Dimensions of Black |
| Written by Bintu Musa | Share on Facebook |
| Thursday, 21 February 2008 | |
 On an ordinary day at work, I checked my email and read some of the AOL news stories being featured. I came across the headline that would be one of my many inspirations for this article. “CNN journeys to Obama’s Homeland.” Of course I was curious to see just what this feature would cover and how it would be covered. After all, Barack Obama is one of the “hottest things happening.” He has taken the political scene by storm in his quest for the White House.  The journalist covering this journey back to the homeland visited a small village in Kenya, where Obama’s grandmother still lives today with his uncle. The cement-built house where she lives reminded me of the home my own grandmother lived in. Anyway, the journalist asked questions about how Barack Obama was growing up. His grandmother says that his first trip back to Kenya was when he was 21. They show a picture of him helping his grandmother out with some work outside. His father, Barack Obama, Sr. is buried in the back of the home. She says that she knows her grandson would make an excellent President. Apparently, people believe that all across America as he has had success in the primaries across several states. Obama, who was born in Hawaii and has African and German blood lines, is not the first black presidential candidate, however, in my opinion, he has the most chance of actually becoming America’s next president, America’s first black president and possibly one of America’s best presidents. I walked into a room at my office where my co-workers were discussing Obama’s candidacy. I wished I had waited a few more minutes before entering a room full of ignorant and highly offensive statements. One person thought that Obama did not really stand a chance against Hillary Clinton and that he was just being led on only to be defeated at the end of the road. Another argued that Obama should not win for his own reputation and personal safety. Finally, an older black woman suggested that Barak Obama should not even be called the first black president because he “isn’t even black,” or is he? “He ain’t even black. He African,” the woman stated. “He ain’t one of us,” she continued. “His daddy from Africa and his momma white so he ain’t even Black.” “Oh, but his wife is one of us,” another remarked. Needless to say, these remarks hit close to home. Since when does being from Africa lessen your blackness? Better yet, what is a black person? What constitutes who is considered black and who is not? Who decided that an African person is not ‘black’? I am black. I am African. The people who made those comments are black like me. I am black like them. My parents are from Africa just as their ancestors were from Africa. Just a few generations removed from the continent but already forgotten. I know that there are plenty reasons why those who consider themselves “Black Americans” feel unrelated to Africa as a continent and its people. But the simple fact remains that we are |
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