republican, has never been about equality for the multiracial population or the doing away with racial categories unless it will abolish affirmative action-period. Project RACE members have always differed on how you view affirmative action, and as an organization made up of people with different viewpoints, we just can’t take one stand on this issue. Simply stated, some of us might agree with doing away with affirmative actions, but this organization was not built on that issue.”

More inaccurate speculation. I am neither tired, nor frustrated and can speak for myself, thank you. I am excited about the future and the prospects for eliminating “racial” classifications in American society. The American Civil Rights Institute, with which Mr. Connerly is affiliated, is working to destroy “racial” classifications in California through the Racial Privacy Initiative. I support ACRI’s mission. Destroying “one-droppism” in America must start with destroying “Race.” There is much work to be done on that issue on many fronts. ACRI will be attacking that issue in the legislative realm. Philosophically, INTERRACIAL VOICE and The Multiracial Activist are working on tearing down “race” as it exists in the American mindset. Ms. Graham either doesn’t seem to get that or doesn’t care, or both. She goes on to say:

“The federal government has tried for years to separate the multiracial community and some of us keep playing right into their hands. People keep getting sidetracked from their goals. An individual sets up a web site on a free internet service and suddenly they are not only speaking for the movement, but they are convincing others to leave the movement! Organizations that sold us down the river are suddenly silent.”

I fail to see where anyone is “playing right into their hands.” That is all very ominous-sounding and reeks of conspiracy theories. More ridiculous histrionics. She said, “An individual sets up a web site on a free internet service and suddenly they are not only speaking for the movement, but they are convincing others to leave the movement!” Who? The Multiracial Activist (TMA) is a privately owned website on a server that charges monthly hosting fees. INTERRACIAL VOICE (IV) is also privately owned and is hosted by the same company as TMA. IV has been operating for over 5 years and TMA has been operating for almost 4 years. Both sites are frequently used by universities all over the world and are currently used as source material for courses on government, race relations, sociology and other areas of study. Both sites are read regularly by major media organizations and policy makers. Clearly, you don’t have to have a lofty title and your own non-profit fiefdom to make an impact and influence public opinion. Her statement is obviously meant to dismiss the work of everyone else except her. Clearly, she has no concept of the power of the internet to influence policy, when coupled along with press contacts and correspondance with legislative and executive agencies. This is not the first time Graham has been dismissive of those of us using the web to disseminate information and influence opinions. Next Graham declares:

“I believe the people who are abandoning the multiracial movement are being short-sighted. They are being as politically naïve as those who locked arms with the NAACP and thought THEY would come to our aid.”

More drama. The only naive approach is one that believes that the federal government is suddenly going to add a “multiracial” category any time soon to the Census and other forms that collect “racial” data. Project RACE has achieved some admirable victories in several states, but anyone who works in Washington can tell you that the rules are different here. Clearly, without a large budget for public relations and a legislative staff to influence a majority of Members of Congress (not just one to introduce the legislation), this is not going to happen. Getting legislation introduced in the United States Congress is not nearly as hard as getting it past a subcommittee, then to a full committee and finally to the Floor, especially when fighting multi-million dollar powerhouses like the NAACP and NCLR, and the multi-billion dollar demographics industry. So far on the Federal level, legislation has been introduced in a SUBCOMMITTEE in the House of Representatives TWICE and failed each time to reach the FULL COMMITTEE. There has yet to be legislation regarding a “multiracial” category introduced in the United States Senate. With the Senate evenly divided at 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, the prospect of getting such contentious legislation introduced, past a subcommittee, onto a full committee and then to the Floor is infinitesimally small this session. With both houses of Congress so evenly divided and Democrats almost completely unwilling to support “multiracial” self-identification, just when is this magic legislation going to be introduced and become law? If this legislation does get introduced, will Graham offer full support and pursue cosponsors more aggressively than she did with H.R. 830 in 1997? Getting legislation passed on the NATIONAL level involves much, much more than just testifying at hearings and writing letters to OMB. Next, Graham says:

“I personally agree with doing away with racial categories. I think that will happen eventually. Our country is not ready for it. There have been entire organizations that have been working for over 20 years to do away with race. It is not a new concept. It is a worthy goal, BUT it does not mean we should stop fighting for multiracial children and adults in the meantime! I have always stated that WHILE we have racial categories in this country, we should accommodate our families by having a multiracial classification. That has not changed.”

