Isn't it eminently surprising that amid all the hoohah about breaking down boundaries and paradigm shifts with which the current US Presidential campaign is fraught, in spite of all talk about the significance of Obama's candidacy in the global fight against racism, one fact is ignored: Barack Hussein Obama is as much black as he is white.

You might be slightly apprehensive as to the direction this post is taking. Afterall, the racism issue is quite tender and most people are eager to sidestep it in their analysis of the worthiness of the candidate himself for America's highest public office, citing instead his measured calm, his cerebral approach to the salient political and economic arguments, his strength of character. However, the fact that Barack Obama is often referred to as potentially "the first black President" of the United States of America reveals to me the deep seated prejudices in the confines of the human mind today. What constitutes a black man? Because it appears to this writer that it clearly does not take his lineage much into account. It would, it seems, be sufficient to have the merest trace of a darkness of skin to be shunted over to the other side.

Consider that Barack Obama's mother is Ann Dunham, a Kansas native whose ancestry is American and British as far back as the eye can see, who was born and died Caucasian with long brunette hair. His grandma, Ann's mother, God rest her soul, is equally white as is her husband. This would suggest to any half-wit that Barack Obama, having a black father and a white mother, is actually neither one of the two races but, in fact, bi-racial. You can trawl every major newsreel and headline from the last two years since this impeccable American presidential nominee announced that he would be running for President and you will seldom, if ever, find an article referring to Barack Obama as what he is, bi-racial, as black as he is white and vice versa.

This brings to mind a book I read when I was still prepubescent and which i cannot now recall the title dealing with the struggles of a bi-racial child growing up who was instantly "rejected by white folk" and "suspicious to black folk" thus drawing scorn as something of a hybrid. The term "hybrid" has come to refer derogatorily to someone or something of a certain renegade quality, of a less than certain consistency and possessing impurities, in modern usage. In the popular Harry Potter novel series, "mudbloods" were the hybrids born of a marriage between "pureblood" Wizards (with magical ability) and "muggles" (oblivious to the existence of magic) and were looked down on by sections of the magical community in a fitting allegory on racism in the real world. I wonder whether Obama went through similar struggles in his time as a youth and I am sure he must endure a lot of personal conflict deciding which side to bat for, and coming to terms with the fact that he has forebears who were both slavers and slaves.

In West Africa, usually you trace your lineage through your father's family. Wherever your mother hails from is an appendage on the corpus of your history. The real question is "Who is your father?".It is a practice that largely acknowledges the superiority of males in a strongly paternalistic society. In this way, Obama is easily black. I doubt, however, that Americans would be willing to admit that they are a people who, in the twenty- first century still consider females as second-class citizens, bearing in mind that the U.S.A. prides itself on being the standard-bearer for liberal values and societal emancipation in today's world. I doubt even more severely that, in rubbishing Obama's mother's side of the coin, Americans are willing to accept that, should he be elected and sworn in as President come January, Obama will have become the first African President (seeing as his father, Barack senior, is in fact, a Kenyan) of the United States of America.

So the truth is, sadly, that despite this giant stride for racial equality proponents, there are still fundamental flaws in the reasoning and examination of race not only in America but in the world at large. Multi-racial people are still scorned as being "confused" amongst urban youth in London (a stylish euphemism for people of black origin, hereafter POBOs) and are accused of "trying to be black" by black people whilst not even being considered white on any level by white people. A lot of people are even of the strong conviction that had he been two out of two parts black, Obama would never have stood a chance in the elections.

Let us put aside all talk about the triumphance of black people over years of slavery- that is history that Americans and the rest of the world simply cannot exuviate. Looking at this historic campaign in the light of milestones will only reduce it to a tokenistic gesture. Let us instead laud his many admirable qualities, his groundbreaking campaign methods, his courage under fire, his articulate delivery, his strategic soundness and his overall presence. Let us leave the racial profiling behind. It won't get the world out of a Depression.

