What Obama’s win really means

Now let’s assume Obama wins the nomination and shoot, goes on to be the next President. What do you think would happen to the civil rights–donor–industrial complex? I am not sure but I think along the way, it will be increasingly difficult for Black “leaders” that came out early for other candidates to 1) go negative against Obama like Andrew Young, who claimed that Bill is blacker than Obama and 2) making the transition to supporting Obama if and when he wins the nomination. My hope is that Obama’s candidacy will bring young folks out the shadows and fill in leadership vacuums by doing real work.

There is a new generation of young Black leaders like Melvin Carter out of Minnesota who like Garlin and Steve are dynamic and everyday, they are winning many of life’s Iowa caucuses; doing what was once thought impossible and doing it big. The people I just mentioned are emblematic of folks I know whose excellence is acknowledged by people of all races and backgrounds and they can appreciate the excellence in others in a way that does not compromises their integrity or commitment to Black people. I remember reading about how Chris Rock said in a show that (I am paraphrasing) “Obama is running like he is not the Black candidate, he’s running like he can win this thing fair and square.” That quote is the most on point analysis of I think Obama’s campaign and the younger crop of Black folks coming up who are not caught up on the nostalgia of being the first but are more concerned with being first.

I am proud of Obama because I think about how during slavery, our ancestors would agonize raising their innocent children, knowing that one day, their children would be treated like property, beat, raped, and left to die like a dog. This fear still exists to this day as parents pray that their children can get a good education so they can realize their dreams. Obama to me represents the sacred innocence (so often taken for granted) that you can be what you want to be in a country whose sordid history with Black people is systematically unjust.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

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