My President is Black and So Am I

So I believe now that much of the hype has died down that it is necessary to analyze the recent election. I had a conversation with a Denisonian on Wednesday who believed that Barack Obama does not have “American values”; when I asked what are “American values” he responded “he’s a socialist,” as if McCain didn’t vote for and Bush didn’t sign the Bail Out. Who’s the socialist? However, this young man did make me ask myself “what is an American and why do I avoid such a classification?”

America is a very young country and our people have limited common history. Our links to one another are very questionable. As Americans our identity and unity are founded on ideals; they depend on buzz words such as freedom, equality, unalienable rights and so forth. What does it mean to be an American? It means the constant ability to reinvent yourself, to change your country; it means to progress. Unlike any other country on this earth we have that potential because of our limited history, our cultural makeup, the foresight of the “founding fathers” (this might be the first and last time I pay these slave owners any recognition), and the tradition of activism (from the Boston Tea Party to The Nation of Islam); These factors all point into the larger issue though which is that the American identity is not static, it’s an idea, a concept, a set of beliefs.

America’s ability to reinvent itself is what Barack Obama represents. No matter how his presidency turns out, although it couldn’t be worse than the last eight years, it will stand as a symbol of America’s fatigue. Our country was deteriorating so we changed. Obama represents “the wretched of the earth”, “the least of these” and he will hold one of the most powerful positions in the world; he represents progress.

He also represents a unification of all traditionally oppressed demographics. Our cultural lens is that of white heterosexuals. Therefore, the identity of all others has been ascribed them and since the foundation of this country the other has been trying to find its place. The issue is that we have identities of negation; that is, we know what we aren’t, and that is white heterosexual, but we don’t know what we are. For example to be Black is to be African American, Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Latin, West-Indian, and Black African; to be queer means to be bisexual, gay/lesbian, and transgender. We are simply othered, and Obama represents a grounding in this nation for all oppressed groups; he is our roots, our link to this land.

The fact of what Obama is not still remains. He is not a reason to stop fighting. He is not my leader, that is, I will not wait for his guidance to act. Obama’s election does not negate the personal responsibility of all in regards to social justice. He is not an end of racism. Obama is an anomaly; he was raised by whites, and did not completely realize the influence of his Blackness until he was in college. This is to say that the psychological impact of racism was not as prevalent in his development as it is for the majority of Blacks in America. And, to be honest, I believe this has had a huge impact on his success.

Now, I believe whole heartedly that the man I am is the man I have made. America is what Americans have made it. Denison is what Denisonians have made it; and this has made my experience here rather frustrating. My most recent entries, while highly inflammatory and angry in tone, had an underlying faith in Denison’s capacity for greatness. With the amount of resources that we have and the elite status of the institution I have been disappointed. We choose not to be trailblazers out of fear and in our conformity and complacency we are protected by a culture that shuns activism and shirks (overt) conflict. And Obama’s election should serve as license to be a catalyst of change not the right to be a spectator. Who should recognize our progress and use it as inspiration to persist. We should be active participants in the change that is proposed.

In my most recent entries I said that I was God and that is what I meant. I am God because I take responsibility for who I am, what I do, and the impact that I have. There is no exclusivity to this status though. But because of others aversion to seize control of their experiences and lives, to take responsibility for who they are there is a burden placed on those that do. We feel the need not only to propel change but to be galvanizing forces; and it’s a shame that if people realized their own power and owned who they are they could own their space and overcome any inclination that encourages them to shrink so that others aren’t ashamed of their wasted potential.

I believe that it’s necessary to view President Elect Obama in the proper light. His leadership when viewed appropriately is powerful and deserves the utmost respect. However, I believe that any inclination to become a spectator is dangerous. Far too often leaders are burdened with unproductive and inactive masses who only seek to popularize, universalize, and water down the leader’s message. We do not need to wait on Obama to know what’s right; he has not told us and will not tell us anything that we don’t know; and because we already possess the knowledge we are responsible for transforming ourselves, our school, our communities, and our nation.

Peace,
Darrin Collins