My president is black…

I have to admit to cranking that song up really loud when I crusing through the streets of Atlanta. Even last night the wife and I were doing a little jig to it. There is something empowering about witnessing something like this. You cannot just allow this moment to pass without really celebrating and being in the moment.

At dinner last night we talked about what this means and how we feel about Barack Obama being our new president. It dawned on me then that my excitement is not because he is black but more because he is REAL. We finally have a leader that understands what is it like to get up and go to work everyday. A leader that shops in the grocery store and knows how much things costs. A leader who was raised by a single parent on a single parent income. A leader who knows what it is like to be an outcast and to be different. A leader who understands the challenges of wearing the skin of darker shade but does not let that confine or limit him. A leader that understands that the help and support he received is needed by others.

I have 100% confidence that Barack will lead from the perspective of the common man destined for greatness. He will choose policies that will open the door so that people willing to work and sacrifice will be able to walk in and stay there. There is enough opportunity for everyone.  

The next four years will be tough. I know. But knowing that President Obama is in office gives me a sense of peace and encouragement for what is to come.

The new throwback: Slavery & Race

As I mix and mingle this week with various crowds the discussion of the state of Black America comes up. CNN’s Black in America expose has done something very important, it has sparked the conversation. Without communication no problem will ever be solved–EVER (MESSAGE!). Discussion and debate usually results or should result in action which brings forth some type of resolution.

I personally do not feel that the show solved anything. It did lay out a few solutions but it was too safe. It did not get to the root of a problem. I felt it was an introduction of black life to Non-black Americans. If this was the goal, then it succeeded. However, the topics discussed were a bit disjointed and left Black Americans saying, NOW WHAT?

But CNN is only a newgroup. We have to come up with the solutions.

The Obamas

Why is Barack Obama apologizing for this video? I think it was refreshing to see him with his beautiful family. I think it is critical for non-black America to see how blackfamilies are.  He and Michelle are raising two smart and beautiful natural black girls. I think it says a lot about them as parents and people in general.

White folks listen…

 

I love ya! I really do but you guys need a little help when hanging with blackfolk. I know, I know, I know! You DON’T know! So here’s a little guide to help your transition. The following rules will keep you from getting those odd looks or that awkward moment of silence. This list is for fun okay. So don’t get offended but juuuust maybe next time you hang out with blackfolk things may go a little bit better…

The Original Sin

Most Protestants believe that man inherits the nature of sin. They believe that before humans are even capable of making the distinction between right and wrong that they carry the burden of the original sin. This sin was born to the infamous deed of disobedience to God acted out by the original earth parents, Adam and Eve. This act is often referred to as the Fall of Man. That one sin created the base or the foundation of the world we live in today. This inherit nature of sin has been embedded within man in order for him to be forever in debt and dependent upon his creator.

To those who do not believe in religion this could all sound silly but it is true that millions of Americans believe this to be factual. Most conservatives believe this to be true. Regardless, to whether you believe this actual story or not is irrelevant to the fact that the sins of your parents usually follow you in some way. If your father squanders the family’s fortune, this action will affect your life. If your mother chooses to abuse you, this action will affect your life. Let’s face it and agree that your parents’ choices alter and shape your life. Everything from the location you live in, the schools you attend and the amount of attention and love you receive results in who you are to be in life or what obstacles you must overcome to be who you are in life. To ignore the birthright pattern would be disingenuous and simply ignorant in the act of examining the journey of life.

Barack Obama opened his speech last Tuesday with a quick peek into the window of history. He spoke of the Philadelphia convention of 1787 and the birthplace of the bible of this western social democratic experiment—the constitution. The document signed that day was a momentous and by all accounts unfinished. Obama acknowledged that this document we hold so dear was “stained by this nation’s original sin of slavery.”  Those words struck me personally as I have believed in the idea or notion that we are all born into sin. To believe this creates a form of submission to the will of something or someone higher. To deem yourself unworthy of a gift but capable to take full advantage of that gift, challenges one to examine and self-diagnosis one’s personal shortcomings and mistakes.

A white person that gets it…

I have been silent on this issue because I have so much to say. Eventually I will able to articulate my passion in a way that will not offend and only add to this recent discourse on race. I am comforted by this clip…a minister who gets what the church is for and why it should be separated from the state.

The Topic of Race

I find it interesting that whites who earn less than  $50,000 a year and did not attend college are deemed “racially sensitive” when it comes to voting for a person of color.

See Article

This proves that post education is vital to not only the progression of this country economically but also socially. People who attend college in the US are more likely to be exposed to variety of races. Exposure is critical in the fight against bigotry and racism. At the end of the day we are all human beings. We all have our biases and prejudices. However, the human link makes it almost impossible to stay shackled to the bonds of racism. Racism is an act of power motivated by prejudgment of a group of people based solely upon their ethnic background.

Exposure to diversity is really the only way we can erradicate racism on a major scale.