Is too much or not enough being made of Sen. Barack Obama’s historic rise as the first African American presidential nominee of a major political party? His stunning wrestling of the Democratic nomination from early favorite Sen. Hillary Clinton has left
Certainly, it is a milestoneûregardless of what happens in the November general electionûthat will resonate henceforth as a watershed moment for a nation that rose to economic prominence on the backs of enslaved Africans and then declared their worth only three-fifths of a white person. Of course, the story does not stop there.
A price was paid, in the blood of Blacks and whites, in a civil war that ultimately freed the slaves but did not free much of white America of the racial hatred, Jim Crow laws, racial segregation and other racially-based disparities that continue to haunt our nation into the 21st century. But people of good willûagain people of all colorsûhave continued to press toward the mark.
And as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, the moral arc of the universe is long, but it points toward righteousness. So along comes Obama, this man who, in many ways, defies racial stereotypes even as he constructs a new paradigm of hope built on his mantra for “change.”
The son of an African father and a white mother from Kansas, raised by his white grandmother, he overcame a family breakup to obtain an Ivy League education and climb from community organizer to the threshold of becoming the most powerful leader in the world. For many older African Americans, Obama’s nominationûwhich will be formalized at the Democratic national convention this summerûhas brought them to tears of joy.
They are crying for fallen freedom fighters like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Medgar Evers, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and so many others. They are crying for the thousands of Americans who have been lynched because of the sickness of race hatred. They are crying because they thought they would never live to see this day.
But make no mistake, it is also a day white, brown and yellow Americans can embrace with pride. Indeed, millions of white Americans voted for Obama, more than have ever voted for a Black man in history. For the youngsters of today, particularly teenagers, Obama’s ascent may not seem as transformational because it has happened so early in their lives.
But it shows them that no bar or hurdle is too high to ascend if they have properly prepared for the ascent with education and moral integrity. Obama’s climb is not because he is half Black or half white. It is because he was loved, nurtured, challenged and given opportunityûessentials for anyone to succeed.
He has made his appeal as president for all Americans, not just African Americans. Obama’s nomination does not mean that racism is dead; it does not mean that there is no need for the NAACP; it does not mean that racial intolerance has been buried. In fact, his campaign faced a major challenge as he was “Blackenized” over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright affair and other efforts to somehow paint him as a candidate with an extremist racial agenda.
In the general election against Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, it is almost certain that some will still try to smudge him with that perception. That is because defining him strictly as a “Black candidate” plays to the lingering racial fears of some. This does not mean that Obama cannot be criticized for his policies like any other candidate.
Ultimately, being able to convincingly define his policies should be the yardstick by which he should be judged. Obama’s nomination does not mean King’s dream of racial equality has been achieved. There are still many inequities in education, employment, health and other social arenas that need to be addressed.
What it does mean, no matter what happens in November, is that our nation has taken a breathtaking step toward making that dream a reality. Yes, we can rejoice. Yes, we can take pride. But our work is not done.
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