by Anita S. Lane
He is African. He is American. He is black. He is white. He was raised in Hawaii. He was raised in Indonesia. He is Barack Obama, and he wants to become America’s president.
As a bi-racial boy raised by his white mother and grand parents, Barack Obama found himself engaged in a fierce, heart-wrenching battle to unearth who he was, and find his place in America. He had to come to grips with the fact that although he saw himself as Barack, society saw him as black. Worst of all, Barack had no idea what it meant to be black—thus launching his long, inner battle in search of self.
Fortunately, the man who emerged from that battle is the man we see today. A man who is confident and compassionate. A man who can relate to individuals from all races and cultures. And a man—although he does not have to say it—who is both black, and white.
This truth, I believe, is what makes this man and his message so powerful. Obama connects with people because he understands people. He can reach across the isle because he grew up on an Island in Hawaii, and he spent four years of his life living in Djakarta and speaking Indonesian. If anyone in this current presidential race has the ability to understand and relate to more individuals from all walks of life, it is indeed Barack Obama.
No, he doesn’t have 20 years of experience in Washington, but even former Democratic Senator Tom Daschle said recently that while experience is important, one cannot discount life experience. He also implied that electing Obama would be good for foreign relations when stated, "I don't know what would be more transformational than the inauguration of a president who looks like 80 percent of the rest of the world."
America’s sordid relationship between slave and free—black and white—America does not allow individuals in America the luxury of defining themselves as they see themselves, but only as those in power—and I dare say even the powerful media—see them. And for those, who for sinister purposes, wish to define Barack Obama—they define him as simply a “black man,” hoping to conjure up any and every negative preconceived notion and stereotype that one could have about a black man—thus hoping to disqualify him for the highest office in the land.
However, being raised by a white mother and white grand-parents, Barack Obama was not raised to be a “black man in America—” as he might have if he had been born to two black parents. Obama was raised simply to be a man in America. And that mindset bodes well for Obama.
You see, Obama appeals to white America. Why? Because he truly understands how white Americans think—particularly liberal ones. After all, he was raised by white Americans. Thus, it is no surprise that Obama does exceedingly well in overwhelmingly white states. When liberal white Americans listen to Barack Obama, they don’t hear “a black man” they hear a man who sounds like them. Apart from the permanent tan and slightly coarser-than-average-white-person hair, Barack is in many ways—white.
So when we hear that Barack out performs Hillary in areas like Iowa, Utah, North Dakota, Nebraska and Washington State, let’s remember that it is the media that portrays Barack as a “black man.” But to those who hear him speak, watch him campaign, and those who are fortunate enough to experience Obama face-to-face, it’s clear that they do not see a black man. They see a man who’s passionate about making America better—for all Americans. They see a man—although he is black and white—who doesn’t see America as black and white. He simply sees America.
One thing is clear. Obama never intended to run a race based on race. He never intended to keep separate tallies of his white vote or his black vote—his Latino vote or his Asian vote. And amazingly, it didn’t appear to bother him that even before the first primary was held, black voters were hesitant to throw their support behind him until they knew that white voters would actually vote for him. I found it endearing that he didn’t seem to hold that against the black community.
You see, Barack Obama understands the complex nature of race in America—and the role that it plays in our society and our politics. He understands it. He just never intended to play by its rules.
He is African. He is American. He is black. He is white. He was raised in Hawaii. He was raised in Indonesia. He is Barack Obama, and he wants to become America’s president.
As a bi-racial boy raised by his white mother and grand parents, Barack Obama found himself engaged in a fierce, heart-wrenching battle to unearth who he was, and find his place in America. He had to come to grips with the fact that although he saw himself as Barack, society saw him as black. Worst of all, Barack had no idea what it meant to be black—thus launching his long, inner battle in search of self.
Fortunately, the man who emerged from that battle is the man we see today. A man who is confident and compassionate. A man who can relate to individuals from all races and cultures. And a man—although he does not have to say it—who is both black, and white.
This truth, I believe, is what makes this man and his message so powerful. Obama connects with people because he understands people. He can reach across the isle because he grew up on an Island in Hawaii, and he spent four years of his life living in Djakarta and speaking Indonesian. If anyone in this current presidential race has the ability to understand and relate to more individuals from all walks of life, it is indeed Barack Obama.
No, he doesn’t have 20 years of experience in Washington, but even former Democratic Senator Tom Daschle said recently that while experience is important, one cannot discount life experience. He also implied that electing Obama would be good for foreign relations when stated, "I don't know what would be more transformational than the inauguration of a president who looks like 80 percent of the rest of the world."
America’s sordid relationship between slave and free—black and white—America does not allow individuals in America the luxury of defining themselves as they see themselves, but only as those in power—and I dare say even the powerful media—see them. And for those, who for sinister purposes, wish to define Barack Obama—they define him as simply a “black man,” hoping to conjure up any and every negative preconceived notion and stereotype that one could have about a black man—thus hoping to disqualify him for the highest office in the land.
However, being raised by a white mother and white grand-parents, Barack Obama was not raised to be a “black man in America—” as he might have if he had been born to two black parents. Obama was raised simply to be a man in America. And that mindset bodes well for Obama.
You see, Obama appeals to white America. Why? Because he truly understands how white Americans think—particularly liberal ones. After all, he was raised by white Americans. Thus, it is no surprise that Obama does exceedingly well in overwhelmingly white states. When liberal white Americans listen to Barack Obama, they don’t hear “a black man” they hear a man who sounds like them. Apart from the permanent tan and slightly coarser-than-average-white-person hair, Barack is in many ways—white.
So when we hear that Barack out performs Hillary in areas like Iowa, Utah, North Dakota, Nebraska and Washington State, let’s remember that it is the media that portrays Barack as a “black man.” But to those who hear him speak, watch him campaign, and those who are fortunate enough to experience Obama face-to-face, it’s clear that they do not see a black man. They see a man who’s passionate about making America better—for all Americans. They see a man—although he is black and white—who doesn’t see America as black and white. He simply sees America.
One thing is clear. Obama never intended to run a race based on race. He never intended to keep separate tallies of his white vote or his black vote—his Latino vote or his Asian vote. And amazingly, it didn’t appear to bother him that even before the first primary was held, black voters were hesitant to throw their support behind him until they knew that white voters would actually vote for him. I found it endearing that he didn’t seem to hold that against the black community.
You see, Barack Obama understands the complex nature of race in America—and the role that it plays in our society and our politics. He understands it. He just never intended to play by its rules.
Copyright ©2008 by Anita S. Lane
Visit my online family magazine http://keepingfamilyfirst.org
Check out my new book, http://lessonsmytoddlertaughtme.com
Visit my online family magazine http://keepingfamilyfirst.org
Check out my new book, http://lessonsmytoddlertaughtme.com
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