This is an incredible feat and I believe Mr. Obama himself would find it difficult coming to terms with the imminence of his presidency and how quickly the star in him has risen to prominence. But what will an Obama victory mean to an average black man or woman living in America or anywhere in the world? What would it mean to the perception of being black by other races? How would the rest of the world perceive 21st century America?
It will be incomplete to discuss the present political reality of an Obama presidency without collectively highlighting the fact that just decades ago, African Americans could only fantasise seeing a black president. When Thomas Jefferson declared American independence in 1776, he saw no humanity in the black race. Although the U.S. Constitution proclaims that “all men are created equal”, slaves were counted as 60% of a free American. Although slavery was formally abolished in 1865, blacks remained enslaved, socially, economically and politically. By 1964, 99 years after the end of formal slavery, the U.S. outlawed segregation through a new impetus given to the efforts by Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights community that included a handful of white people.
However, in spite of a formal end to segregation, blacks remained plagued by their past, and in fact saw themselves in a de facto political, social and economic slavery. Many had witnessed the ravages of 'Jim Crow' laws in the South, violent lynchings, KKK brutalities and lack of opportunities. All these--more than anything else--soured relationship between whites and blacks, particularly as black people saw the economic development of America as somehow tied to their sweat and blood.
Presently, there are disproportionate numbers of young African Americans in jail compared to those in school or employed. African Americans are disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes, including the incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and other chronic conditions, which have been intrinsically linked to poverty and lack of genuine opportunities.
As the countdown to the U.S. election continues, many African Americans are doubtful that white people would elect a black man to lead the free world, but polls point to the opposite, and all indications are that America will on the 4th of November, 2008, produce its first black president. With the imminence of an Obama presidency, one would envisage better race relations in America. One would also imagine a young black person setting goals that were once a mirage. African Americans would have no better time to walk on the streets with their heads held up high with dignity and expectation of equality and respect. It may also change the perception of black people by whites as a resilient lot that has throughout the history of mankind achieved great feats.
It would imbue black children to believe that after all dreams do come true. Not only would a young black man imagine becoming a U.S. president, an Obama presidency would solidify his campaign slogan “Yes we can” within the black community. Young black men and women will come to the realisation that there is no greater stumbling block on their way to success than their own lack of determination to succeed. They would come to the realisation that if they can dream it, they could become it.
What this will mean to African Americans is better experienced than imagined. Whether white people vote for Obama in the name of racial solidarity, political expediency or economic imperative, will be judged by historians. Most Americans appear to be at the verge of swallowing an age-old unpalatable pill to hand the mantle of American presidency to a once rejected brick that may become the cornerstone of America’s future. Not only will blacks in America be thrilled, black people all over the world would jubilate. So far, it appears America is trying to mend fences and address centuries of disgrace brought about by slavery and racial discrimination.
Commenting for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Sir Ronald Sanders opined, “What Obama’s election will do more than anything else is to imbue in black Americans--and black people everywhere--a heightened sense of self worth and pride in themselves”. He continues that, “America as a society will be stronger and more cohesive--no more a society where black people, whose contribution to its development is soaked in blood, sweat and tears, are denied access to the ultimate levers of power”.
Obama himself appreciates the magnitude of the challenges and opportunities ahead. After clinching the Democratic Party nomination in June, Mr. Obama not only described the moment as “defining”, he stated, “I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations, but I also face with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people”. Beyond his oratory is a man with a deep conviction that America has been steered in the wrong direction for the past eight years by the Bush administration.
Beyond the good looks is a man whose popularity and exotic life story appears to have appealed to many Americans who see him as a bridge between the past and the future. If Obama wins on November 4, 2008, as the polls suggest, African Americans and black people all over the world have cause to believe that idiosyncratic perception of the black race by white people may be altered. It would not only mark a new beginning about the way Americans see themselves but also the way the world sees America.
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