Barack Obama: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Much like anyone else with more than a passing interest in world politics, I have recently found myself spending an inordinate amount of my spare time monitoring developments emerging from the primary season of the American Democratic Party. In some ways this is surprising, because after the debacle of the 2000 presidential elections in America, I lost interest in American politics altogether. But if, according to former British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, ‘a week is a long time in politics,’ then by comparison eight years is an eternity and sufficient time within which to renew one’s interest in American politics. And this I have done. So here I am once again, following with religious zeal the unfolding drama that is the primary season of the American Democratic Party.

There are no prizes on offer for guessing the reason for my renewed interest in American politics. It is down to one man – Barack Obama. Quite naturally, I feel an affinity towards him, being as he is of African origin and an African American in the truest sense of the term. But beyond this narrow bond of racial identification and affiliation, I am also impressed by his formidable array of attributes: intelligence, energy, youthfulness, resolve, courage, charisma, and oratorical skills. Attributes of which, would ordinarily propel any candidate, possessed of them, to the comfort of the White House in a presidential election year. But nothing is certain in American politics, particularly, after the fiasco of the 2000 presidential elections.

My revived interest in American politics also brings back memories of another period in time. Twenty years ago, this year, Jesse Jackson stood before the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, to deliver what is regarded as one of the best ever speeches in the history of the Democratic Party. In 1988, just like in 1984, he ran in a bid to become the presidential nominee of his party. In both attempts, he fell short of the mark and was ultimately unsuccessful in his objective. But, nonetheless, he succeeded in planting powerful seeds of hope and expectation in the hearts and minds of his party’s membership, whilst also laying the foundation for others to follow in his trail blazing footsteps in years to come.

Back then, Jesse Jackson admonished his party that the day of the underdog was not far off in American politics. As with every prophet – religious or secular – the purview of their time-frame is almost always futuristic, and there is often a time lag between their pronouncements and the fulfilment thereof. So Jesse Jackson was not wrong back then, he was simply ahead of his time.

During his momentous speech in 1988, Jesse Jackson touched upon various themes, delivering line after line of poignant and captivating oratory that achieved great resonance with his audience. One theme that he touched upon back then and which remains fresh in my memory till this day, had to do with the historical placement in America of his forebears and those of the late Michael Dukakis, his opponent at the time. As a preacher, poet, and politician his choice of words were wonderfully resounding and effective in their reach and impact; this is what he said.

‘Providence has enabled our paths to intersect. His foreparents (Michael Dukakis’) came to America on immigrant ships; my foreparents came to America on slave ships. But whatever the original ships, we’re in the same boat tonight’.

Keeping faith with the historical perspective of Jesse Jackson’s powerful words, but shifting the focus to comparatively more recent events; I am not certain what mode of vehicular transportation Barack Obama’s Father adopted when he embarked upon his journey of self improvement to the United States. But I am delighted that he set forth on that journey and that he arrived safely, and made the connection with Barack’s Mother. Not even he, back then, could have envisaged at the commencement of his journey that he was being propelled by the irrepressible winds of destiny and was part of a much larger unfolding plan of action. For quite often, auspicious journeys often begin in the most seemingly ordinary of circumstances.

Today, because two different men on two different continents set out at different times on different journeys, another man, standing on their shoulders and on the shoulders of countless others, has embarked upon a journey of his own and in the behalf of others. Unlike Shirley Chisholm’s journey of 1972 and Jesse Jackson’s trail blazing political odysseys of 1984 and 1988, Barack Obama’s journey of 2008, has about it, a sense of greater promise and success, and this, largely because of those who beat a path before him. Such is the interest in this pilgrim’s political progress that there is a real prospect of meaningful change occurring in America this year.

As much as I find current political developments in America exciting and encouraging, I also find it perplexing that it has taken this long to get to the point where either a black man or a white woman has a realistic shot at winning the presidential nomination of a major political party. For as far as I am aware, there have been black people in America since 1619, and I imagine white women for even longer. So I find it confounding and difficult to compute in my mind, particularly, against the background of the historical and philosophical underpinnings of the founding of the United States, why it has taken this long.

Right through the early periods of my induction into historical matters as a school boy, I’d always believed and had also been led to believe that the American nation was founded on the principles of equality and justice. But I acknowledge that quite possibly there may have been gaps in my learning that inadvertently led to my forming the wrong impression about the origins of the American nation. For this reason, and in order to dispel any erroneous impressions persisting in my mind, I decided to revisit some of the text on the founding of America.

Reading through the historical narrative of the founding of America, it is difficult, nay impossible, to arrive at any other conclusion, other than the fact, that the Founding Fathers (no Founding Mothers, I presume) were driven by the highest and finest of ideals. It appears to me that when they laid the cornerstone of their aspirational nation, they did so in the hope of erecting a New Jerusalem after the manner of the heavenly Jerusalem above. And in their attempts to build a paradisiacal nation on earth, they sought not only to cultivate a land of freedom, but also to enact the will of God on earth just as it is in heaven.

