The chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus said race relations in America haven’t improved any since the election of President Obama — and as a matter of fact, they’re even worse.
“I think we have lost ground as it relates to our tolerance of people who are different or people who we believe have not worked hard enough,” said Rep. Marcia Fudge, Ohio Democrat, in The Hill. “You hear the language all the time on talk radio — the buzzwords, often primarily directed at low-income people and communities of color.”
The fact that America has elected a black president hasn’t really waylaid racism, but rather only sparked conversations about relations, said fellow CBC member Rep. Barbara Lee from California.
Pre-Obama, “so much was swept under the rug,” she said, The Hill reported. “The country for whatever reason has not confronted race in the way that it should. With stop-and-frisk and all the issues around income inequality, you really have to wonder [how much it’s all improved]. But I think a lot of it is to do with the idea that race has been an issue that we can talk about.”
Meanwhile, 45 percent of Americans say the United States has made great strides in race relations, Pew Research Center reported. Another 36 percent said “some” progress has been made.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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