Robot  Villager

# 1 Barack Obama's mother is Ann Dunham, a Kansas native whose ancestry is American and British as far back as the eye can see, who was born and died Caucasian with long brunette hair. His grandma, Ann's mother, God rest her soul, is equally white as is her husband. This would suggest to any half-wit that Barack Obama, having a black father and a white mother, is actually neither one of the two races but, in fact, bi-racial....Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 06.11.2008 06:35

Rose  Villager

# 2 I would like to thank the author for this article. I can't tell you how many people did not want to hear the same from me. Black Americans are about to receive another important lesson now that the election is over and their ballots have been counted. Obama means different things to different people and yesterday biracials, Africans and whites began the claiming process in full force "exactly" as I expected since the rumblings started well beforehand and reached a crescendo on November 5th. I think Black Americans will finally "get it" behind this election now that the floodgates have been flapped open and hanging off the hinges. Posted by Rose| 06.11.2008 07:02

DeepThought  Villager

# 3 @Rose: I see you still have the Afro. Yes, I agree that to you and I,BO may not be black but in the White American mind (and even to many African Americans as Black as you and I) , he is. The reality is I don't think the U.S is going to change in one fell swoop, the changes we're talking about have been comming slowly and will probably continue to come in small incrementals . A BO type person is IMO necessary as a a kind of instrument of gradual change. Don't worry, the next "Black" president will wear a full blown Afro, have facial scarification, will wear a grass skirt , be armed with a "tribal" spear and have a couple of goats grazing on the White house lawn soon enough Hey, that could be me :eek: :) Posted by DeepThought| 06.11.2008 07:30

NextLevel  Villager

# 4 Thanks for the article. While some of us on this website like arguing over words, I prefer to look at the facts of the ground. Does the fact that Obama had a White mother make him more appealing to some voters than he otherwise would not have been? I think that answer is clearly yes. Many pundits and people sold Obama as a racial unifier. Whether we call Obama "Black" or "bi-racial" or "White" depends on the context. But we should stop acting like there is one absolute answer that can be embodied in one word that embodies all the contexts. Obama tried to run in Black districts in the late 1990s/early 2000s in Chicago and was unsuccessful in captivating the Black vote against more pro-Black, African American opponents. His political successes came after he started campaigning in areas that had both Blacks and Whites. Are there some Americans who look at Obama and consider him a Black man because his father was Black? Again, yes. There are also some Americans who do not consider Obama a "real African American" because he didn't see the struggle that characterizes most Blacks in America (though there is some evidence from his classmates in the Phillipines that they taunted him for being darker than they were). Call Obama whatever you like. There are many reasons for his national appeal, but do not deny that the fact that he had a White mother was one of them, as this was even a part of his opening line when he introduced himself to the world stage at the 2004 Democratic Party National Convention. Posted by NextLevel| 06.11.2008 07:50

salstep  Villager

# 5 A thousand thank you to the writer of this piece. To me he is the first non-white to become the president of the united stated. All this claiming process na wah. The whites have as much caim to him. I wonder if the fact we all claiming he is black stems from the slavery days when mixed race children were often rejected by the oyinbos. To Obama's credit, He never really played the race card. Posted by salstep| 06.11.2008 07:52

Bamaguje  Villager

# 6 I completely agree with the writer that Barack ain't black, and I take strong exception to his characterization as such, his Kenyan father not withstanding. This adulterated half-caste hasn't got dark skin, tigthly coiled hair, thick rubbery lips and broad flat nose like we ugly nigggers. So he has no experience as to what it really means to be black. Although he claims to have an African father, he has no African / Luo name, but instead bears only Arab ones - BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA (BHO). The repeated characterization of Obama as black is an insult on we true Blacks. They are in effect saying that for a Blackman to get anywhere near the White house, he needs a dose of White blood, as we real Blacks (Homo Sapiens Negritus) just aren't good enough. Given the pervasive tribalism and misplaced petty nationalism in Africa, it is sheer hypocrisy for we Africans to celebrate Obama. Only recently Obama's fellow Luo, Raila Odinga was denied the Kenyan presidency (which he won) by the Mwai Kibaki-led Gikuyu cabal. Here in Naija, Obama couldn't have gotten beyond local government chairman. He would have been told he is not a true "indigene" or real "son of the soil". In Zambia, ex-President Keneth Kaunda who fought for Zambian independence (for which the British Colonialists imprisoned him) was denied the opportunity to recontest the Presidency on the grounds that he was not a true Zambian - his father was from Malawi. In Ivory Coast, Alhassan Quattara was denied the presidency on similar grounds even though he was the former Prime Minister - he was allegedly from Burkina Faso. Many Ivorians were similarly disenfranchised because of the nonsensical concept of "Ivorite". Posted by Bamaguje| 06.11.2008 07:55

