The Great Black Hope
I hate to lay the responsibilities of a whole race, a whole culture in the hands of one man, but it seems that may be necessary for the rebirth of a nation. A black nation, who at a time, had more pride in themselves and their race than they were allowed to have. It is my prayer that this upcoming election will revive the pride that has, as of late, been so enthusiastically dormant in the lives of African Americans, children and men especially. It is an election of monumental proportions, a historical event that we have all been so blessed to witness.
Generations before us, are about to experience something they were told would and could never happen. The first black president! And now generations after us will live in a world where it seems the possibilities are limitless. Now, of course we are all excited, but what I hope will happen is that our pride will be resurrected in our communities and our children as they see the most feared image in America, a face that looks like theirs, the face of a Black man, in charge of the country in which they live, somewhat equivalent to the kingship he had acquired once before and has privately maintained for over 500 years.
But I must warn, don’t let the excitement fool you....
(cont’d 2/4/09)
What’s been bothering me the most as I have watched election and post inaugural coverage is the constant question that’s being raised. Has the American dream finally been fulfilled. It shocked and bothered me to see so many people, especially African Americans accepting that it has. In my opinion, the American dream has been recognized, but not fulfilled....not completely. And its dangerous for us to write it off so quickly that is has been. Why do I feel this way you ask? Well don’t get it twisted. Yes, America did elect a Black man as president. And yes, that is and was a very historically important event. Yes, it is a celebration of the advancement those before us fought and died for. No, they did not die in vain, because America did elect a Black president. They actually did it! But in my opinion they did it, out of desperation.
Under all the glitz and glamour of the initial shock, there is still a reality present. That reality? Well first off, look at his competition. There were only 2 options and while I’m not trying to take anything away from Obama, his presidency or his campaign, look at his competition. A deaf toad could have beaten that jackass of a running mate John McCain, not to mention his amusing sidekick Sarah Palin. Obama ran a near perfect campaign. McCain? Not so much. But the question we should be asking is, if Obama ran that same campaign 4yrs ago against Bush, or 12 yrs ago against Clinton, would he have won? Has America really changed that much?
Second, if Obama’s skin was a little darker, lets say like mine or maybe even of a Morris Chestnut, would he still have gotten elected, no matter how personable and articulate he is?
Finally, I see this election as of course, a huge step forward for Black folks, and it offers a huge opportunity to again prove and redeem ourselves to the nay-sayers. But why did it take the “Republicans” (a respectful term I’m using instead of the obvious), to run this country into the ground, and to start feeling the oppression and lack of economic stability that Black folks have grown accustomed to, to even consider ignoring a man’s race to place him in the most powerful position in the world, when they should have been doing it in the first place? Do you know what that means? That means that as the first Black President, not only does Obama have to pull a miracle out of his hat to save our land, but if he doesn’t do it, the spotlight will be on ALL of Black America!
So this time, more than any, is the time for us to come together, put all our differences aside, and make him OUR president. This is the time, for our men to start pulling up their pants, getting rid of the cornrows, getting on their grind the way they should be, and taking care of home. This is the time for our women to start raising their standards and demanding more respect than they’ve been given in recent years. Now of course we must understand that this man is not God. He is not OUR savior. He is a man, in charge of a country full of different kinds of men. He will work for everyone, not just us. But we have to have is back, through EVERYTHING.
Every night in my prayers, I pray for Obama, for his family, for his legacy and for this country. I pray for our future. I have as much faith in Obama as the next man. I want to see him succeed. I want to see him leave behind a legacy that is untouched by any president before or after him. I pray that this happens. And you have to pray too, and remain loyal because this man cannot do it on his own.
So, I’m just saying, in considering Obama, consider the Sankofa bird. It is expressed as a mythic bird whose face is always turned backwards (facing the past) that flies forward with an egg in its mouth (representing the future). Always remember your past. If not, you are destined to repeat it. Don’t let this event, make you forget that past. But allow it to take that past with us into an obviously promising future. Keep the faith ya’ll, cuz it’s that faith that got us here in the 1st place.
2 comments:
Great post! Couldn't have put it any better :)
I totally agree with the dream RECOGNIZED but not exactly fulfilled. We have taken a giant step forward but there is much work to do and too, many already do NOT have faith in Obama or in any of his plans. I appreciate that he's young and full of vigor. He'll need his energy because he's got to get his point across to the people and to the *set*in*their*old*ways* republicans. Hmmms.. VERY enlightening, Rissa!
Post a Comment