N4mddissent
Active Member
- Sep 30, 2008
- 878
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I agree with you .. but he'll also be constrained by an unseen element that I've felt all my life. As overly simplistic and obvious as it sounds .. he's black. His every decision, every move will be tempered by the fact that he's black and he has to judge how he will be seen as a black man.
Can he be seen publicly eating chicken? .. Sounds stupid doesn't it .. but it's real.
I've lived with that unseen element/weight/encumberance everyday of my life .. in fact, we teach it to our children. I live with it even on this site since I've identified myself as black. I lived with it everyday in the corporate world .. which was my inspiration to create my own business so I can use when and how I choose to use it.
A bit off-topic but one of my best inspirations was JayJay on Good Times. I was determined that the world would not see me as that motherfucker. I think all inner city kids should be forced to watch reruns of Good Times.
I think Obama is very self-aware on these issues and will make decisions after careful weighing of the benefits and costs. I also think he will explain his decisions and their basis to the American people in frank and honest terms similar to his speech on race. Hopefully, that will help reduce these effects.
And about inspiration, now you may use JayJay as an example of what not to be, but perhaps also use the president as a positive inspiration of what is possible. I hope that this election indirectly has a lot of positive effects on some of the African-American youth in this country. I've often worked with young people in predominantly African-American communities and tried to inspire or make them aware of their own potential if they use their voice. I have tried to make them aware of both the bonds placed upon them by society and the bonds they place upon themselves by choices they make and encourage them to struggle against both. But it is not an easy task, and doubly so since I am white and that means frequently my arguments are met with suspicion or my attempts are sometimes seen as illegitimate. I understand that there is a difference in that I can never "truly" walk a mile in your shoes and feel the unseen element you mention. But likewise, I fight my own social demons- admittedly not as obvious as the color of my skin- but some pretty close and many are more acceptable to scorn and disparage publicly than race. So we understand we are different, but look for the common goals and principles to unite us and allow our differences to complement each other rather than erect barriers. And Obama coming from both worlds, I hope will help be an inspirational bridge to facilitate some of that unity.