Belafonte: ‘A Lot of the Hurdles and the Problems’ Obama’s Facing Due to Racists
RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
ZAKARIA: "What do you think of that? So I have friends in the entertainment industry who tell me, look, Hollywood is full of liberals. These guys have no problem nominating black people. This is just a couple of bad -- this is, you know, two bad years. This is not indicative of anything deeper."
BELAFONTE: "I don't think it's just two bad years. I think if you look at the spectrum of race relations in this country on all fronts, there is a regression. There is a reversal. If you take a look at the way in which the right wing movement in this country, voting districts. Look at employment records. You look at a lot of practices, black people are once again at the doorstep of a new wave of racist definitions and racist practices."
ZAKARIA: "So, you think things have gotten worse recently or kind of a backlash?"
BELAFONTE: "I think what we achieved in the civil rights movement to what we are now practicing as a nation, there is a reversal."
ZAKARIA: "Do you think that's because there's a black man in the White House?"
BELAFONTE: "I man in the White House has awakened a lot of dichotomies here. I think on the one hand, America took great pride in the fact that to a world that's saw us as a powerful force but a very reactionary force, the election of Obama sent another signal. But, it also awakens a right-wing energy because nobody really expected that we would have ever elected a black man to be president and when that reality was established, I think it shocked a lot of racist forces in this country. I think a lot of the hurdles and the problems that Obama has faced is really very much based upon the fact that there is a force in this country that no black man should ever be at the helm on this country."