Black Love for Obama is Only a Recent Phenomenon

As just over half the nation prepares for Tuesday’s Obamagasm, blacks will celebrate the inauguration of the nation’s first (half) black President. The love affair from blacks like Peggy Joseph is still relatively fresh. Black love for Barack Obama is a recent phenomenon.

Long forgotten is Marjorie Valbrun’s Washington Post Article titled Black Like Me? In less than 24 months, blacks have gone from asking if Obama is black enough to celebrating his blackness. One must wonder how deep their loyalty is to the chosen one, especially if the government fails to deliver on the expectations of blacks like Peggy Joseph.

Valburn writes: What does it mean to be black, and who is the arbiter of authentic blackness? As Sen. Barack Obama’s “blackness” has increasingly been discussed on black-oriented radio shows, at political conferences, and on Sunday morning news shows, I’ve grown more dismayed by the day.

Her article reminds us that black loyalty may not be as thick as slave blood in the black community. Blacks claim that Obama wasn’t a real black because he wasn’t born of slave blood. He had a white mother. Obama doesn’t understand what it means to be a black man because he wasn’t brought up understanding the slave heritage of other blacks in the country.

Does anyone else see the double standard in this statement? Let me lightly touch on it and get back to the main point. Valbrun accuses Obama of not being black enough because he doesn’t have slave blood; yet, the consensus among prominent black leaders is that I am supposed to apologize for slavery because I am white. Who cares that I am only a second and third generation American. My ancestors moved from England to the States many years after the Emancipation Proclamation and never promised anyone 40 acres and a mule.

We discover in Valbrun’s article there is not only a divide in this country (established by the Democrats, not Valbrun’s opinion) that separates blacks from whites. We learn blacks are divided within themselves on the issue of whether you are black enough by the amount of slave blood.

It’s no wonder little progress has been made within the black community even with all the civil rights legislation and now the Presidency. They are too busy arguing over injustices that took place nearly 150 years ago. You can only play the victim card so long before the card wears out. On November 4, 2008, the card wore out. This thinking has promoted Flavor Flav, 50 Cent, Snoop Dog, and Tupac over the real successes of Booker T. Washington and Clarence Thomas. It’s no wonder so many blacks cry at night for the loss of their sons and daughters to gang-related violence in the cities. Traditional black leaders celebrate the ignorance of urban blacks. It keeps Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton in power. Let’s hope Obama can lift these people up with attitude not further entitlements. That’s a fine racial line he must walk. Knowing that this new found love for Obama is fragile, I don’t expect any miracles and doubt I see any real progress.

In February 2008, Princeton professor Cornel West criticized the manner in which Obama announced his candidacy and argued that Obama was not speaking forcefully enough about the issue of race in this country. Since then West jumped on the Obama bandwagon, and writes favorably of the President elect. Will he jump off if Obama fails to make race relations a major issue in his administration. This is obvious another danger Obama will juggle with blacks. Judging from the whiteness of Obama’s cabinet, I wonder how long it will be until the traditional black leadership exposes Obama’s half white in their discontent.

Blacks are infamous for kicking ‘Uncle Toms’ out of the brotherhood. Clarence Thomas provides little pride to the black community regardless of his contributions to black history. One could argue Bill Cosby was out, but he is working hard to get back in in recent days. Loyalty is essential in the brotherhood; although there is much confusion in the brotherhood about who has their best interests. Jessie Jackson comes to mind first.

We know Reverend Jackson hates Obama stole his spotlight. He’s gone from wanting to cut off the presidential member to crying puppy dog tears in Grant Park after it was clear John McCain’s earmark speeches didn’t rally the Republican base. It should be interesting watching Jackson search for the spotlight the next four years. We already know Obama throws his black friends like Jeremiah Wright to the side. What is Obama willing to do to keep Jackson’s mouth shut? Obama’s walk of the racial tightrope will prove a distraction to more important issues like terrorism.

How much of Obama’s ear will Jackson have anyway? Obama needs to distance himself from their first scandal–Blagojegate. Obviously Rahm Emanuel’s name continually comes up with Governor Rod Blagojevich’s scandal. The Obama adminstration hopes quickly Senate seat for sale stories go away. One problem: Jessie Jackson’s son may be as guilty as the Governor. We will never know for sure, but it does set up immediate tension between Obama and Jackson. If Jackson fails to have access to the White House, how much of a stink will he cause in the black community?

Obama’s curse is the Democrats have constantly pandered the black community with entitlements for the exchange of their votes. Blacks expect Obama to keep his hand extended with new entitlements, which we can be assured will happen. As Obama realizes the limits of government spending and hopefully acts responsible, real blacks may feel robbed of not getting enough. We may soon find out how long this new love affair lasts.

Related Video Search

Category: Society