The New March on Washington
Barack Obama
A new “March on Washington” is about to begin - a march not quite like the one which took place in 1963 , but a new kind of march. And this one is being led by Barack Obama, a bright charismatic young Senator, who seems to have re-captured the hopes, dreams and optimism of the American people. Most importantly, he has managed to bring out what is decent and good about Americans. He has inspired millions to see beyond race, color, religion, gender and political party for the good of the country emerging as a uniting figure in a time when political vitriol has paralyzed Washington. Barack Obama has become a phenomenon, a leader to a new kind of “American Revolution”.
Obama’s ascendance to the status of presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party and a favorite to win it all in November, according to several polls, is as improbable as his own biography. A ’black’ man born on the island of Hawaii to a Kenyan Muslim man and a white woman from Kansas… Kansas! (As a personal note of clarification, I am using the word black in quotes in this article when referecncing Barack Obama, with keen awareness of the “one-drop rule” regarding race in America. As a young man, he traveled overseas to Indonesia and lived with his Indonesian stepfather. After returning to the US, he studied at Occidental College in California before transferring to New York’s Columbia University where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science specializing in international relations in 1983. After graduating from college, he moved to Chicago where he became a community organizer before enrolling at Harvard University’s Law School. At Harvard, he became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, which is a journal of legal scholarship. In 1996, he became a State Senator in Illinois, which served as his launching pad for his political career. In a somewhat of a surprise, in 2004 he became a United States Senator from the state of Illinois beating the Republican Alan Keyes. Even Hemmingway himself couldn’t have come up with a character as fascinating as this one. Move over Tiger Woods, there is a new ’black’ star with a more colorful past ready to fill more meaningful holes in the lives of millions of Americans.
Martin Luther King, referencing John Donne, once said, “No man is an island entire of himself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” But perhaps it is a man born on an island, with almost every piece of the continents in him, as a part of the whole, who just might be able to get us closer to Dr King’s dream, if not fulfill it. A man representing the two extremes of America’s “stained original sin of slavery”, as Obama himself put it, a Kansas white and an Africa black with all the colors in between.
Obama’s message is a simple one, “Yes We Can”. Three simple words made of only eight letters, yet very potent filled with hope, optimism and a belief in the original promise of America. In his speeches, he has repeatedly reminded people that they themselves are the ones who are in charge of their own government. By doing this, he has given voice to the people who, for a long time, felt like their voices were not being heard by the powers in Washington. He has been able to tap into that part of the people’s desire to get involved in their government by promising to bring them on board; a concept as old and as original as the Republic, but forgotten throughout the years because of the failure of leadership. In the process, he has managed to galvanize people from all walks of life - black, white, brown, young, old, rich, poor, Democrat, Republican, and Independent.
He has run a masterful campaign shattering several conventional wisdom theories about political elections in the US. First, he has refused to resort to the old style of attack and destroy politics refusing to be dragged into the slimy and nasty side of presidential campaigning despite his opponents’ attempt to do so. He has proven to the so called experts that focusing on the issues can actually bring positive results. Second, he has proven that big money contribution and big money influence from lobbyists and corporations is no longer the way to getting elected to any office. With an average contribution of just over $100, Obama’s campaign has used the internet as an incredible cash machine to finance his campaign by millions of Americans who are hungry for change. And finally, his campaign has shattered record after record for a primary, whether it is registering new voters or attending his rallies and speeches. What is even more astonishing about Obama’s campaign is that he is on the verge of derailing the mighty Clintons’ political machine in a relatively short period of time which is a rather stunning achievement. He has all but clinched the nomination by beating Hillary Clinton in almost every meaningful category and often by stunningly large margins. His campaign is already being recommended as a case study by CEO’s of leading US companies as a model on leadership.
Ed Charles, a former baseball player in the 1950’s and 60’s, once said that a black baseball player had to be twice as good as his white counter part in order to be recognized as star and earn the same amount of money as the white player. In that context, what Obama has done in the much more difficult field of politics is hard to believe. His ability to remain calm under pressure, be it from the dirty tactics of the Clintons, who by the way, as of late, have shown their true color, (pun intended), or from the corporate media that is determined to derail his campaign, is a testament to his qualification to hold any office including the presidency. As a ‘black’ presidential candidate in the US, Barack Obama is well aware of the monumental risk he is putting himself and his family in by running for president. And to have the courage to still proceed with his mission is a testament to his desire to bring true change to the country. Someone once said that the true definition of courage is to know that you are scared but to go anyway. Barack Obama has shown his courage by running for president anyway.
The presidential campaign terrain is no place for the faint of heart - especially for a man of color. But, with the grace and agility of a Michael Jordan, the intelligence and oratory skills of a Martin Luther King, the smoothness and charisma of a Mohammed Ali, the strength and resiliency of a Jim Brown, and the courage and passion of a Malcolm X, Barack Obama has emerged as the leader for the new generation of Americans.
But aside from all the glamour and the excitement, the hope and dream, what does a Barack Obama presidency mean to America and the rest of the world? To start with, it would be like a breath of fresh air to have a family of color in the White House after all these years of white Anglo-Saxon male dominated presidency. It would send several messages to the rest of the word. First, it is still possible for anyone to achieve the highest of ambitions, as long as the person stays true to his/her belief and does not give up on the dream. It would mean that there is still a chance for anyone to achieve America’s original promise even against the smallest of odds. Second, it would send a signal to the rest of the world especially in regions where ethnic and religious conflicts are rampant like the Middle East, Africa and Asia - places where the US needs to improve its image.
Domestically, it would mean a fresh new start in mending the race relation that has plagued this country for centuries. Of course it does not mean that Barack Obama will solve race issues in America over night, but it would at least start the conversation about race and in addition, prove that a man or woman of color is just as qualified to hold the highest office in the country. Imagine, a ‘black’ president of the United States in the White House! I can just hear the outrage and the smear from the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and ‘FIX News’, such as “Barack Obama has a secret plan to paint The White House black and call it “The Black House”.
How about Obama’s policies? Although he is predictably being labeled an extreme left wing liberal by the Republicans, Barack Obama is no flaming liberal. He has a long way from earning that label. He is a moderate with a voting record slightly to the left of many Democrats in the Senate. However, at times during his campaign, he has shown that he has the propensity to be lean far to the left on many issues. Yes, he will disappoint his supporters at times and we should be prepared for that reality. But his ability to bring different people together for a common goal, should allow him to move the country forward in the right direction. When a leader is able to bring people together in such record numbers and have them believe in his or her ideology, that leader can accomplish a great deal of his agenda.
So, here we are in the year two thousand and eight, early in the new millennium, at the doorsteps of history, with a young ‘black’ man leading the way to a new march on Washington. A march, which perhaps can be viewed as a redemption, if only partial - a fulfillment to the original one; partial in that the possibility of a bi-racial ‘black’ man to a position of presidency of the United States can hardly be proof that racism has been eradicated from the country, but it is a big step forward in fulfilling that original promise.
