When nursery rhymes get racist

I don't consider myself to be a racist. I teach 130 inner-city students on a daily basis, so even if I am a racist I'll have a serious race card to throw back at your accusation.

That being said, what the fuck was that at the end of Rev. Lowry's Benediction today during the Inaugural Ceremony? I've italicized the part I found particularly distasteful:

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

So, first and foremost - - what's with the rhyming? This is the inauguration of the President of the United States of America and you're reciting sing-songy rhymes?

Furthermore, this is the inauguration of the first black president (in case you haven't heard) and the benediction is being read by a Civil Rights leader who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King. This is the best you have? MLK had a dream and you have thinly-veiled, racially charged nursery rhymes?

And finally, let's paraphrase the part in italics to really drive this point home.

When black will not be asked to get in the back - - absolutely. Great point. I'll be bold and tell you that I think separate but equal is just plain wrong. But I think we dealt with this from a legal standpoint decades ago. Not saying everything's cool now, but I don't think we still ask black to get in the back do we?

When brown can stick around - - I'm not really sure I get this. I'm guessing this might mean let's stop deporting illegal Mexican immigrants? Either way, that sounds like a bad idea and you hurt your meaning by forcing the rhyme.

When yellow will be mellow - - are we somehow forcing Asian people to stress out? Are they forcing themselves? Why do they need to mellow out? Have they gotten too worried about bird flu? Does global warming seem all too menacing? Are they worried Jack Bauer is coming back for them? What's wrong with the Asians?!

When the red man can get ahead man - - not a bad point. We probably still owe the "red men" (please don't tell the NCAA I just said that). But I still owe Mohegan Sun. Let's call it even.

And when white will embrace what is right - - Oh of course! It's alright guys, we're gonna pin this one of the white people, continue to go about your business. Nothing to see here! And what's with the phrasing? How come every other color is getting a leg up here from the Almighty and whites get stuck with another boring responsibility?

This seems like rhymey bullshit to me.