Toward a More Perfect Union

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A lot of people would argue that the election of Barak Hussein Obama in 2008 is a ful�llment of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream and that it would not have been possible without the accomplishments and struggles of Dr. King. The long-term contributions Dr. King made to the African-American community must be acknowledged. Yet, it is not the complete story. President Obama's election to the highest of�ce in the United States of America must also acknowledge the struggles of Black Nationalism.

Black Nationalism is often misrepresented by those outside the Movement as a radical pro-Black movement that has at its core anti-White sentiment. Nothing could be further from the truth. Black Nationalism promotes Black pride and the empowerment of the African-American community. It also promotes a sense of identity in the culture, values, and traditions of African ancestry that does not seek to deny contributions people of the world have made to the African-American community, but advocates self-suf�ciency. Is that sentiment anti-White? Absolutely not. What it strives to do is empower the community to �nd its worth based on not being or becoming something that denies the rich legacy and history of Blacks in America and the world.

Until the lion tells (and shares) his own history, the tales of a nation will always tell the stories of the hunter. The Black Nationalist Movement can be credited for putting African-American history into the textbooks and the curriculum of colleges and universities across the country. This Movement is responsible for sayings like, "Say it Loud" and "I'm Black and I'm Proud." It was this Movement that gave a man of Kenyan and White American ancestry the ability to look in the mirror and see a positive image and the possibility of becoming the president. This Movement reinforced an image that allowed a community to come together and see the possibility of an articulate African-American man and his African-American family occupying the White House and governing from the Oval Of�ce. This Movement allowed for some to reject the man on the basis of his political stance, while others embraced him.

The election of Barack Hussein Obama as the forty-fourth president of the United States marked a signi�cant event in African-American history. Never before in history has a known African-American been elected to the of�ce. (Intentionally used here is "a known African-American" because there are claims that there have been previous presidents of African descent.) Initially, African-Americans did not support his bid for the Democratic nomination. Many stated publicaly that he was not black enough. However, the tide turned for Obama and the African-American community, which is largely Democratic, rallied behind his bid. During his candidacy, Obama deliberately opted to steer away from the issue of race. He seemly understood that conversation with a racial undertone would cut both ways. The campaign team understood that there was a segment of the population that would vote against Obama, simply because of his ethnic background. Just as there were those who would vote for him for the same reason. For those who followed the campaign or

study it, it is obvious that he wanted to be judged based on his political platform, not on the color of his skin.

Then, candidate Obama was forced to address the issue of race candidly when newscasters began to delve into the background of the church he attended in Chicago, Trinity United Church of Christ, where Jeremiah Wright was the pastor. Pastor Wright came from a perspective very similar to David Walker. He �rmly believed that the Gospel of Jesus Christ should liberate people from oppressive conditions and empower them. He rose to national prominence when the news uncovered a sermon in which he stated the attacks of September 11, 2001 were America's chickens coming home to roost - implying that America's past was such that it deserved the terrorist attack. The other statement that was excerpted and played over and over and over again was his statement that it's

not God Bless America, but God damn America - referencing God's damnation of nations in the Old Testament who promoted un-Godly acts.

Pastor Wright's words forced candidate Obama to deal head-on with the issue of race in America. In the speech entitled A More Perfect Union, Obama publicly denounced the words of Wright without throwing Wright under the bus. The speech openly spoke of the realities of race relations in America and what African-American men and women have historically dealt with in order to survive in the nation. Ultimately Obama was forced to denounce Wright and resign his membership at Trinity when Wright made appearances at other events where he stood by his words.