My goal, among others, is to destroy this insidious collectivist concept of “race”. Only a racialist could remain devoted to preserving this perverse system of dividing people into “racial” groups which have no basis in genetics. While Ms. Graham is surely not a racialist, she continues to play into their hands on this issue. It is far past time to stop indoctrinating our nation’s children into the cult of “race.” Ms. Graham seems to disagree and appears to believe that only when a “multiracial” category is added to the U.S. Census and other forms that collect racial data for the government, will it then be time to start dismantling the “race” behemoth. Why? One can only speculate. Next, she writes:

“Is it any less important now that multiracial children have the respect of an appropriate racial label? Do we really want to be known as the ‘people who checked more than one race’? Think of how hard that will be to erase while we wait for Ward Connerly to do away with racial classifications. What if it takes him 50 years? It is simply wrong to sacrifice the gains we have made for multiracial children betting on the remote possibility that the government will do away with racial categories.”

Who is waiting for Ward Connerly? He has his mission, we all have ours. Where we can work together, we will. Like it or lump it. Once again, Graham distorts the truth by implying that the speakers at the March 31st press conference are subordinates to Mr. Connerly. Simply ridiculous. I’ll work with any person who’s ready to rid us of “race.” Ward Connerly is ready, obviously Susan Graham has another agenda. As Graham asked, what if it takes 50 years to destroy racial classifications? Well, then in 50 years we will all live a lot freer. Our great-great-grandchildren will not be constantly asked what their “race” is. Is that really so bad? I’m beginning to believe that Ms. Graham likes the concept of racial classification, else why would she say something so ridiculous as “What if it takes him 50 years?” Maybe the point is more that she needs to get a “multiracial” classification on the census so she can scream “VICTORY” like others have been doing since 1997. Real validation for “multiracial” people would be destroying the concept of “race” so that they never feel the need to have GOVERNMENT validate their identity. The point should be to end the concept of “racial” group identity and allow people to call themselves whatever they want, not continue to build upon the dangerous, “racialist” infrastructure currently in place. If that process takes 50 years, so be it. There are plenty more where we came from who can pick up where we leave off. She goes on to say:

“Our children still lack any acknowledgement in the health field. The Office of Minority Health refuses to even mention the need for multiracial participation in clinical trials. “The Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health” of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services addresses everything BUT multiracial individuals. Ward Connerly is not going to hold bone marrow donor drives for the multiracial community or meet with HHS to try, as we have, to convince them of the need for health data for multiracial children.”

First off, bone marrow drives are not dependent on “racial” categorization, they are dependent on DONORS. This argument seems to embrace the concept of genetically real “races.” Exactly where is the scientific proof that “race” is real? If geneticists can’t distinguish between “racial” groups when looking at DNA, then how are those in the medical field supposed to do it? Are they supposed to look at someone’s face, their nose, cheekbones, the texture of their hair? What an offensive concept! The more I read, the more I see “racialist” doctrine, unwittingly spouted by someone I once respected and admired. To me, this is all truly disturbing. Next she says:

“I’m afraid there are things that I don’t understand about the “new goal” of no racial categories. One by one, the people who abandoned the multiracial category for no category, stood up on March 31 and told what racial categories they had picked on their 2000 Census: some protesting racial categories by checking American Indian, others choosing one, two, three or four races. Huh? How does that action show they don’t believe in racial categories? If they are truly for no racial categories, why do their web sites titles and organizations names contain the words ‘interracial,’ ‘multiracial,’ and ‘multiethnic’? If they are truly for a ‘colorblind society,’ why are they promoting specific racial things like interracial dating services?”

