Oprah And Obama's American Dream

The Nation: Their Combined Power Could Reinvigorate Our Political Landscape

(The Nation)  This column was written by Patricia J. Williams.

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This Christmas, the film "The Great Debaters" will come to theaters nationwide. Starring Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey, it tells the story of an award-winning team of debaters from Wiley College, a small, historically black institution founded in 1873 and located in Marshall, Texas. In the 1930s the debate team, coached by poet Melvin Tolson, surpassed nearly every other team in the country in contests against universities as far-flung as the University of Southern California and Oxford. Nonetheless, the Wiley team was never officially accorded championship status because the national debate society of that day did not formally recognize black participation. Though unrewarded then, many of the graduates of Wiley's debate team went on to become the most eloquently influential movers in the civil rights movement, most notably James Farmer Jr., who founded the Congress of Racial Equality.

Recently The New York Times ran a front-page story titled "For Struggling Black College, Hopes of Big-Screen Revival"; it was about the effect that the film is having, even before its release, on Wiley College today. Wiley did not fare well through the 1980s and '90s and came very close to closing. Thanks to the glow of celebrity interest, however, the school's buildings have been handsomely refurbished, Wal-Mart has promised to set up a scholarship fund and enrollment has suddenly doubled. The Times story ends with a moving description of a young woman about to graduate, of her plans to attend medical school, of the room Wiley has given her to dream.

It's a feel-good story, no doubt: a very satisfying saga of the aspiring little engine that could, then did — and still had to wait all these years to be heralded for its remarkable accomplishment. It's also a story that plugs into a deeply iconic American narrative: the battered underdog picked up, brushed off and ultimately saved by the success of the spotlight — and nary a moment too soon. The story is also iconically American in the way it loops between reality and Hollywood dream. The real Wiley College gets legitimated in its educational mission by virtue of a fictionalized representation.

The role of media, particularly the entertainment media, in allowing us to understand our civic life is not to be underestimated. Great actors, great orators and great businessmen draw upon similar thespian skills — it's what makes them likable, salable, commercial. We Americans shovel money at those who can best perform our fantasies.

I say all this because I'm intrigued by the brouhaha attending Oprah Winfrey's decision to endorse Barack Obama's candidacy. The Internet is positively foaming at her decision to campaign for him. Celebrities — from Toby Keith to Sammy Davis Jr., from Barbra Streisand to Jon Bon Jovi — have always stumped for candidates, but a lot of people seem to feel that Oprah is different. She's not a background singer; she is no mere decorative backdrop. Oprah can turn a book into a bestseller!, fume the blogs. When she lends her magic touch, it's somehow complicated or even unfair. I suspect that some of the controversy comes from those who like Obama and don't relate to Oprah's television persona, or vice versa. But it's interesting to contemplate: what does it mean that some people are so concerned about whether this particular celebrity ought to express herself in the political realm?

In a very straightforward sense, it's no wonder that the Double O's are such an arresting team: one of the world's most influential black men links arms with the world's most powerful black woman, and together they sell out an 18,000-seat arena in Columbia, South Carolina, so fast that the computers crash. It's an unprecedented performance of black power in the heart of the old Confederacy. For someone who lived through the most hateful moments of the civil rights era, it's exhilarating and hopeful — and vaguely scary in the vertigo it induces.

From another perspective, to many people Oprah embodies a comforting sort of motherly everywoman, whose embrace has been perhaps too comfortably nonpartisan. If some part of her audience felt betrayed when she lost more weight than the average soccer mom, it stands to reason that they'll feel betrayed when she takes an overt stand in the political realm.

Beyond that, however, Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama are indeed remarkable for how unstilted they are in the public arena. Like the Wiley College debate team of old, they defy the sideshow of the exceptionally "articulate" colored person. The two of them are our most fluent contemporary orators. They are brilliant speakers, easy with large audiences, and both have a talent for translating hard topics into lucid argument. There's good reason both Obama and Winfrey are so often described as trustworthy.

In addition, their particular form of raced celebrity enshrines the notion of American mobility at a moment when it is — in reality — sorely vexed. As I observed in an earlier column, Obama radiates a kind of hope that crosses the immigrant epic with a romantic desire for rainbow diversity. Similarly, Oprah is the black, female, Horatio Alger, rags-to-riches story of our day. From her humble beginnings as a traumatized little girl, albeit pluckier even than Orphan Annie (we Americans do love "pluck"), Oprah reinvented herself by sheer will and rose against all odds to the very top of the phantasmagorical bubble machine we call the entertainment industry. There's a general fear of, as well as attraction to, that bubble. Is the celebrity a platform or a dog-and-pony show? Is it serious debate or entertainment? How easy the purchase of cynicism.

