Is Barack Obama Black Enough?

Over the last couple of days I observed several news shows posing the question, “Is Barack Obama black enough to win the African-American vote? The answer is a resounding yes, although he shouldn’t have to answer this type of question. The very nature of the “is he Black enough” question plays into American stereotypes that African-Americans are monolithic as a race. Although Blacks like other minorities and nationalities share commonalities in beliefs and experiences, we as individuals are unique as the current snowflakes bombarding upstate New York and should not be prepackaged as all being the same.

It is ridicules to think that just because Senator Obama isn’t a direct byproduct of the Civil Rights Movement and he wasn’t raised in an inner city means he cannot connect with African-American. I think he has a direct connection to African-Americans because of his involvement in the fight for civil rights and economic empowerment of Blacks. Additionally, he’s associated himself as being part of the Black community, i.e. he could’ve followed the Tiger Woods’ approach and push for the media to consider him as of mixed heritage as opposed as being characterized as being solely African-American.