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On the bold, it is not a problem to make a distinction. I have no issue with Africans claiming not to be black Americans nor of black Hispanics claiming not to be black Americans. However, Obama actually is a black American. He was an island of blackness in his family. He went to high school in America, college in America. He just has a different experience as a black man than someone in a different locale versus where he lived. But he is black and he is connected to the history of America via his mother's lineage and he, like most black people in this country who are black Americans - does have a knowledge base regarding the history of black America (Obama actually has a lot of knowledge about the history of our people, more than most run of the mill black people because he took an interest in it - the fact that he is knowledgeable about this particular subject and our culture and is a voracious reader himself - is something I personally admire about him). He has never not said he was black - like the aforementioned groups who are counted as black in this country have done. You may just not like him, and that's cool, lots of black people I know don't like him either 100% and I don't like him 100% but for me, he is black and most importantly, he is very knowledgeable about our struggles as a demographic over the course of history. Interestingly, I noted I have free black ancestors. I also have ancestors who are from the same county/town in VA as Michelle Obama's ancestors. Barrack married a black woman and has black children who have a legacy of slavery. He is black. To claim otherwise is just kind of silly to me and unnecessary. What purpose does it serve for you to say he isn't black? I cannot think of why that would be important when if you saw him on the street and met his family when you'd never heard/known about him, you'd not think anything of his enslaved ancestors and just accept him as a black man.
I've mentioned on reparations programs before that one could easily prove they are entitled by tracing their family's ancestry back to the 1870 census on at least 2 lines of their family tree. Ninety percent of the black population in 1870 had been enslaved.
That would be an easy qualifier without causing broad divisions within the black community as a whole. On immigrant groups making more money/being more educated - it depends on where the immigrant is from. When I worked in housing I helped with programs for refugees. The majority of our refugees were from Asia and Africa. The Africans were primarily from Somalia. Somalians demographically, alone, are not better off than black Americans who are descendants of slaves. They are not the same as someone from Nigeria or Cameroon (and these two seriously had issue with each other who I worked with from these nations!) or people from Ghana, etc. Just like the Hmong and Chinese are not the same. Some immigrant groups only send the best and brightest and because they understand what I stated earlier (especially on the part of many African immigrants in particular) that is is easier here due to not having as much of a struggle for basic needs - they basically do what I and other black Americans do - they set a goal and they work at it and achieve it and don't take "no" for an answer. If a block comes up, they work around it and they do what they need to do. They know that no one else will do for me and many African immigrants I've worked with and those in my family (primarily from Nigeria and Ghana) they have experienced race based discrimination in America and once they are here for a number of years, they can understand how it can take a hold of one's mind, but it is not something they've struggled with for many generations and so they can brush it off easier. IMO we also need to brush it off easier. There is nothing wrong with advocating for reparations, but we are stronger with higher numbers and tolerance within our community. Trying to deny a black experience to actual black Americans - like Obama and other mixed race individuals, mixed with black, who actually identify as black makes other black people in the community not want to support your goals/aims - it drives a wedge.
I'll be honest in that I don't support any black individual or organization that seeks to divide or denigrate black Americans who are actually half black or mostly black and who fully embrace being black.
Speaking on Obama specifically, he was the president of the US for eight years. He had a lot of power to get things done. For someone who supposedly know so much about black struggle in this country, none of his policies truly did us any good. No one can tell me one thing he put in place that substantially increased our quality of life. For instance, compared to Bush's SBA, Bush gave 8% of SBA loans to black businesses versus Obama's 1%. How is that possible from a president that understands our struggle, doing so little compared to the president that "doesn't care about black people?"
During the whole bailout fiasco I keep bringing up, Obama could have audited the banks and told them, "In order to receive these trillions of dollars of bailouts, you must give a substantial percentage of your business and home loans to black DOS." That would have immensely increased our wealth standing and quality of life. Did he do it? Nope. Not only did he not do it, he completely let these predatory lenders off the hook. They screwed up the market, and got paid for it. That is our first "black" president that did that.
So just because one is black or have black skin, doesn't automatically mean they understand the struggle or legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. As I said, just because other groups see Obama's skin color and call him the N-word, doesn't mean he is immersed in the legacy.
I say this with Obama because he was in a position to actually help us. You think if MLK became president, he wouldn't have done anything for us? Yet we treated Obama as if he was a culmination of the work of the Civil Rights Movement. HBCUs suffered under Obama, our first black president. So the legacy means something, and not everyone understand that despite being black. Even a lot of black DOS don't fully understand these things. Because most black people are at the bottom, I don't want Oprah speaking for us. She's shown she doesn't understand how she came up in the age of Affirmative Action. I don't want Michael Jordan speaking for the black community. I'll keep saying this, we need to know where black people are in terms of the data.
