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New Generation of Politics

What is black enough, anyway?

By Tanya - Feb 21st, 2007 at 8:46 am EST

Also listed in: 1,000,000 Americans for Obama | Black Moms for Obama

I am also very concerned with allegations that Barack is not “black enough”. As a black woman I have to ask myself, what exactly does “black enough” mean? Have black people in America reduced ourselves to the manifestation of a collection of stereotypes? Do we have to speak, walk, and dress a certain way to consider ourselves part of black society? If so, I never received that memo. I contend that in reality Barack Obama is the epitome of black America, but if we must have criteria to satisfy some national “black-o-meter”, I suggest these:

Is the person of African ancestry?
Was the person born in America?
Does he/she claim to be African-American?
Does he/she identify with the black community?
Does he /she support the black community?

Barack more than satisfies my criteria. He is a man of African ancestry who was born on American soil. He openly identifies with the black community, married a black woman, attends a black church, and supported the black community as a community organizer and civil rights lawyer. Not only is he black enough, but represents the black community extremely well.

You will notice that I did not list behavior as suggested criteria. For all of our unifying characteristics, black behavior is as varied as the hues of our skin. You can find black people who are radical, liberal, conservative, gay, straight, religious, atheist, urban, suburban…and so on. I mean really, claiming a common black behavior is as ridiculous claiming a common white behavior.

No matter the origins of the question to Barack’s blackness, his response on 60 minutes exemplifies why I respect him so much. He says he’ll have to earn our votes like everyone else. Barack does not patronize black people. He doesn’t treat us like we share a brain and cannot make informed, educated decisions. That in itself shows how much he understands and respects black people. I therefore encourage my black brothers and sisters who question Barack’s blackness to try and define blackness for yourselves. My guess is that Barack will meet your criteria also.

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