As I have read the reaction to Obama’s presidential aspirations the one I have found most striking is the reaction to his race. From what I have seen this falls into two categories "Is he black enough?" and "Is America ready to vote for a black President?". While questions of health care and security will be central to the campaign, these questions resonate in the soul of the American story. It strikes at the deepest questions about our individual selves and our communal identity. The question of race in America is the first question of America, how could the country that’s first utterance is "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" have slavery until 1865 and segregation till 1964?
And yet, till I saw these questions in print I had not reflected on their true meaning. The conflict inherent in voting for a black President who may not be black enough, I think means that it will be possible for Barack to be President and for him to be so in an inspirational manner (in spite of ourselves). If the road to hell is often paved with good intentions, I think this may be a case where the road to heaven is paved with misguided intentions.
I have seen the first question about Barack's race in two forms is he really "black" since he is bi-racial? And is he really "African-American" since he is not from slave ancestry? Clarence Page, from the Chicago Tribune, answers the bi-racial question this way (a little more on the interesting Tiger Woods reference later):
Obama has not run away from the label, unlike, say, Tiger Woods, who famously told Oprah Winfrey that he likes to call himself a "Cablinasian," for "Caucasian, Black, Indian and Asian."
As a longtime observer of black politics, especially in Chicago, I can tell you that a substantial number of black voters are mightily suspicious and even personally offended by black folks who don't want to be called black. Many are wary of anyone who sounds, for whatever reason, a bit too eager to abandon the tribe.
The struggle for identity is very personal and I think Mr. Page’s willingness to respect Obama’s choice here seems reasonable. However, the second argument says that blackness is not a matter of personal choice, but a matter of shared experience. Not having the legacy of slavery in his background how can he truly be African-American? And yet can white Americans who's ancestors came to America after the civil war be excused from the discussion of race? I would suggest no, and that Obama's "black" experience is extremely relevant to the race discussion.
This brings us to the second question. "Will America vote for an African-American president?" I believe that America is ready for Barack Obama to be President, perhaps, even because, the question of his blackness exists. Is that comforting? No. What does it say about us that we might only vote for Barack Obama because he is not too black? Or would it be worse to vote for him to "assuage white guilt", as Clarence Page describes it? So perhaps the correct response is to vote for Barack as you would any other candidate, based on the issues and his character alone. However, this strikes me as hollow. It does not capture the magnitude of the moment.
So with these thoughts in my head, I went and saw the play "Golf Radio" by August Wilson. Serendipity would have it that this play is about the struggle and internal conflict of a black man running for elected office. The main character has to make a choice between personal ambition and the black community (I won’t say which he chooses - but I will mention that the "sell-out" character is sent packing with his poster of Tiger Woods). The conflict presented is that very often choices which seem to benefit the common good, come at the expense of African-Americans (in Chicago this exemplified by its pattern of gentrification and segregation). I think that Barack truly believes (in his soul) he can include black America (which makes him black enough) in the success story of all Americans (which makes him electable). And that would be a success far greater than the rise of one African-American to a position of power.