Comments on: Why is Barack Obama Black?

By: Ilias Glenis

Ilias Glenis — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:14:52 +0000

I think the only person’s opinion that matters as to whether Barack sees himself as black, white, or both is Barack’s!

He is the one who is living his life which is subjective unto himself.

The more attention we collectively give to the issue on race, will only bring more attention to the issue of distinction between the races.

Nothing lasts forever, not even bigotry and ignorance pertaining to a central issue that has absorbed a nation.

Let it go already…

All of you.

It is up to the individual to transcend the illusions of the ego. Whether you view your self from a place of black or white.

There’s really no such thing.

It is as possible to fuel the issue from either side as long as you are focusing on either side.

I don’t think Barrack really cares. He just wants to be a leader who sees great potential for his fellow brothers and sisters regardless what color, race, or creed they were socially conditioned to believe themselves to be.

black, white, red, yellow, green, purple with white poka dots…

Let’s get on with it already!

By: Mariama

Mariama — Tue, 13 May 2008 03:55:51 +0000

After reading this I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’m currently doing a research paper on Obama and how the mainstream media identifies his race (mixed or black). One thing I think that many fail to understand is labels are always going to be around and simplistic as they seem, you have to understand people don’t like to make issues more complex than they are. I believe Obama labels himself as a “black man” because his experience has been that of a black man. For example when he was at Harvard I doubt anyone said “Hey did you see the new mixed kid on campus?”, I’m sure it was more like “Did you see the new black kid?” Or if he were to get chased by cops (hypothetically speaking, of course), they’d describe him as a black man. And of course it would still be labeling, but that’s how it is everywhere, whatever you look like that’s how people identify you, it’s as simple as that, that’s how society is and I don’t see that changing anytime in the near future. For the people who are in interracial relationships and reproduce, expect that your child will most likely be labeled as black and that’s just the way it goes…

By: amirman

amirman — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 03:23:43 +0000

@urs senn
in the American media, politics is treated with the same level of hype as Hollywood news especially with anything having to do with race. Anything relating to race raises a big stink, people don’t like facing up to the fact that racism still exists where it’s not expected. My guess is that Obama’s strategy is to not engage in any race issues for fear of the stink.

By: amirman

amirman — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 03:07:56 +0000

@matt
i was “hot” about the issue too since it seemed to me that people were claiming to have overcome racism all while falling victim to it. i’m in an interracial marriage as well and i want my son to grow up in a society that is comfortable with that. regarding your wish to get into the dialogue, commenting on blogs is one way, you can always start your own (as i did) by checking out http://www.wordpress.com or a similar free service, or you can always try grafitti.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:29:40 +0000

I totally agree with your sentiments to the point that I am looking for ways to inject this argument into the political dialogue. I found your site by googling the issue as i am “hot” about it and want to get involved!! No sense rehashing what you have already said — Obama is of mixed race – why has everyone so comfortably – and I might add without rebutttal from the Obama camp (an entirely diferent issue) — fallen so easily into labelling him a black man. As a Caucasian man in an interracial marriage to a woman of color, with a mixed race daughter — I find that now is the quintessential time to write Op Eds, blogs, whatever to get this into the mainstream dialogue — and I am looking for feedback from more media savvy folks than myself on how best to do that. Food for thought — has the media establishment taken to calling Tiger Woods a Black Man??

By: Urs Senn

Urs Senn — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:24:01 +0000

Glad to see the mixed race question addressed. Hybridity is an intellectually challenging position too few grasp well enough in a world that tends to absolutes. Same here in Canada, where the question usually appears in the context of the indigenous-white mix: if you’re like Obama, you’re Indian.

I’d like to hear Obama himself comment. Again, viewed from Canada, where multiculturalism began with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau applying American philosopher John Rawls’ justice model, his comment would stimulate much interest. Is America, right now, capable of such stimulation?