Speaking on Obama specifically, he was the president of the US for eight years. He had a lot of power to get things done. For someone who supposedly know so much about black struggle in this country, none of his policies truly did us any good. No one can tell me one thing he put in place that substantially increased our quality of life. For instance, compared to Bush's SBA, Bush gave 8% of SBA loans to black businesses versus Obama's 1%. How is that possible from a president that understands our struggle, doing so little compared to the president that "doesn't care about black people?"
During the whole bailout fiasco I keep bringing up, Obama could have audited the banks and told them, "In order to receive these trillions of dollars of bailouts, you must give a substantial percentage of your business and home loans to black DOS." That would have immensely increased our wealth standing and quality of life. Did he do it? Nope. Not only did he not do it, he completely let these predatory lenders off the hook. They screwed up the market, and got paid for it. That is our first "black" president that did that.
So just because one is black or have black skin, doesn't automatically mean they understand the struggle or legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. As I said, just because other groups see Obama's skin color and call him the N-word, doesn't mean he is immersed in the legacy.
I've say all on this with Obama because he was in a position to actually help us. You think if MLK became president, he wouldn't have done anything for us? Yet we treated Obama as if he was a culmination of the work of the Civil Rights Movement. HBCUs suffered under Obama, our first black president. So the legacy means something, and not everyone understand that despite being black. Even a lot of black DOS don't fully understand these things. Because most black people are at the bottom, I don't want Oprah speaking for us. She's shown she doesn't understand how she came up in the age of Affirmative Action. I don't want Michael Jordan speaking for the black community. I'll keep saying this, we need to know where black people are in terms of the data.
Obama was elected during the worse economic crisis of our country's history since the Great Depression.
I mentioned earlier, I don't like him 100% but to ignore the fact that our economy was in tatters when he was sworn in is really disingenuous.
On SBA loans, those are dependent upon people applying and the credit/record of the owner and the business. Bush was in office after the economic upturn of the Clinton years - blacks were in a better financial position to take a risk and start a business during the earlier parts of Bush's administration. This was not the case for Obama's administration where black incomes, wealth, homeownership rates, etc., had dramatically decreased by 2009 and his inauguration.
I think Obama, as a person who reads on black history is aware of what I've mentioned throughout the thread. When conditions we well, black people will do well - we are resilient people and we are hardworking people. I also do feel that he did have a good understanding of the struggle and legacy of slavery and Jim Crow and he got called a N-word and treated poorly because of his unique understanding of that struggle based on being a black man - people still get upset about him saying Trayvon Martin could have been his son. He was right in that and he knew about the history of bias in our nation and how biases/stereotypes impact the view of and treatment of black people in this country.
Again, I'm not getting why you'd not want to consider him black. And that may be your bias. But it is not based on his words or actions. Also, I've noted I'm an HBCU alum. Are you an HBCU alum? HBCUs suffered like all colleges/universities due to the economic crisis. The economic decisions Obama made were based upon his views of what would stabilize the nation's economy. We are a part of the nation and we stand to be improved same as the rest of the nation when the general economy is well.
Oprah came from the bottom. Sorry but you seem like you are watching too many videos or reading too many sites that repeat a lot of false information about Oprah. Her story and my own are very similar actually except she's a billionaire lol. I don't want to be a billionaire but she was a huge inspiration to me and my cousins when we were girls. Note, many in my family thinks she a b**ch lol. I can kind of agree with that lol. But IMO a woman has to be kind of b**chy to succeed in a male dominated, white dominated business world. Oprah is a she-ro and an example of what black people from object poverty can overcome. She had a horrible childhood and she used her mind and her abilities to work her way up. No one can say anything was given to her for her looks either cause she isn't that great looking. It was her. She was an inspiration and she gives millions of dollars to HBCUs. I know because one of the scholarships I got she funded. She also pays for men to matriculate with no debt at all at Morehouse college and Morehouse is over $40k per year. It makes no sense to denigrate successful black people who actually assist black people here and abroad.
Obama was elected during the worse economic crisis of our country's history since the Great Depression.
I mentioned earlier, I don't like him 100% but to ignore the fact that our economy was in tatters when he was sworn in is really disingenuous.