For by their avowal and espousal of the loftiest beliefs, they demonstrated that they were men acting not only under the inspiration of the divine, but were driven by the most sublime of motives. For hardly any other nation in the world can lay claim to a group of Founding Fathers who proclaimed belief in the following creed:

‘“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

But in reading these words, I am struck by the great gulf of disconnection between the rhetoric of the Founding Fathers and the reality for many American citizens, particularly those of colour and women. To these people, the rhetoric of the Founding Fathers though lofty, rich, elegant, and poetic in content and overtone, represent nothing more than a grouping of hollow words completely devoid of meaning. But how could this be so? Could it be that the Founders of America were actually duplicitous, deceitful, disingenuous, or even delusional men? We may never know for certain.

Perhaps no greater demonstration of the gulf of disconnection between rhetoric and reality can be seen, than in the periodic ritual dance of political candidates for the presidential nomination of their parties. This ritual dance, has more often than not, over the course of America’s history been overwhelmingly subscribed to and dominated by Caucasian males. For right from the inaguaral presidency of George Washington to the present day, the presidency of the United States has been the exclusive preserve of a select ‘band of brothers’ – all of Caucasian descent.

Thankfully, this year the gulf of disconnection is being bridged by the participation of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Party’s primaries. And with the withdrawal of John Edwards from the race for nomination, the Democratic Party will be making history, and quite possibly so will America.

It is perhaps, no surprise that it is the ‘broad church’ of the Democratic Party, rather than the ‘country club’ of the Republican Party, that has provided a platform upon which this dance of destiny is taking place. The Republican Party appears to be too preoccupied with maintaining the status quo rather than in making history. But in mitigation of the Republican Party’s position, it must be remembered, that it is they, while in government, rather than the Democrats, who have appointed, in succession, two African Americans to the important position of Secretary of State. So in some ways the Democratic Party is playing catch up.

America, right from its foundations to the present time, has been a nation of contradictions. Piping tunes of freedom, yet refusing to let many of its citizens dance to its beat. In many ways, this year, America has an opportunity to redeem itself in the eyes of the rest of the world. It needs to demonstrate that it is worthy of being the leader of the ‘so called’ free world. For me and many others, of the candidates on display, Barack Obama represents the best chance of actualising this opportunity.

I am not suggesting, not even for a moment, that he represents the ‘second coming’ or that he is some ‘other worldly’ redeemer who will resolve the problems of the world. Far from it. Neither am I taken in, to the degree, that I have reposed blind faith in his candidacy. None of this is the case. But I do believe that he represents the best hope and possibility of change for the better within the context of the American nation. With his background and mix of skills he has already demonstrated his ability to inspire not only his own people, but others around the world who look to America for leadership.

For those who think that he is not qualified to run. I say think again. For those who say that he does not represent anything more than inspiration, they only need to see how disillusioned people across the world have become with America’s current direction. For those who say that he is not a policy wonk and, therefore, should not be president, I say to them that is the function of presidents to preside and provide leadership. There will be room enough for policy wonks and technocrats of every description in a government he leads. For those who say that he is running too soon, I say, that there is no time like the present. So run he must.

In many ways, Barack Obama is running a race not only for nomination of his party, but a race for respect and recognition that began hundreds of years ago by others. And for this reason, he’s running a relay race, having received the pass of baton from those who ran, marched, and died so that others could experience the elusive freedoms declared to be the inalienable rights of all by the Founding Fathers.

Like the Totemic Poles of the native American Indians, Barack Obama is standing on the shoulders of giants gone before. On the shoulders of men and women of every colour, complexion and creed that have fought for freedom everywhere; the rainbow people of God.

The refrain of his campaign has been, Yes We Can, in answer to those who doubt their ability to effect political change in America. Only time will tell whether or not the tape will be breasted at this attempt. And in some ways, what matters most of all, is that the race is being run. And ultimately the only race that really matters is the human race. By accepting the reality and beauty of our diversity and celebrating our common humanity – we too – will have won the race. If America can demonstrate this year that it is mature enough to overcome its ancient prejudices, then maybe the rest of the world will also follow suit.

As I reach the end of this piece, I once again return to Jesse Jackson and to his spirited admonitions of 1984 and 1988 – to wit – that we must ‘keep hope alive,’ and challenge the status quo that seeks to keep us divided and apart from one another. If we are to build a world, one in which we can all be proud of, then we must embrace change as an agent of our collective renewal. America has a chance to do so over the coming months, and I hope to God that it has the courage to follow thorugh.

Conventional wisdom admonishes us about the possibility of change on a personal level by saying that ‘if something is to be, then it is up to me.’ The Hopi Indians, out of the abundance of their ancestral wisdom, relay a similar truth about the inevitability of positive change and our part in bringing it about, when they declare with prophetic and poetic profundity, that:

‘We are the People, We’ve been waiting for’

Barack Obama, Baraka (Blessings) upon you; and Yes, You Can, because you are standing on the shoulders of giants!