Wednesday 5 November 2008

First Black American President

I woke up to the excitement from the radio that Barack Obama has won the battle for the presidency of the USA. Interviewees were very excited and reportedly black people were holding up photographs of their dead parents in the public festivities, so they could 'witness' the victory of the first black president of America. The result does seem quite momentous. However Obama is not due to take up office until January and one does worry about his security, given some of the extremist views in America. Hopefully, all will be well.

With all the financial problems in the world, he does not face an easy task. At least there is quite a bit of a post-election elation around. But how difficult the race question is - seemingly hundreds of black people have been emailing and ringing BBC TV this morning saying Obama wasn't black because of his white mother, then interviewees saying that if he calls himself black, that is fine. I suppose it is rather like both the whites and the Indians were prejudiced against Anglo-Indians in the past. But generally this election gives hope to many black people wherever they live in the world and hopefully Obama will be a fine example to young black people even in this country.

1 comment:

india flint said...

well whatever colour Mr Obama sure has the gift of the gab and is brilliant at speech making...nonetheless one suspects the presidency of the United States is a bit of a poisoned chalice, but one wishes him well...and hopes the extremists restrict themselves to taking potshots at beer cans instead