Obama & Me: Part 1

Disclaimer: I wholeheartedly hope Mr. Obama loses the election in November, and can think of few people less qualified to be President and whose policies would be more disastrous for this nation.

But that said, I am also grateful for his nomination. I cheer that a black person has received the presidential nomination of a major party. And I am very thankful to have this opportunity to better understand what is means to be black, and how one's race can affect one's worldview and approach to defining and solving the problems of the world. Obama has written two books, Dreams of My Father and The Audacity of Hope, which give fascinating insight into his views on race. Because he is the son of a white, American woman and a black, African father, his background is quite different from that of most black people in our country who are the descendants of slaves. So his wrestling with his own identity provides a fascinating angle on what it means to be black in America.

So, I plan to post my way through both books, also commenting on his current comments and speeches in the political arena as they occur.

First, I think I should share some of my history and bias so that anyone might understand how I am coming to understand this man.

I was raised in a politically conservative, evangelical Christian home in the San Francisco Bay Area (a politically very liberal, faithless part of the country). I am certain there is plenty of racism in the Bay Area, but it was not obvious to me growing up. I was raised to view all people as equal, regardless of their color. I had friends in elementary school of people from multiple races, had bosses and co-workers after college of all races, and didn't give it much thought. Yet clearly so many see it as a pervasive, on-going curse and burden affecting all or most aspects of life for millions in our country. So I am eager to explore and better understand what race means and how the problems of racism might best be addressed, and whether some problems perceived to be the result of racism might really be of a different origin.