Cleaver: Obama Will Be the First Black President, Not the Black President First
December 17, 2008 by blackgirlgrown
Filed under featured articles, obama
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II: The black D.C. cabdriver and I connected immediately when it became clear that he simply couldn’t suppress his elation about the election of Barack Obama to the presidency. He told me that he had recently quashed some barbershop Obama-bashing arising from what some saw as Obama’s failure to name enough blacks to his Cabinet. “I told these barbershop politicos,” the cabbie said, “just wait until after he is sworn in, and then he will be free to do the black thing.”
I winced and, rather clumsily, tried to explain that Obama will be the first black president, not the black president first. While it isn’t my intention to hold up any critic of the president-elect to censure, I want to remind all those who strongly support the president-elect and wish desperately for him to succeed: If you like the honey, don’t kick over the beehive.
Since Obama’s historic Nov. 4 victory, there has been much discussion in the media suggesting that he faces a plate filled not only with issues related to the slumping economy and other urgent national challenges but also a hefty portion of the extravagant expectations of African Americans and other minority groups. Some, it seems, would rather put the new president into a pressure cooker instead of a melting pot. Read More.