But if we're lucky, maybe something enduring comes of artfully imagining our ideals. Maybe, as with Wiley College, that's how we escort them into renewed life. Maybe indeed it is not too much to hope that the redemptive power of an intelligent dream might reinvigorate the exhaustion of our embattled political landscape.

[alanrobisch]

That''''s when the ''''evil'''' will inevitably come bubbling up from the twisted bowels of the extreme right(the contemporary Republican Party).Is Oprah Winfrey, never mind Barack Obama, big enough to stand up to the modern equivalent of seemingly sophisticated lynch mobs? I hope so.

Posted by doctor--o at 08:27 AM : Dec 08, 2007

I am a republican and find your comments extremely offensive. they reek of bigotry and show no sense of balance whatsover. As much as I cringe at the possibility of Hilary being the next president I don''t it necessary to make such mean spirited comments as you have.

If we have a democratic president, it would make me proud as an american to have a black man as president since it would show that we are showing real progress in race relations and it would show a good face to the world.

I have hoped for the day that race didn''t matter and while I know we aren''t there, I think his nomination would be a sign of movement in the right direction.

Your statement that pubs would try to lynch speaks more about you than the pubs. I go to a church that is very conservative where about 20% of the members are black and interracial couples. Most I assume are pubs. black members are in important positions and we had a black head pastor for a period of time. so quit the stereotyping

[alanrobisch]

The endorsement will probably do more harm to Winfrey''''s image than Obama''''s. But she can afford it. He can''''t. So in the long run, suprisingly, her endorsement won''''t make any difference in Obama''''s success or failure.

I wonder if tylenol6 would have made the "puppy" comment if the endorsement had been for Romney, Rudy, or the Huckster?

Posted by Quatrops at 09:02 AM : Dec 09, 2007

Lets get this straight you back Hilary and don''t like the idea that a person respected by many americans has come to back her opponent. Somehow you think that a person of stature such as hers should not back a candidate. Why? It seems to me that it will hurt neither of them and in the short run may help Obama to get more people out to pay attention to what he has to say.

Your comments seems like sour grapes to me. Hilary has her own coterie of Hollywood supporters such as Babara Streisand. Would you be critical of Barbara if she made campaign visits to encourage people to vote for Hilary? I doubt it.

i think that those who see her support of Obama as a bad thing are just upset because it might hurt their candidate.

[quatrops]

A well-written article that touched on, I think, all the important points. Williams'' observation that this is atypical of the usual "celebrity" endorsement is a key issue, an example of which might be the sneer from tylenol6 @ 3:39. I expect we''ll see a great deal of that snottiness.

There are, probably, many Oprah fans who feel that her appeal is too universal for her to endorse ANY candidate. This will be particularly true of those who, to this point, were leaning towards Clinton. They may have, as the campaign and debates progressed, switched their support to Obama based on healthy, spirited debate exchanges. But their current resentment of Oprah''s endorsement won''t allow them to see the debates with an open mind.

The endorsement will probably do more harm to Winfrey''s image than Obama''s. But she can afford it. He can''t. So in the long run, suprisingly, her endorsement won''t make any difference in Obama''s success or failure.

I wonder if tylenol6 would have made the "puppy" comment if the endorsement had been for Romney, Rudy, or the Huckster?

[frb01]

If the country as a whole really wants to take a try at change, he is the one. He has not been in politics long enough to have reached the level of taint. He would be approaching the race issues which are an open wound in this country from a different approach, and the list goes on and on. Having Oprah campaign for him is no different than having celebrities campaign for other candidates in the past, her star just shines a little brighter.

[tylenol6]

You have to wonder how Obama likes being Oprah''s poodle.

[doctor--o]

As unfortunate as it is, running for president is not much different than running for student council in middle school; pure popularity and name recognition. Winfrey can make that name recognition happen like no one else today. She can make popularity happen like no one else today. Personally I think this is a good thing because politically I am in that spectrum.

If Obama comes out on top in the Democratic field... watch out. That''s when the ''evil'' will inevitably come bubbling up from the twisted bowels of the extreme right(the contemporary Republican Party).Is Oprah Winfrey, never mind Barack Obama, big enough to stand up to the modern equivalent of seemingly sophisticated lynch mobs? I hope so.