Monday, October 23, 2006

Obama Correction   [Jonah Goldberg]

Or at least a clarification. Sounds fair enough to me. From a reader:

"His father was an African, not an African-American and Obama's life story has almost no interaction with traditional American black culture until he launched his political career."

If you read his book, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, you know that comment "almost no interaction with traditional American black culture until he launched his political career." is completely untrue.  His book shows an angst that is quite typical of the identity problem faced by many young black men.

He tried to find his black identity in drugs and basketball.  But more importantly his job as a community organizer prior to going to Harvard brought him in great interaction with traditional American black culture, if there is any such thing.

I happen to believe there is not a traditional American black culture.  Of course, I write this as a black woman who was raise in Middletown, RI.  I know what it is like to grow up as a minority.  I personally think that is the really of most black Americans, not the ghetto that is projected on TV. 

Of course, raised by white grandparent and attending private schools in Hawaii is not the typical of any American black or white.  However, Obama's wife is black and so are his children.  He got them before he ran for the Senate, or political office in Illinois.

I don't like the guy for pres., but reading his book I say he like a lot of black people, if you think typical black American is either living in the south or the inner city you missed what has happened since desegregation.

 

10/23 04:15 PMShare