On SBA loans, those are dependent upon people applying and the credit/record of the owner and the business. Bush was in office after the economic upturn of the Clinton years - blacks were in a better financial position to take a risk and start a business during the earlier parts of Bush's administration. This was not the case for Obama's administration where black incomes, wealth, homeownership rates, etc., had dramatically decreased by 2009 and his inauguration.
I think Obama, as a person who reads on black history is aware of what I've mentioned throughout the thread. When conditions we well, black people will do well - we are resilient people and we are hardworking people. I also do feel that he did have a good understanding of the struggle and legacy of slavery and Jim Crow and he got called a N-word and treated poorly because of his unique understanding of that struggle based on being a black man - people still get upset about him saying Trayvon Martin could have been his son. He was right in that and he knew about the history of bias in our nation and how biases/stereotypes impact the view of and treatment of black people in this country.
Again, I'm not getting why you'd not want to consider him black. And that may be your bias. But it is not based on his words or actions. Also, I've noted I'm an HBCU alum. Are you an HBCU alum? HBCUs suffered like all colleges/universities due to the economic crisis. The economic decisions Obama made were based upon his views of what would stabilize the nation's economy. We are a part of the nation and we stand to be improved same as the rest of the nation when the general economy is well.
Oprah came from the bottom. Sorry but you seem like you are watching too many videos or reading too many sites that repeat a lot of false information about Oprah. Her story and my own are very similar actually except she's a billionaire lol. I don't want to be a billionaire but she was a huge inspiration to me and my cousins when we were girls. Note, many in my family thinks she a b**ch lol. I can kind of agree with that lol. But IMO a woman has to be kind of b**chy to succeed in a male dominated, white dominated business world. Oprah is a she-ro and an example of what black people from object poverty can overcome. She had a horrible childhood and she used her mind and her abilities to work her way up. No one can say anything was given to her for her looks either cause she isn't that great looking. It was her. She was an inspiration and she gives millions of dollars to HBCUs. I know because one of the scholarships I got she funded. She also pays for men to matriculate with no debt at all at Morehouse college and Morehouse is over $40k per year. It makes no sense to denigrate successful black people who actually assist black people here and abroad.
It looks like she is doing the job the government should be doing. Her resources are very limited. Has she argued for policies specific to correcting past wrongs? Anytime I hear a rich person donating anything, black or white, I always think tax write off. In any case, with the limited resources, only a few benefit. I want the entire group to flourish. I'm not speaking down on her or other black people, just asking questions. I would much rather they advocated politically, than made donations. Bill Gates make a lot of donations through his foundation. It doesn't mean crap to me. I think he's a crappy person because of wage theft. Its just questions I ask.
Now, Obama, I give him no excuses at all. I don't care if he inherited a nation that was just hit by a thousand nuclear bombs. You are a black president, the first one. You don't take that lightly at all. Otherwise, what was all the fuss about a black person becoming president? It was way too much fuss about these things, only to find out he didn't do anything substantial for the black population. So for a people who have been called ignorant in terms of not voting, we finally get out and vote, and these are the results we get back? That we shouldn't have expected him to do anything for us? Then why vote?
Did you know the Black Caucus had to petition our first black president just to speak with them? Now, the Black Caucus is full of people who much like Obama, don't really get a lot done or even fight for us. It was much different during the 70s when it formed. You had strong leaders like Shirley Chisholm in the room. Yet in spite of what the CBC is today, they in name represent black folk. It took a year and a petition for Obama finally meet with them, our first black president. Then all he did was talk down to black America when they did meet. This doesn't sound like a guy who understood our legacy in this nation.
Remember his final demand of us before leaving office. Listen to it.....
The nerve of this man!!!!! Didn't do jack for us, then tell us he would consider it a PERSONAL insult if we didn't essentially vote for Hillary. By the way, he said the end of mass incarceration was on the ballot. Does this fool not know it was a Clinton that increased black incarceration by leaps and bounds? Does he really understand the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow? We got to ask these questions. So I give him no excuse. It would probably be more likely we get reparations than getting another black man in office. You only had one shot. Obama stole this from a real DOS, and he did nothing with it. I'll be honest with you, and this will probably get a lot of side eyes thrown my way. if Obama and Trump was standing before me right now, I would shake Trumps hand versus Obama's. Yep! I would shake Trump's female genitalia grabbing hand before I ever looked Obama's way. That is how much I can't stand this guy.
This is true and has been the way in this country for many centuries. It is pretty laughable honestly to me and it is, in a way racist, as they feel we are too dumb (inferior) to know anything about our own lives and experiences and the fact that we have a large amount of diversity of thought in regards to politics in particular.
