I have said before that I really do not know who I will be voting for in the general election. But I also have to say that last night (June 3rd) was a good night for America who essentially nominated her first African American* for president last night. Whether you like his politics or not, this was a special moment for a nation that has a history of racial and ethnic intolerance. (We should be praying for this man who will no doubt receive or continue to receive death threats for the foreseeable future). Anyhow, it was a good evening for the country.
*NOTE: Why is it that all folks from mixed race families tend to be considered African American, or Black? Not that it matters, but the fact that Obama has a mixed race background should also be something that is somewhat symbolic of our country.
I'm guessing it's (the tendency to be considered African-American) stems from the "one-drop rule," historically a negative colloquial term. If a person had even one drop of African-American blood/ancestry, he or she would be considered black. It was used all over the U.S., but became the basis for Jim Crow laws primarily in the south.
ReplyDeleteSo, despite having this historic nomination, we haven't necessarily moved forward terribly much as a culture - at least not linguistically (and language is power, for both good and bad). At the very least, it's not historic in the same way many would like to think it is.
Obama '08 :)
Rereading my comment, it seems a bit flip - the identification of (or with) Obama is surely more complex than I made it sound. I hope so, at least :) I can imagine there would be an element of identification with Obama for many people. It's a mark of honor to have him do so well....there's a phrase "southern boy done good" that comes to mind (despite the fact that Obama is not from the south, the sentiment would be similar). Young people, African-Americans, etc., can root for him because he shows them that this achievement can be theirs, too. Really, his candidacy can be seen as the embodiment of the mythical American Dream. But that will have to be unpacked another day.
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