Ima  JJC

# 7 =Bamaguje;286771>I completely agree with the writer that Barack ain't black, and I take strong exception to his characterization as such, his Kenyan father not withstanding. This adulterated half-caste hasn't got dark skin, tigthly coiled hair, thick rubbery lips and broad flat nose like we ugly nigggers. So he has no experience as to what it really means to be black. Although he claims to have an African father, he has no African / Luo name, but instead bears only Arab ones - BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA (BHO). The repeated characterization of Obama as black is an insult on we true Blacks. They are in effect saying that for a Blackman to get anywhere near the White house, he needs a dose of White blood, as we real Blacks (Homo Sapiens Negritus) just aren't good enough. Given the pervasive tribalism and misplaced petty nationalism in Africa, it is sheer hypocrisy for we Africans to celebrate Obama. Only recently Obama's fellow Luo, Raila Odinga was denied the Kenyan presidency (which he won) by the Mwai Kibaki-led Gikuyu cabal. Here in Naija, Obama couldn't have gotten beyond local government chairman. He would have been told he is not a true "indigene" or real "son of the soil". In Zambia, ex-President Keneth Kaunda who fought for Zambian independence (for which the British Colonialists imprisoned him) was denied the opportunity to recontest the Presidency on the grounds that he was not a true Zambian - his father was from Malawi. In Ivory Coast, Alhassan Quattara was denied the presidency on similar grounds even though he was the former Prime Minister - he was allegedly from Burkina Faso. Many Ivorians were similarly disenfranchised because of the nonsensical concept of "Ivorite". Why shouldn't the fact that Obama has a Kenyan Father make him African and why should the word Bi-racial suddenly become important? I'm sure if he had spent half of his life growing up in Kenya and then moved to the US nobody would doubt or speak about his African Originality. And for crying out loud do you think America is ready for a full African (not of mixed bi-racial origin) as President? Obama has created the possibility it could happen, whether he has black Afro hair, tribal marks and an African accent or not. At this point lets just give him a chance to govern and see how it goes. I strongly and absolutely detest the fact you said he couldn't have gone far in Nigeria, that's why we ave people who continue to live in a tightly closed box with no holes, it's just very disturbing we would think about stuff like this. Posted by Ima| 06.11.2008 08:47

katampe  Villager

# 8 In tortured logic, the writer has discounted the societal perception and the historical definition of blackness, the one drop rule notwithstanding. It discounts the joyful tears of the Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell and the Condi Rice as misplaced because they are half-wits. A Nigerian brother with so much wisdom arises and wants Americans to define Obama’s racial stock as Not Black. Maybe if he was subtle enough, he would realise that African Americans have a complex and interwoven ethnicity and raciality. They are a complex stock that has no well defined ethnicity like Nigerians, or Africans. Just like the definition of whiteness is controversial, and has evolved over time, with the Jews being recently acknowledged as whites. So, also does being black carry its definition in historical and American context. When you say bi-racial, you have invoked something very simplistic that even a mad man knows, and that is genetics. But when you consider the American society, its history, and how Obama would be treated when waiting for a cab in New York city, the societal perception that kicks in evaluating how he is perceived by the cab driver matters. It is this perception that determines his fate and potential in America. Mind you, Colin Powell arguably could have walked away with what Obama achieved. He just never took his chance. So it is trite logic to state and use purely genetics that is very obvious. What do you say about the Fulani's and the light skinned races in Nigeria. There are historical sources that push the argument that they are the product of liasons between Portuguese and Africans, the Portuguese that got lost in their trade and adventure. The definition of a black person is political, historical, complex and has power calculations. Not as easy as the writer makes it seem. Posted by katampe| 06.11.2008 09:25