I find it interesting that the few posters who came and tried to claim you/the post was "racist" are the same posters who continuously spout a lot of stereotypical nonsense about black Americans on this board.
It is also ironic. These will often be the same persons who say "Democrats have brainwashed Black people" and claim "Democrats are the true racists for assuming Blacks are stupid". We have people on the right basically doing that stuff.
It looks like she is doing the job the government should be doing. Her resources are very limited. Has she argued for policies specific to correcting past wrongs? Anytime I hear a rich person donating anything, black or white, I always think tax write off. In any case, with the limited resources, only a few benefit. I want the entire group to flourish. I'm not speaking down on her or other black people, just asking questions. I would much rather they advocated politically, than made donations. Bill Gates make a lot of donations through his foundation. It doesn't mean crap to me. I think he's a crappy person because of wage theft. Its just questions I ask.
Now, Obama, I give him no excuses at all. I don't care if he inherited a nation that was just hit by a thousand nuclear bombs. You are a black president, the first one. You don't take that lightly at all. Otherwise, what was all the fuss about a black person becoming president? It was way too much fuss about these things, only to find out he didn't do anything substantial for the black population. So for a people who have been called ignorant in terms of not voting, we finally get out and vote, and these are the results we get back? That we shouldn't have expected him to do anything for us? Then why vote?
Did you know the Black Caucus had to petition our first black president just to speak with them? Now, the Black Caucus is full of people who much like Obama, don't really get a lot done or even fight for us. It was much different during the 70s when it formed. You had strong leaders like Shirley Chisholm in the room. Yet in spite of what the CBC is today, they in name represent black folk. It took a year and a petition for Obama finally meet with them, our first black president. Then all he did was talk down to black America when they did meet. This doesn't sound like a guy who understood our legacy in this nation.
Remember his final demand of us before leaving office. Listen to it.....
The nerve of this man!!!!! Didn't do jack for us, then tell us he would consider it a PERSONAL insult if we didn't essentially vote for Hillary. By the way, he said the end of mass incarceration was on the ballot. Does this fool not know it was a Clinton that increased black incarceration by leaps and bounds? Does he really understand the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow? We got to ask these questions. So I give him no excuse. It would probably be more likely we get reparations than getting another black man in office. You only had one shot. Obama stole this from a real DOS, and he did nothing with it. I'll be honest with you, and this will probably get a lot of side eyes thrown my way. if Obama and Trump was standing before me right now, I would shake Trumps hand versus Obama's. Yep! I would shake Trump's female genitalia grabbing hand before I ever looked Obama's way. That is how much I can't stand this guy.
I would certainly agree that he was not flawless though he did get the prison sentences shortened for over 300 inmates. His comment about Hillary is interesting though considering that he initially deemed her to be very untrustworthy.
Kill and Killary are responsible for the mass incarceration of so many black folks over petty crimes. Let's not forget how they did Haiti. Do you think that black men and women get harsher sentences for drug offenses than their white counterparts?
It looks like she is doing the job the government should be doing. Her resources are very limited. Has she argued for policies specific to correcting past wrongs? Anytime I hear a rich person donating anything, black or white, I always think tax write off. In any case, with the limited resources, only a few benefit. I want the entire group to flourish. I'm not speaking down on her or other black people, just asking questions. I would much rather they advocated politically, than made donations. Bill Gates make a lot of donations through his foundation. It doesn't mean crap to me. I think he's a crappy person because of wage theft. Its just questions I ask.
Now, Obama, I give him no excuses at all. I don't care if he inherited a nation that was just hit by a thousand nuclear bombs. You are a black president, the first one. You don't take that lightly at all. Otherwise, what was all the fuss about a black person becoming president? It was way too much fuss about these things, only to find out he didn't do anything substantial for the black population. So for a people who have been called ignorant in terms of not voting, we finally get out and vote, and these are the results we get back? That we shouldn't have expected him to do anything for us? Then why vote?
Did you know the Black Caucus had to petition our first black president just to speak with them? Now, the Black Caucus is full of people who much like Obama, don't really get a lot done or even fight for us. It was much different during the 70s when it formed. You had strong leaders like Shirley Chisholm in the room. Yet in spite of what the CBC is today, they in name represent black folk. It took a year and a petition for Obama finally meet with them, our first black president. Then all he did was talk down to black America when they did meet. This doesn't sound like a guy who understood our legacy in this nation.
Remember his final demand of us before leaving office. Listen to it.....
