Why white America perhaps fears Michelle more than Barack.
Excerpts from a ‘Jack & Jill politics’ newsletter:
…as hard as it is to accept a black president, it’s even harder to accept a black first lady. First Lady has always held a beloved sentimental mother/wife of the nation symbolism. Conservatives are not ready to have to look at this very BLACK woman with her degrees and her fierceness and see her as the epitome of the American mother/wife.
This will be a first for white people. They do not want this black woman in the White House as their first lady. That New Yorker cartoon was [actually] about Michelle – she was its focal point…look closely… she is the leader, the one starting the “revolution” they want you to imagine….
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews said, in the course of covering the Obama candidacy, ‘He (Barack Obama) brings none of the ‘ bad stuff, you know?” By ‘Bad Stuff’, he meant the legacy of [whites] enslaving Africans in this country, keeping them as second-class citizens until 1965, a mere 11 years before this country celebrated its 200th anniversary. You know, ‘the original sin’, or ‘ the birth defect’, as Condi Rice called it. Barack escapes this ‘bad stuff’ only because his mother was white and may have had ancestors involved in the slave trade; and also because Barack’s father was not African American. He was full blooded African and therefore Barack had no ancestors enslaved by America – and so the white guilt factor is missing when they think of him. HOWEVER, NO SUCH LUCK WITH MICHELLE!
Michelle Obama is a direct threat and lightening bolt against White Superiority. Because, she’s Black. VISIBLY BLACK. But it’s important to note, she does not, in any way, shape, or form, contour to the acceptable Black Pathologies that enable White Supremacy to sigh with relief. [welfare mother, fatherless child, druggie, etc.] Michelle was raised in a neighborhood. In a home. With TWO parents. No child revolving in and out of jail.
Raised by a Black man who not only provided for his family, but did so, WITH A DISABILITY. Her mother had a working class job – secretary- but it was taken ONLY after she had seen her youngest child settle into HIGH SCHOOL.
Michelle Obama’s poise, her confidence, her aura – that was created by that humble Black man, who by all accounts, adored her. He told her that she is worthy, and so, when you have that told to you by the first man who loves and protects you, you seek that validation of that in your choice of mate, you’ll settle for nothing less, and Michelle hasn’t.
Michelle Obama, doesn’t fit any of the acceptable Black pathologies. And when you don’t fit the acceptable Black pathologies, then you must be destroyed. Michelle Obama has become the face of the Black America whose existence is routinely denied by this country. Think about it.
In ONE generation, the face of this ‘Invisible America’ has gone from living on the top floor of a bungalow, to the possibility of living in The White House. And yet, Michelle Obama, refuses to say ‘ I’m special”, in order to give white America its usual security blanket [that she is one of the exceptions rather than the rule], So what should be done?
Beat her down into submission.
Michelle Obama represents everything we black women want our daughters to be. When we stand up for her we stand up for ourselves. No other women in the world are more neglected and abused as African women period. Michelle looks like [our] daughters, her daughters look like us. We love the way Barack looks at her we adore the way he looks at his daughters. The Obamas represent the hope that we can be loved by our men and they will support us in whatever we do. Little African American girls need a vision and dream of what it is like to be loved by a man who looks just like them.
Is America ready for a First Lady who looks like her? A regular black woman? Not a passable biracial curly haired girl that they call black, but a regular black woman from the south side of Chicago ? With dark skin?
Is she going to be the face of The Woman on the largest pedestal in the country? A self-confessed ‘loud-mouth” black woman? If the Obamas succeed, it turns white supremacy upside down. And not because a black man is in the White House; but, because a black woman will be there who didn’t have to come in the back door to lie in bed with the president.
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Is it not interesting that President Elect Obama, during his first press conference, refers to himself as a “mutt”, while prominent members of the Black community are in tears over this remarkable achievement of someone who they describe as “Black”?
Is it not interesting that every single advisor standing behind Obama was White? Should we be reading anything into all of this?
Do you think that a White President Elect would “get away” if he lined his first press conference with Whites only?
