Gay Marriage Debate: Is Dr. Cornel West Pointing Out the Hypocrisy in the Black Community?
Friday, May 18, 2012 at 10:30AM 
By EEW Magazine News Staff
Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley have been vilified in the black community because of their vocal criticism of President Obama’s handling of black America and our nations’ poorest citizens—often one and the same. But with Obama’s controversial move to support gay marriage, the very ones who scolded West and Smiley are shifting their position.
Before you roll your eyes and click away from this article, you must admit that Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley have been marginalized and labeled “haters” by many for speaking the truth as they see it. During the period when Obama’s approval ratings were much higher than they are now, West and Smiley were not viewing his administration through rose-colored glasses like a majority of blacks. And when the two outspoken intellectuals spoke less-than-flattering truths about certain aspects of our first black president’s leadership, they were mauled by black leaders.
“You know the irony though brother, is that he’s gonna now get more critics from black America who oppose same sex marriage,” West pointed out to Smiley during a broadcast of the “Smiley & West” radio show. “And so they were saying, well, Smiley and West been out there criticizing the [president]. We demonized them for doing that. Now we’re gonna criticize him because he’s violating one of our views about how marriage ought to be between a man and a woman instead of same-sex marriage.”
Like him or not, Dr. Cornel West is speaking truth there.
Now that millions of black Christians are openly scolding Obama, saying he got it wrong on same-sex marriage, it belies the harsh criticism of Dr. West and Smiley, and reveals some hypocrisy within our community, doesn’t it?
West, who is not in opposition to Obama’s announcement of his support for gay marriage—he actually views it as a positive move in the affirmation of the humanity of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders—believes the gay marriage controversy will encourage more blacks to criticize the president when he is deserving of it. “And that’s actually gonna be a kind of opening and free some black folk up and say why don’t you just speak your minds. Why don’t you just speak your minds and deal with some of the suffering in black America and hope that the president would be able to be as bold in talking about the suffering of black people…”
Tavis Smiley says of the president, “He seems to allow himself to be pushed by every constituency accept African Americans.” And when it comes to the gay marriage issue, Smiley definitively states, “The president is gonna lose some support.”
What are your thoughts? Have Dr. Cornel West and Tavis Smiley taken an unfair battering in the media? Do you think the criticism from black America about Obama’s support for gay marriage underscores the hypocritical nature of the criticism aimed at West and Smiley?
Share your thoughts with EEW Magazine.
Reader Comments (6)
I can't hate. He's telling the truth. I think it has taken longer for the public to come around and really begin seeing Obama for who he is. But our eyes are wide open now.
The gay marriage issue is going to change a lot of people's minds about Obama if they are against it. That is to be expected. I think it is human nature to want to protect those you love and approve of, and in the eyes of people who saw Obama as being unscathed and untouchable, they didn't want anybody putting their mouth on him. I USED to be in that club. But it wasn't just the gay marriage that changed my mind, although I have to be honest that that was the final straw for me, but long before that I had issues with his handling of the economy.
I still think they are haters! They have been on Obama ever since he took office. These two need to come off it, really. They always find something negative, never positive to say. That's what I don't like about these two!
I have been personally saying this same thing for a few years now. It doesn't make sense to me that these two men get DOGGED all the time just for saying how they feel. Now the shoe is on the other foot and everybody wants to jump on the bandwagon. That's not fair. People owe these two some apologies
I have always supported Cornel West and Tavis Smiley. The truth of the matter they speak.
I think Cornel West and Tavis are a cut above the rest. They are bold and speak the truth.