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Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous
yes and no. it will become a meaningless thing as time progresses, however at this point, there is still an immense gap of inequality, socially and politically which creates a distinction, both historically and today and into the future.
If people quickly forget that Barack Obama is a black man first, a multi-ethnic American second, they will deny the very achievement of changing the face of american politics to begin with by empowering a black president. If Obama's sister is 'asian' and his mom is 'white' that is fine for them, but Barack has lived his life as black man, in America and in the world, and that has a particular experience which must be told. To literally white wash it behind a "race doesn't count" nonsense defeats the whole accomplishment of this thing, which equalization. By giving a black face to the chief executive, you are telling the rest of America that black people are Americans too, not just second-class Americans, but an intergral part of the ever expanding American fabric.
So, it is crucially important the Barack Obama be continually acknowledged as a black man, and in this regard, it will make all of America conscious of black people, because the bigotry, racism and also just indifference and inexperience of many Americans of all races and backgrounds causes them to generally ignore the black experience to the overall American experience, and these things are one and the same.
There is far too much history to just gloss over Barack Obama's race, and to ignore his black identity is to continue to deny the past and effect more of the same 'half the story' history and politics in America.
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in this cracka ass country NO ONE will forget Obama is BLACK. what Obama says, and what I say, is that apart from historical value, his "blackness" is a MOOT POINT. it does not matter as to his job, or what he has to do, or what his decisions may be.
I would much rather think of him, and have evreyone think of him, as the first president in 120 years with a constitutional law background.
that to me is more meaningful than whether he has high levels of melanin in his skin.