Taking Care of Washington

Abstract

In December of 2000, almost a decade before Barack Obama became first AfricanAmerican president of United States, igniting a barrage of postrace discussions, W Bush made history when he appointed Condoleezza Rice to post of National Security Advisor for his incoming administration. Never before had an African American or a woman held position; by holding it, Rice, who was both, became one of most powerful people in world politics. In 2005 when Rice ascended to position of secretary of state, again as first black woman to hold post, history was made once more. Furthermore, Rice joined most diverse administration to that point in US history with more women and minority appointments than any previous administration. That these were all accomplishments of a staunchly conservative Republican was an irony lost on few. After all, according to Angela Dillard, current conservative ideology in America rests on belief that entire genre of pc-isms is holding country back and that the way out of our present morass entails depoliticizing race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and to some extent, class in public arena (19). Although conservatives acknowledge that both racism and sexism were potent problems in past, they hold firmly to conviction that these troubles have been overcome. While more than willing to take credit for appointing both Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell to historic positions of power, according to Clarence Lusane, George W Bush and those in his administration responsible for addressing issues of inclusion and bigotry embraced position that except for a few individual cases and a few individual miscreants racism had been overcome (2-3). Similarly, in terms specific to Rice, Lusane states, the administration argues that like race, gender bias was not and is not a factor in how Rice is treated or engaged (9). Rice herself, also agrees to this mantra, contending that she has not only been accepted on relatively equal terms with her white male counterparts, but that discussion of gender bias degrades her achievements. She is unequivocal that she should be evaluated solely on her merits sans gender considerations (Lusane 9). The notion of meritocracy where all are judged solely on individual merit is essence of American Dream; it is a noble goal. Proclaiming its arrival is however, premature. While conservatives claim America has reached a state of race and gender transcendence, this article argues that same old archetypes, in a slightly modernized fashion still reign. One of most effective ways to discern these archetypes is through study of mass media. As K. Sue Jewell has noted, the mass media play an important role in maintaining a social hierarchy of discrimination as they are chief vehicles by which ideology is transmitted through information and imagery (ix). In addition, Patricia Hill Collins has stated that, the media has generated class-specific images of Black women that help justify and shape new racism of desegregated, color-blind (147). For both Jewel and Hill Collins, along with other contemporary race theorists, one of reigning archetypal images in mass media is that of mammy. The original incarnation of mammy as asexual, subservient, ever-happy housemaid, who served because of her devotion and loyalty to, as well as her affection for, her white family is now widely understood as an attempt by white Southerners to justify exploitation of slavery. However, as Micki McElya poignantly stated in her recent book on subject, romanticized narratives of slavery and black fidelity to white masters proliferated long after emancipation because they served a wide range of emotional, economic, and political needs for white and black Americans (13), and, following study suggests, they continue to proliferate for this same reason. Accordingly, this article explores how Condoleezza Rice was portrayed to American public through mainstream mass publication news magazines, arguing that while she may wish to be judged only on her own merits, story that is told of her through these publications is that of a modern-day mammy. …