Is Obama Black Enough to Warrant Our Support?

Sentinel; Los Angeles, Calif. › August 14, 2009

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Further, I didn't hear Dr. [Cornel West] asking any of the other politicians-and quite a few have declared-where their money was coming from. It takes multi-millions of dollars to run for the president of the United States, so in order for [Barack Obama] to run a successful campaign he's going to have to raise money from a multitude of sources as will all the other candidates. Many of those sources from which all of the candidates receive money are going to raise questions, simply because all of the people and corporations in a position to give away that kind of money, all have a vested interest. But that's not Senator Obama's fault, that's the way the game is played. So if Dr. West doesn't like the way the game is played, he should question the system, not the senator. I don't know what their vaues are up there at Princeton University (they won't even let me through the gate), but down here at South West Los Angeles City College, we have the wisdom to know that you don't hate the player, you hate the game. But of course, the very best alternative would be for Dr. West to give the senator the money to run out of his own pocket. But then, if he's willing to dog the most viable Black candidate for president in the history of this country for a simple sound bite, he'd probably want something out of it too.

The only thing that gives me hope in that regard, is to see how the seed that Dr. King, Ralph Abernathy, Thurgood Marshall, and the other insightful thinkers of the last generation has taken root They had the insight to plant a seed that has begun to flourish-in spit of our current leaders. It's not those so-called Black leaders that we always see running their mouths on television that's changing America's perception towards Black people, on the contrary, if anything, they've delayed the process. What's changing America's perception towards Blacks are people just like you, the reader-the everyday, hard working Black person. America has been watching the competence, integrity, creativity, and in many cases, brilliance, that you have been quietly bringing to your jobs on a daily basis. You don't hear them, and you're so busy that you're probably not even paying attention, but when they're alone they're saying, "Did you see how easily she handled that?" And at other times they find themselves saying out loud, "Don't worry about it-William will be back tomorrow, and he'll know how to handle it." Those are the perceptions that's changing America, one person at a time.

One speech by a Black leader can't change perceptions that have been taken for granted and inbred over hundreds of years. It took the excellence that you've brought to the table and demonstrated to America that has given America the confidence that Barack Obama, this young Black man, is capable of leading this nation. You've done this-one workplace, one incident, one person at a time. So, it is you-the James Barnett's, the Eugene Jeffries,' the Sheron Knights, and Joann Snows-that has placed Barack Obama in the position he is in today, and you shouldn't tolerate anyone, Black or White, who seeks to derail what you have accomplished.