MrOneNaija  Villager

# 9 HYPHENATED CITIZENSHIP AND TANGIBLE ISSUES This is an interesting article. The author has rightly acknowledged the delicate and sensitive nature of the issue of race regarding America's president-elect, Barack H. Obama. Let me start by reiterating what General Colin Powell said only yesterday. When asked for his reaction to the election of the "first Black American" as president of the country, he said that when Obama decided to seek the highest office in the land, he did so not as an "African-American" but rather as an individual who happened to be African-American but whose vision and competence were the over-arching factors informing his noble quest. One should not dismiss Powell's statement as merely belonging to the realm of the politically correct. And, by the way, Powell's view seems to be along the lines of the one in the conclusion of the initiating article of this thread. All that, to indicate that those trying to racially appropriate the Obama phenomenon may have emotional (and perhaps political) reasons for doing so, but they should also realize that by trying to reduce Obama to a primordial dimension, they risk diluting and possibly distorting the essence of the man. That is not to say that one should avoid discussing the racial origins of the president-elect. And the first point to note in this regard is how Obama categorizes himself. Of course, we are dealing here with one's identity. It is a matter of fact that Obama is the product of a hyphenated racial heritage. He is of "black" and "white" origins. He is an American citizen of black African and white American descent. In other words, he is African-American! That is the mot juste. There is every evidence that Obama has maintained active contacts with his Kenyan side. Also, this important detail: Obama is married to a Black American by the name of Michelle. They have two beautiful children. The other day, I was talking to a friend of mine, An African-American of Nigerian origin who is of black-black descent. He did remark at one point that Obama made what the French call a "coup de maître" by getting married to an all-black lady. What he meant by that is the fact that the liaison with Michelle has paid more than political dividends by helping establish a profound emotional bond between Obama and the African-American community. Socially and politically, Obama has also closely identified with issues that are dear to the African-American constituency. Concerning Africa, as I was reading a short while ago on the website of Radio France Internationale (For those who can read French, I strongly recommend this site because of its detailed and multi-faceted coverage), the president-elect has developed a keen interest in the major crises confronting the continent and its peoples. He has taken a tough stand at the Senate against the genocide in Darfur (Sudan); he is quoted to have reiterated his commitment to the enthronement of true democracy in Africa; amongst other things, he is for increased funding for the fight against the AIDS pandemic there. Yet, we must agree that Obama is first and foremost an American who must cater primarily to the legitimate aspirations of the majority who happen to be white and who also most likely consider him as a 'black' citizen of America. They may have initially harbored irrational distrust of him on account of his "color' (s?), but decided to vote for him, thanks to the economy question. Many people suspect that the current economic debacle did play a crucial, if tangible role in Obama's victory at the polls. It is called voting with one's wallet (Pun intended)! Moreover, like other American presidents before him, Barack H. Obama will seek to project American interests even when it means alienating continental Africans as well as African-Americans. It is called realpolitik. What that means is that, ultimately, Africa and Africans, for instance, should know that they cannot count on others, that is foreigners, for their political emancipation. Obama is a coalition creature par excellence and it remains to be seen to what extent his politics (while he is in office as president) will meet the genuine demands of his African-American constituents. P.S. We should also ask ourselves to what extent a mythical Obama will help nurture better inter-racial or inter-ethnic relations in America and elsewhere. Posted by MrOneNaija| 06.11.2008 09:47

EezeeBee  Villager

# 10 =MrOneNaija;286801>...What that means is that, ultimately, Africa and Africans, for instance, should know that they cannot count on others, that is foreigners, for their political emancipation. Thanks for the cold, hard reminder of the above REALITY, useful if targeted to some of those who are dancing jejune jigs of joy at the election of Mr. Obama. He owes them NOTHING. His PRIMARY duty is to the American people and he will do (I suspect) an excellent job in that regard. Where is the excellence elsewhere? Or are we all 'waiting for Obama' in our diverse corners of the world? If he serves to spur and inspire others to take up the mantle for positive change in THEIR parts of the world, he has DONE ENOUGH for them. If THEY refuse to take up their own mantles, he can help them no further and what's more, they are undeserving of 'help'. Posted by EezeeBee| 06.11.2008 10:37

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