Ever since Barack Obama accepted the presidential oath of office on January 20th, I have been wondering how his occupation of the office would change the hearts and minds of Americans. As we all know, America has a reputation of being one of the most racist countries in the world. And people of all hues thought they would never see the day when a black man occupied the office. But the negative fluctuations in the stock market are causing me to wonder if President Obama is to blame.
President Obama tells us on a frequent basis that transparency will be a hallmark of his administration. And his words have been coinciding with his deeds, evidenced in his sharing of truth during press conferences and interviews. Truth be told, his behavior is in direct contrast to former President George W. Bush, whose administration was shrouded in a cloud of mystery.
I believe Americans of all hues are trying to answer the question of all questions: Is this black man's leadership abilities on par with the best that white America has to offer? I say yes, because he has paid his dues like his white counterparts, and other persons of color. But our society is still haunted by myths and stereotypes that encourage us black Americans to question our ability to be great, while white Americans go through life thinking they are God's gift to humanity.
I pray for President Obama daily. I know any success he achieves will bring about the dissolution of these myths and stereotypes. But by the same token, if he fails, white Americans won't just be critical of Barack Obama; they will be critical of us as well. That means we have to make sure their treatment of him is fair, that they realize it was George W. Bush's failure to pay attention to detail that got us in this economic and social quagmire in the first place.
What do you think? I look forward to reading your responses.
Jeffery A. Faulkerson, MSSW
www.jefferyafaulkerson.com
Posted By: J. A. Faulkerson
Tuesday, February 24th 2009 at 1:55PM
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