AAPP says: This could be the question of the 21st Century. Here is a great article by Eugene Robinson. Do you know the answer to the question? Check it out.
Are blacks prepared to elect Obama?
By Eugene Robinson
Are white Americans really, truly prepared to elect an African-American president?
Seriously, is a nation with such a long and shameful history of brutal slavery, Jim Crow segregation and persistent racism actually going to put a black man in the White House?
One of Barack Obama's principal tasks in the coming months may be convincing African-American voters that this whole phenomenon -- a black candidate with a well-financed campaign, proven crossover appeal and a real chance to win -- isn't just another cruel illusion.
I hear from African-Americans who are excited about Obama's candidacy but who suspect that somehow, when push comes to shove, "they" won't let him win. It's unclear who "they" might be -- white voters, the "power structure," the alignment of the stars -- and it's unclear how "they" are going to thwart Obama's ambition. The point is that, somehow, he'll be denied. More HERE
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When I campaigned for Jesse Jackson in 1984, I encountered a tremendous resignation among Black people, including children, who said that Jesse would be assassinated if he ever got close to the Oval Office. When they reminded me of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. and the many Panther leaders who were killed, I could hardly argue that their fears weren't based in some reality.
Today, however, we have Black leaders (and women) in some of the highest posts in the US Congress and even as Secretary of State. It's been quite a while since a national Black leader was assassinated, and the ones who were assassinated weren't elected leaders. They we leaders who challenged America from outside of the electoral system.
JFK was elected and he was killed, as were a lot of other people, so no one can say that the risk doesn't exist. But it's far from the certainty that it seemed to be two generations ago, and the only way to overcome such fears is to face them squarely, come what may.
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