To quote Colin Powell, “Barrack Obama is not the Black President, he is an American President who happens to be black.” To all of you out of who think Obama is here to get pay back for the history of opression suffered by African Americans think again. He is not Malcolm X or Marcus Garvey, he is the product of a middle class American family. His mother was married to an African and also to an Asian, he was raised by his two white grand-parents. Mr. Obama is a product true American Diversity.
White America never had reasons to fear Black women , and they’ll certainly not begin now because one more educated than half the country is in the White House measuring the drapes.Black women have always been willing and useful participants in the subjugation of black men particulaly in the USA.
It is black men that not only white American males are scared of but Asian , Turks ,Arabs ,Persians , Latinos ,Eskimos, and even aliens from as far as planet mars as well- if given the chance to follow the characterizations in the global corporate medias.
I come out of a “retirement” of not writing nything for this paper again to ask T-man to look once more at the group of people backing Obama at that first press conference yesterday. Not only were there two identifiable African-Americans, one was a woman. None so blind as a Trini blinded by “race”. Maybe your screen needed enparging, or the angle of the camera was the one taken by Fox News?
This highly intelligent man, is first of all, an American. He is American of a biracial family. Kenyans are Africans, so are African-Americans. I am tired of repeating myself to those who cannot see or hear, because they look with jaundiced eyes, and are more interested, apparently, in causing strife. Thus—bye
It is with much irony that TMan whoever sees color and not America. Sure we have come a long way and the struggle was difficult and I am positive that we have more mountains to climb. But least you forget all of us living in the United States are citizens of this great country, whether born or naturalized. Obama is not a Black President; he is an American President for the people and by the people. As a citizen I too is of African descent and who knows what else flows in my veins, we are all mutts. I am proud of this brilliant and intelligent young man. He unlike T-man did not spend his time with a color chip on his shoulder, he was too occupied figuring out how to reach such a profound goal to be elected President of our country. Now can we think something positive please other than black and white?
Like Linda I too have decided to limit my intrusion into this site which sem to have become a spawning ground for UNC sycophants. Virtually evry topic has become a conduit for attacks on the capabilities of people of African descent, and the follies of the PNM and Manning represent the most delectable fodder for these screwed up mindsets.
Imagine a blatant falsehood that Obama has an all white advisory committee behind him at his pres conference when Parsons and two other African Americans are clearly visible there. The insult to peoples intelligence is carried forth with the propositon that white Presidents never have all white advisors behind them, and there would be furor if this ever happened. What planet or surreal universe are these people living in that they would come on this board and allege a double standard that favour blacks in a nation where 99% of the power resdie in the hands of whites. What a bunch of crap.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2008-11/43246948.jpg
I am delighted that Linda and Ruel have both come out of retirement. Now, maybe, we can have more insightful commentary.
T-Man I was of the view that we were benefiting all along from your insightful commentaries, are you saying that we were being deprived and needed the eventual return of Ms. L and Ruel to save us?
Shows how one can be wrong yes? Listen my friend , blogging on this forum is like an aprodasiac/addiction for some . Many cannot stay away even if you threaten to take away their dual citizenship, and confiscate the hundred acres real estate in Manzalinna or Las Lomas that they possess.
Neal, you are a LIAR if you believe black women have been used to subjugate black men. You want to play the victim, but really, your NOT. SHUT UP.
I hope you acknowledge how white America has TURNED black men against black women.
What nonsense. Anyone who thinks a significant number of white people in this country are threatened by Michelle Obama or any other person of color in a position of power or influence must have been doing a Rip van Winkle for the past 40 years. I suppose you think conservatives felt threatened by Condoleeza Rice or Clarence Thomas or Colin Powell or any of the other blacks in high government office under the evil Republicans. Step into the 21st century. The most amusing part of the recent election follies is that we managed — in the name of the dawn of the supposed post-racial Golden Age — to elect the only candidate whose ancestors actually owned black slaves: Barack Obama!
How about Trinidad Honey , who is responsible for turning the black men against the black women here, or did all these douglas emanate in our country via migration from Guyana or laisons with creatures from planet Pluto?
