It's Time for Congress to End Race-Based Caucuses

Reading the story this morning that the Congressional Black Caucus had insisted on the reprimand of Rep. Joe Wilson got me to thinking about the whole issue of race-based caucuses in Congress. Why do they still exist? Why would Congress in this enlightened post-racial age allow segregated political units to continue?

There's a Congressional Black Caucus, a Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Of course, there is no Congressional White Caucus since anyone who suggested starting or joining one would instantly be denounced as a racist.

In theory, race-based caucuses are supposed to help in dealing with issues related to specific minority groups. In reality, they're segregated social clubs. Steve Cohen is a Democrat congressman who represents a Tennessee district with a large African-American population. Cohen wanted to join the Congressional Black Caucus in order to better serve his constituents but Cohen had a problem - he's white and Jewish. This 2007 story tells what happened:

As a white liberal running in a majority African American district, Tennessee Democrat Stephen I. Cohen made a novel pledge on the campaign trail last year: If elected, he would seek to become the first white member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Now that he's a freshman in Congress, Cohen has changed his plans. He said he has dropped his bid after several current and former caucus members made it clear to him that whites need not apply.

"I think they're real happy I'm not going to join," said Cohen, who succeeded Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn., in the Memphis district. "It's their caucus and they do things their way. You don't force your way in. You need to be invited."

Cohen said he became convinced that joining the caucus would be "a social faux pas" after seeing news reports that former Rep. William Lacy Clay Sr., D-Mo., a co-founder of the caucus, had circulated a memo telling members it was "critical" that the group remain "exclusively African-American."

Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr., a member of the caucus had this to say about Cohen's request to join:

"Mr. Cohen asked for admission, and he got his answer. He's white and the Caucus is black. It's time to move on. We have racial policies to pursue and we are pursuing them, as Mr. Cohen has learned. It's an unwritten rule. It's understood."

The members of the Augusta National Golf Club at one time thought it was "critical" that their membership remain white. That was rightfully considered racist and they have since integrated. Why is the Congressional Black Caucus not considered equally racist? Why does Congress promote and support race-based social clubs?

We're never going to eliminate race as an issue in our society until our leaders eliminate race as a basis for inclusion into specific groups. Rep. Tom Tancredo tried to get the attention of his colleagues in 2007:

"It is utterly hypocritical for Congress to extol the virtues of a color-blind society while officially sanctioning caucuses that are based solely on race. If we are serious about achieving the goal of a colorblind society, Congress should lead by example and end these divisive, race-based caucuses."

It's time for Congress, and specifically Republicans, to aggressively call for an end to race-based caucuses, and keep calling for it until it happens.