Barack Obama

Gary Younge writes a very interesting article on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential bid and I would like to add my 2 cents.

The reluctance of the likes of Jesse Jackson**** and Rev Al Sharpton (always so well coiffured) to endorse Obama's presidential bid can be traced back to the tension (for want of a better word) that exists between black Americans and black Africans. Barack Obama encapsulates the term African American to a tee - his father was Kenyan, his mother American so I find it rather droll that black Americans are more than happy to prefix the African to the American and yet the reality is dem people whose ancestors were slaves look down on people from their so called motherland. One of the first things that crossed my mind when I saw the wretched faces of the victims of Hurricane Katrina was how if I closed my eyes, I could see the same faces in the refugee camps in Chad, Darfur, Goma and numerous other places across Africa.

I recall a black British woman questioning the validity of my degree in the UK (BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Nairobi) during a mock interview and I also remember how angry I became. As if we, as black people, don't have bigger fish to fry, we allow ourselves to get caught up in internecine rivalries. I suppose this touches on our insecurities as a people, especially dem people whose ancestors were slaves - we need to keep our eyes on the real prize.

Barack Obama is charismatic, eloquent and white Americans don't perceive him as threatening (very important!). He's a masterful orator and has shown himself to be adept at gaining consensus amongst camps with widely differing views. More importantly for Africa, he feels that good governance and accountability matter. So come January 2009, after his inauguration, the so called Big Men of Africa will start sitting a little less comfortably. (Ah well, the audacity of hope allows one to dream!)

****UPDATE****
I stand corrected as it has been pointed out that the Rev Jesse Jackson has finally seen the light and endorsed Obama's presidential bid