Are blacks allowed to criticize Obama?

Sharpton and others noted that Obama chose to commemorate the anniversary in Indiana, the same state where Robert F. Kennedy announced the news of Dr. King's assassination to a crowd of onlookers and pleaded for peace.

Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson, both former Democratic presidential candidates, surely understand the mechanics of the primary process. Indiana holds its presidential primary on May 6 and polls show Sen. Hillary Clinton with a slight lead over Obama in the state.

But the two civil rights leaders also understand the unique challenges faced by an African American presidential candidate. Although Sen. Clinton and Sen. John McCain both visited Memphis on Friday, Barack Obama was miles away in Indianapolis. The difference, of course, is that Clinton and McCain are not black.

For Obama to attend the event in Memphis would directly and visibly associate the candidate once again with the issue of race, especially after weeks spent discussing the issue in the context of the controversy over his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. By speaking about the issue to a mixed but mostly white audience in Indiana, the Illinois senator could once again attempt to focus his campaign on the issues instead of his own identity. 

No doubt, some civil rights leaders would have been delighted to see Sen. Obama visit the Lorraine Motel, just as John McCain did that day. But now that Obama has the nomination seemingly within his grasp, are some blacks becoming more protective of him and less likely to criticize him?

BlackVoices columnist Faye Anderson wrote that she was "bothered" that Obama "didn't bother to show up." In a piece posted after the anniversary, Anderson wrote: "Dr. King paid the ultimate sacrifice so that African Americans could get to the 'mountaintop' but Obama could not sacrifice a few hours of campaigning."

Anderson's critics responded on her blog post. "Faye Anderson is nothing more than a Hilary Clinton supporter," wrote one. "John McCain and Hilary Clinton went to Memphis to do nothing more than give a politico speech."

"Rather than the attack on Barack Obama I feel we should question two other figures in this Election Race, did they try to use the memory of The Great Man The Rev Martin Luther King Jr as a PR Vehicle for their own Political interests," wrote another critic of Anderson's.

Princeton professor Cornel West was also concerned by Obama's absence. "I want to say that I'm deeply disappointed that my dear brother Barack Obama decided not to go pay tribute and lay his wreath for the great Martin Luther King, Jr.," West wrote.

Although West is an Obama supporter and understands the politics behind the candidate's decision, he still disagreed with the decision. Dr. King's message, he said, is not "reducible to political calculations, even for the campaign for presidency" and "can in no way be subject to strategies for access to political power."

But for every criticism of Obama by a prominent black public figure, there seems to be some sort of backlash. The reaction to Cornel West was no exception to the rule.

"My prayer for you Dr. West is that you humble yourself and come down off your judgmental high horse and walk with us common folk who are experiencing a transforming moment in the history of America," wrote one critic, identified online as Rev. Holmes. "Stop your ego (edging out God) from getting in the way and you will see the bigger picture," said the writer.

"Dr. West, I have long admired the brilliant creativity of your thinking for many years, but in my humble opinion you are WAY, WAY, WAY off the mark with this one," wrote another commenter.

"So, Dr. West, let me get this straight," wrote a third critic. "[Y]ou are concerned that a black man who is the Democratic front-runner for the highest office in our country and is promoting change didn't go back to the site where another high black figure who also promoted change was assassinated?"

A fourth critic chimed in, "[I]'d like to share my 'deep disappointment' in my 'dear brother' [C]ornel [W]est. [I]t seems that [B]arack [O]bama's successful [W]hite [H]ouse run is making many so-called black leaders and intellectuals go a little insane. [T]his article was completely unnecessary, and woefully short-sighted. not to mention petty as all get-out!"

The brief two-paragraph post by Cornel West elicited more than 1200 comments on the Huffington Post web site, many of them defending Obama and criticizing West.

Something similar happened to Tavis Smiley when he challenged Sen. Barack Obama for not attending an annual "State of the Black Union" event he moderated in New Orleans two months ago. As a result of his criticism, the talk show host was chastened by African Americans who accused him of hurting Obama's chances to win the presidency.

Writing in the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday, columnist Laura Washington accused Smiley of being out of touch after he made a recent comment criticizing Obama for failing to defend Rev. Jeremiah Wright. "This spokesman for black America is edging out onto a precarious limb," she wrote. "His attacks on Obama are alienating his base. PBS and his multitude of corporate benefactors didn't hire him to weave conspiracy theories and pick fights with natural allies."

It's not just black pundits who are on the firing lines. Black politicians have also been questioned, especially those who support Sen. Clinton's campaign. Some black members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been called "traitors" for supporting Clinton and others, like Rep. John Lewis, have been pressured to switch their votes to Obama.

Since most black congressional districts have voted for Obama during the campaign season, black representatives who supported Clinton have been struggling to explain their support to their own constituents.

Given the chance to elect the first black president, why would some black leaders decline to support him? The black community is not monolithic, say some black Obama detractors.  In addition, some Clinton backers note that they have longstanding ties to the Clintons and they don't know Obama as well.

Some of the criticism against Obama has been particularly harsh. BET founder Bob Johnson had to apologize to Obama after he criticized the senator at a Clinton rally. "As an African-American, I am frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Hillary and Bill Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues since Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood -­ and I won't say what he was doing, but he said it in the book -­ when they have been involved," said Johnson.

'Bill Clinton "is every bit as black as Barack," said former Atlanta mayor and civil rights icon Andrew Young back in February. "'He's probably gone with more black women than Barack," said Young. The former U.N. Ambassador diplomatically explained that he was just "clowning," but his remarks opened him up to criticism. 

Some Obama defenders online raise a number of theories to explain why prominent blacks have gone "off the reservation." Jealousy, envy and ego often seem to top the list. But can it really be that simple?

Given the current political climate, those who analyze race in America will be watching to see if anyone black can criticize Barack Obama without being roundly criticized for doing so.