I can’t speak for the others, but I didn’t answer the race question on the Census and stated so publicly on March 31st. For Graham to imply differently is a complete lie and totally irresponsible. Next she complains about the titles of websites and organizations. Hmmm. Let’s see, my site is called “The Multiracial Activist.” The name was chosen in April 1997 when the push for a “multiracial” category was still in full swing. Kind of fit, didn’t it? I’ll not be changing the name now, just because someone in Florida has a problem with it. In order to get past “race” we are going to have to discuss “race.” This discussion involves using words like “interracial,” “biracial,” “multiracial,” etc., while qualifying them as inaccurate descriptors. What Graham wants is just for us to shut up altogether since we aren’t getting with her program. Next she writes:

“Several people who represented themselves on March 31 as leaders of the multiracial community suddenly appeared out of nowhere. For example, at the meeting was a person who walked away from the movement more than five years ago during a critical time, and only recently resurfaced selling products geared to interracial families.

“Project RACE does not sell products. We do not send people to sites like Amazon.com so that we can get a percentage of book sales. We do not promote for profit speakers. Our web site is free from promotional banners. We do not promote our own books. We can not be bought.”

The first paragraph does not apply to IV or TMA, but part of the second paragraph does. Both websites get small commissions for books purchased through the site and both have some promotional banners. So what? Graham seems to be implying that Amazon.com and other companies are somehow controlling the content of the websites. That particular implication is irresponsible and malicious. I’m sure though, that if Graham would like to take it up with Amazon.com and other sponsors, they’d be happy to refer her to their legal departments to discuss this ridiculous insinuation. As far as her complaints about people promoting their own books, I have to ask what business is it of hers?

“Project RACE members have fought for ten years. We have passed state legislation, worked with boards of education, fought in our own backyards, worked tirelessly in Washington, appeared numerous times before Congressional committees, met with OMB, Census Bureau representatives, healthcare agencies and others. We have held numerous blood marrow donor drives across the country to increase the pool of donors for multiracial children with blood disorders. We answer hundreds of requests for information each month and process new memberships daily. We work with diversity trainers to include multiracial children in school curriculum.

“Our work will not be minimized by those who have changed their minds about fighting for multiracial children. We will not walk away from the multiracial community under the auspices of backing those who want to use our community to do away with affirmative action. THAT is not in our mission statement. Never was and never will be, for that is not what Project RACE is all about.”

More drama. Graham says, “Our work will not be minimized by those who have changed their minds about fighting for multiracial children.” As the father of two “multiracial” children, I thoroughly resent the implication made there. This is gutter politics and not what one would expect from the Executive Director of a national organization. Graham claims we are walking “away from the multiracial community under the auspices of backing those who want to do away with affirmative action.” Interesting argument, but once again, inaccurate. I support abolition of government enforced “racial” classifications. So does Ward Connerly. So does Charles Byrd. So do a lot of people from many different political, social and occupational backgrounds, such as Cal State sociologist Yehudi Webster and prominent anthropologist C. Loring Brace. I support abolishing all racial classifications because they promote the false concept of “racial” groups, a concept formed to prevent “race-mixing” and currently favored by traditional civil rights groups who see miscegenation as a threat to their powerbase. Classifying by “race” teaches one group of children that they are “racially” different from other children. This in turn fosters the seeds of superiority-inferiority that leads to “racism” and so on. Interestingly enough, in 1997 when former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich spoke out in favor of a “multiracial” classification at Graham’s request, many people in the movement unfairly portrayed her as a right-wing extremist for associating with Gingrich and other Republicans. Hmmm. For some reason, I seem to keep getting visions of pots and kettles. Maybe someone call tell me what that is all about…

James Landrith is the notorious editor and publisher of The Multiracial Activist and The Abolitionist Examiner, two cyber-rags dedicated to freedom from oppressive racial categorization. Landrith can be reached by email at: editor@multiracial.com or at his personal website/blog.

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