By 9:50 p.m. on November 4, 2008, I was thoroughly exhausted. I had hoped for an early, quick and decisive victory for Senator Barack Obama during the presidential contest. It was not happening. Say what you will about red states, blue states, and grey states, electorates, I did not think I would have to wait. But it tooks some hours, before the evening news, for me to hear no way could Senator John McCain and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin capture the White House. By the time, the announcement was made that without a doubt, the first African-American would become President of the United States I was in a daze.
I woke up my daughter and told her there was no time for sleeping Obama is going to the White House. You need to hit the street. As she hit the street, she discovered to her surprise, raced white folks openly celebrating Obama victory on the streets of Washington without shame. But the number of African-Americans were must smaller during this historical event. I suggested they were probably hiding under their bed from fear of rioting, waiting on the fireworks as I laid in mine's..dazed.
A daze..with emotions that were undefinable. What did I feel? It was new, I believe I had never felt such a feeling before. Or it could have been a feeling that I have long buried and had forgot about. I was trying to wrestle with the feeling and worried had folks in America really elected an African-American, an African-American male into the White House?
I mean had these folks who would not identify themselves as an African-American but still pulled the lever for an African-American for us in the United States of America. Maybe it was for them, too. But it sure was a lot of us standing around with tears rolling down our faces if not quite like Rev.Jesse Jackson, Sr. face that blared at us from the television screen.
These folks not only pulled the lever for Senator Barack Obama but they stood in long lines, forget Bradley forget Crosby. These folks' voting finally had to decide to judge an African-American beyond his skin color and search their hearts, not Obama's heart but their hearts. The question, will my vote change history in America? The answer, yes it can.
These folks long trained in racial bias had to empty their heads and seek purpose based on a faith of change. These folks would have to blink on skin color and vote beyond the obvious skin color. These folks had to believe in something else beyond skin color.
I say beyond skin color, because Obama skin color clearly appeared to place him in the most despised group in America, African-Americans. But Obama born of a raced white Kansas bred mother and a Kenya father challenged these folks' belief in the founding fathers' Constitution. Obama simply reminded these folks that he was raised by his raced white grandparents. This visual image played with these folks sensory behavior and left them wondering is Obama representative of their values. Is Obama really one of them, on the raced white side?
Obama declared himself as an African-American but these folks saw him as a first generation child whom father was an immigrant, absence of the legacy of slavery. In other words, forget what Obama said about himself, how would they judge him. Moreover, Obama freed up folks who labeled themselves bi-racial to escape the black hole of total blackness so they could cast their vote for Obama without an explanation of blackness. These folks saw Obama embrace his raced white grandparents without shame and still claimed himself before the American people as an African-American.
Dang, Obama messed them up..and something inside of me has changed. I don't know what it means to have an African-American in the White House. I know I don't have to fear expressing myself anymore. I know, there is a quiet peace that is within me, that was never there before. I know that I lived to witness a day that I never even dreamed would happen in my lifetime or my children lifetime or my grandchildren lifetime..but it did.
America is on a path of change.
I never supported Barack Obama and it was on his platform only.
ReplyDeleteYou keep using the term RACED WHITE. Where are they? They are long gone and sadly the people that paid the price to get it done are long gone for the most part.
When Obama took to the stage in Chicago I do not recall a word he spoke. My mind was was back in the 60's and 70's thinking of the people (both black and white) that paid the dearest price anyone could, to make this day.
The shot of Rev. Jessie Jackson Sr. flashed on the screen and I felt for the guy. Obama would not be up there on the stage had it not been for some of the battles Rev. Jackson had waged. Yet, I think how quickly Obama tossed him under the bus. Much like so many others of other races had done before.
When Obama is sworn in and I see the family members representing those who made it all possible will then tell me we have finally made it. Not a token three or four representing the King and Kennedy families but also those whose names do not appear every day in print. That includes both black and white people.
JQ
ReplyDeleteRaced white is a term I've used often for those who get certain privileges because their skin color escapes being labeled African-American. I have several friends who are raced white and one who is raced white but like Obama identifies as an African-American.
I have written about Carol Channing, who is raced white but has declared in recent years that she is an African-American.
Second, I have often written about the foot soldiers who battled back in the 60s and some who remained in the trenches and never quit. Just the other day, I met an individual who spoke of their experience during the heat of the civil right battle in the 60.
Many like to pretend that we as African-Americans have overcome. We may have come a long ways, but we sure have not overcome raced white privilege.
Finally, power sometime has to be taken, when those who are corrupt and refuse to hand it over. Obama did what he had to do, in speaking truth to power..Jackson, that his time had come.
Jackson wavered, but his son didn't and that's the rest of the story.
Remember, I never said we made it..your words..I am still waiting to hear from women of great substance to represent me in the White House, the battle is not yet won.
Peace