Authentic Obama

Eugene Robinson (my favorite writer at the WP) wrote an excellent Op-Ed related to yesterday's post. You can get it here.

When I heard some were questioning Obama's "Blackness", I was forced to relive past feelings and thoughts regarding "Blackness." It reminded me of what I struggled against as a young and gifted African-American born into a family where educational excellence was not the norm. It reminded me of my own days of questioning who and what I was. It also reminded me that we are not yet ready for an African-American president. I wanted it to be true but how can we be when issues like this come up?

I think the media is making a bigger deal out of his Blackness than any Black person I know! Outside of Stanley Crouch and Cornell West, I have yet to hear anyone bring it up. I keep seeing stories questioning his Blackness - and how it is an issue in the Black community - but have yet to hear anyone that really thinks that way. Maybe it's just the people I know or listen to and read, but all are either already on board or wanting to know more about his views. For most "colored" voters, he will not get a free ride because of his race as they intend to make sure he's the "one" before endorsing him. His race is a bonus, but, in our Post-GWB world, issues matter more.

After posting about Barack being "too Black", I decided to ask my mostly-White playgroup how they felt. Most thought the idea of questioning his ethnicity or racial loyalty was ludicrous. But, one response sticks out in my mind. One lady, a native of Chicago, said people need to understand that he lives in Chitown's southside and that's why he attends a Black church. On the surface, this sounds like a logical explanation. But, if we dig deeper, it's the root of the problem. Why does this BLACK man have to explain the why's and what's regarding his church, friends, wife or anything else? Shouldn't the fact that he is, in fact, a Black man be enough? Did our forefathers allow their secret love children to be anything but Black? Are any of us African-Americans 100% Black? As I look around, most of us look much different than our assumed West African ancestors. Who are we to judge him? I think most of us would agree we are in no place to do that. Who is Biden, or anyone else, to say he's an abnormal Black man or question what an entire race feels about it?

Why did we think we were ready?!

In our racially-conscious society, any reminders of his race could be an issue. People like him because he talks about issues relevant to everyone and, sadly, anything that goes against the mainstream could hurt him as people start to question his loyalties. We tend to see things as "us" and "them" issues. To win, he has to walk a fine line and not lean towards either side. That seems impossible!

An article, published in Time magazine, sums this whole thing up well....

Obamania is rooted in the belief that 50 Cent, not Barack Obama, represents the real black America.

Back in the real world, Obama is married to a black woman. He goes to a black church. He's worked with poor people on the South Side of Chicago, and still lives there. That someone given the escape valve of biraciality would choose to be black, would see some beauty in his darker self and still care more about health care and public education than reparations and Confederate flags is just too much for many small-minded racists, both black and white, to comprehend.

Barack Obama's real problem isn't that he's too white — it's that he's too black.