@ sarsfield
Your comment about Barack Obama being the only candidate to have ancestors that owned black slaves, is outright false.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/10/21/john-mccain-slave-family-we-ll-vote-for-barack-obama-115875-20824132/
Who cares TjP? It is time to cease looking back like Lot’s wife ,as one might suffer similar ‘saltlike fate.’
It is logical that some of Obama’s ancestors -which obviously were white- would have indulged in some form of slavery as did half of present day white America.
Take a page from another outstanding President from the state of Chicago Abe Lincon. He said- and I paraphrase- “I do not care what my grandfather was , I am more concerned with what his grandson is going to be.”
If anyone wishes to know how the Obamas will behave in the White House the simply have to look at the life of Jackie Robinson. Robinson as the first black man to play major league baseball in the 1940’s and 50’s, a far more racist time than today, carried himself with dignity and great self respest.
I agree that Michelle Obama is a formidable woman and I agree that she is a role model, not just for black women, but for women in general. Divorce, materialism, lack of education, lack of strong parental guidance and responsibility are not factors that only affect black people. The reality is that our social foundations are failing.
Our sons and our daughters are in need of strong positive role models at a time when “cash rules all”. I believe that is what Michelle and Barack Obama bring to us all. The hope that a family like that can exist for us all. The way the President elect looks at his daughters, is something all mothers hope that their children will have…no just black. The way they look at each other is what we all dream of, not just black men and women.
As a black woman I am tired of us using race as a crutch. The ills of society plague us all…
To real reason that Barack Obama won the elections is because of his strength and his strong moral beliefs. This is what the Obamas have brought back just to America but to the world at a time when it is sorely needed. That they are black is just icing on the cake….
I guess that one sycophant must recognize another. that being said, T-man, you need to get real. First of all, like everyone pointed out, there were two non-whites behind Obama. Any if there weren’t…SO WHAT!! C’mon man, try thinking out of the box…
Divorce …. and lack of strong parental guidance .. might not be limited to black people , but affects them the most.The biggest tragedy that ever happened to the black race was the lack of fathers in the home , as it has led to emasculation of the black male by over dominant black mothers , and unnecessary manufacture of overzelous , abrassive young black females brought up the same angry black fustrated women. Michelle obviously was spared that malady and we are seeing the end result.
I agree with MRN race must not be used as a crutch, let’s blame the food we like to eat. Thats’s a novel idea.
Re:”Barack escapes this ‘bad stuff’ only because his mother was white and may have had ancestors involved in the slave trade; and also because Barack’s father was not African American”
As far as the North American electorate is concerned, Barack Obama is an African American (see his very own pertinent examples, in which he cites his experiences in trying to stop a cap in midtown Manhattan). And he’s African American because, for time immemorial, race in the US has operated across the ‘one drop’ rule. This, in turn, is because whiteness functions as a symbol of purity, more so than it is one of two races (black and white). So Obama’s white mother makes him no less an African American man than Hale Berry’s half-whiteness makes her an African American woman. It’s always been this way, and I find it very interesting that a (full-fledged, for all intents and purposes) African American is the president of the United States, and his white mother seems to hold such a huge piece of the ‘Obama success’ puzzle.
No, Obama escapes this ‘bad stuff’ because he’s a skilled and strategic politician, who is well aware of what needs to be done to woo the hearts of the still-racist white heartland of America. He did it as a Harvard law student, and that got him the post of chief editor of the Harvard Law Review. And he did it on the campaign trail for the past two years, which ultimately won him the presidency. Barack Obama knows when to keep the ‘Jesse Jackson-like civil rights baggage’ at bay, but by no means has he fooled himself into believing that this fight is not his fight, as an African American. His time as a community organizer in Chicago attests to this, and dare I say, so does his choice of a wife!!
Very laudible comments , and we shall see if the young idealist has what it takes to lead in the interest of all including the perenially neglected. After reading the Princton undergrad thesis of young Michelle Obama I have some hope that perhaps she can do what Wini Mandella would have done had she not been dumped by the ungrateful Nelson as he surged to power in racist South Africa a few years ago- push President Obama to deal with bread and butter issues that relates to the poor , neglected ,and powerless that have been the bedrock of his country for centuries.
I take that back , as I might be the the real idealist here.