The nerve of this man!!!!! Didn't do jack for us, then tell us he would consider it a PERSONAL insult if we didn't essentially vote for Hillary. By the way, he said the end of mass incarceration was on the ballot. Does this fool not know it was a Clinton that increased black incarceration by leaps and bounds? Does he really understand the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow? We got to ask these questions. So I give him no excuse. It would probably be more likely we get reparations than getting another black man in office. You only had one shot. Obama stole this from a real DOS, and he did nothing with it. I'll be honest with you, and this will probably get a lot of side eyes thrown my way. if Obama and Trump was standing before me right now, I would shake Trumps hand versus Obama's. Yep! I would shake Trump's female genitalia grabbing hand before I ever looked Obama's way. That is how much I can't stand this guy.
I know all that about Obama. But again, I just didn't think he'd do anything of value for black people. I think his election was significant only because he was the first black president from an historical perspective of our nation and I do think that image was one that does mentally break down barriers for young black people and other young Americans - in that they have seen and know that there can be a black president who can lead the country - it is no longer a far fetched, outrageous idea and so that mental barrier was enough IMO for black people to see.
I don't take up for anything in regards to his work for black people, because, again, I didn't expect him to do anything significant for black people. Him just being black, for a lot of us, meant he was more trustworthy than his white opponents, as I mentioned earlier. People voted for him just to see him win in many instances. In 2008 I remember being in line to vote with black crackheads who had never even been registered to vote until he ran lol! I'd never seen the line so long to vote. I'm sure my crackhead neighbor lady didn't expect him to get her off of crack. He was not and is not a god. He' a man and men and women are flawed by nature and cannot fix everything for specific people.
Today, if he ran again, I'd vote for him over Hillary, over Trump, over GW Bush, over Bill, over McCain, any other well known political person really on the left or right.
As long as he did not create barriers for black people (which I think is important from a political perspective for all elected officials I vote for) then I'm good.
I agree the CBC isn't as effective as it was in the past. I'll also note that Shirley Chisolm - the first black person and woman to run for president - was West Indian. I note that because it is important based on a previous post to note that she is a part of black America and the black experience even though she was a black immigrant. She, like Obama was knowledgeable about the racial reality and past of this nation and it is important for us to remember that we are a "community" and not to push black people out of our community based on our own ideal of what we want them to be.
LOL on Trump's female genitalia grabbing hand!!!
I'd shake both Trump and Obama's hand and even Hillary. I mentioned I'm a secular humanist - people are people IMO and don't always do what we want them to do. I don't hold gripes about that as being a leader in the spotlight is very difficult and I don't expect miracles from politicians and especially not immediate miracles. Presidents do not control everything in the country. I know this to be the case which is why I knew that Obama wouldn't be able to do much of anything specifically for black people except break a barrier.
I would certainly agree that he was not flawless though he did get the prison sentences shortened for over 300 inmates. His comment about Hillary is interesting though considering that he initially deemed her to be very untrustworthy.
The bold is why I said politics is a dirty business. The speech about the personal insult was a party liner speech. I remember when it first aired and he said it. I was like lol.
I truly do despise party politics, which is why I will never join a political party, ever.
I also do think that his administration was beneficial to people trapped in a racist criminal justice system. He did shorten those sentences. I personally know two people whose sentences were reduced (commuted) and they were released from prison not too long after that occurred - both were black males incarcerated for drug crimes for life sentences related to crack cocaine.
On all the issues that Obama tackled, IMO he actually did benefit the country the most in regards to focusing on racial disparities in sentences for drugs (crack vs cocaine) and making sure to use his powers to commute or pardon people who had drug offenses. I remember reading it was nearly 2000 pardons/commutations total, more than any other president since FDR. Even though drug laws impact every demographic, due to racial bias in the criminal justice system and disparities in sentencing based on drug types, his actions in this regard were beneficial for black Americans who were victims of these discriminatory practices.
However, other than that and I also know he did increase the funding to the Minority Business Development Agency, he didn't "do" much for black people. But other presidents haven't either. I just don't expect presidents to do much for black people. I have more of an expectation from the CBC who Heavenese mentioned earlier versus the president as Congress, as a body is more powerful than the president. I do feel that most CBC senior officials are too old and need to retire, including John Lewis and Maxine Waters amongst others.
There are some who claim that Obama caused the racial tension that we have today. I’ll agree that it was going on well before the Trump administration but I don’t see how Obama directly caused it. He may h e indirectly caused t by winning a second time. WDYT?
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lol. 
Obama and racial division.
