From The Spook
Who Sat By The Door
To The Rich White Man In The Room

Lynn Swann, pro football Hall of Famer and current Republican candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania was referred to as “the rich white guy in this campaign” by opponent Bill Scranton’s campaign manager, James Seif during an interview of candidates on Pennsylvania’s Government Access Cable channel PCN on Thursday, January 26, 2006. “The rich white man in the room”. Candidate Scranton, a former lieutenant governor who is white, comes from a wealthy family.

The statement caught me off guard. I did not know what Seif could have meant by the statement. Was he saying that Swann, because of his wealth and/or stature, wasn’t a real black man? Nah…That wasn’t it. The remark was made because Swann is black. It was just the opposite. Seif’s remark was not a term of endearment or one of inclusion for Swann. This was a racial slur towards Swan and African Americans of wealth and stature. It was about old money versus new money. Prominence versus provenance. It’s about how no matter how high a black man climbs in this society he is never completely accepted by those he may feel that he has assimilated with. Nor has he associated himself with the ilk of people who look beyond color. The common term is “color blind”. The term should be something more positive like “diversity astute”, rather than one that incorporates a term generally used to describe an impairment or disability. The problem is peoples’ inability to recognize and appreciate differences. But, I digress. The ease of which the term was used indicates to me that this is how some rich white people refer to rich African Americans. In this case, rich white Republican men.

Scranton immediately fired Seif and issued an apology to Swann and the viewers.

As we sat at the Urban Round Table and discussed this issue, it became very clear, that “The Rich White Man In The Room” was not a compliment. It was code. It was vernacular trickery… for “uppity nigger”.