A lot has been said about Obama's blackness and the significance of his being the first African-American (Luo-American according to my friend Ken) in the highest office in the planet. Most people have said that what Obama will do as president is not important rather than what he has already done as an underdog winner. But I suppose Obama is a lot of something to very many different people.
first being an orphan, am sure it resonated very well with millions of Kids. His having been raised by grandparents is something many kids in his Siaya and kogelo village alone can significantly identify with. Am sure the same is shared by those million Americans who shed tears on our screens yesterday.
Another thing is that he was initially also raised by a single mom. and there are many like him. kids of single parents some of whom may feel that they are disfavored just for that simply reason. Further that his parents divorced at such an early age. Divorce is a major problem in America and elsewhere. also that he was son of a drunkard who could not settle on any one woman as wife. Many people find themselves in such situations and his win will encourage them that 'Yes They too can!'
But there are other similarities like his 'wrong' name Husein,Barak and even Obama. The fact that Barak could stop smoking and abusing other drugs with the support of his wife must give great courage and inspiration to many people who are caught in this addiction and any other major addictions.
But all in all my major lesson from the new president of the universe again to quote Ken is that if you are so down and so low then you have to work real hard , real smart and real different.
Was his life story that of fate? isnt it fate for all of us. In all the stories, i coulnt help but miss the mention of another great Luo brother Thomas Joseph Mboya. Whose briliance could not be stoped even by the bullet. More than 3 decades after he was felled by chauvinist coward evil men of the first kenyan administration, the
bye-product of his great vision is being toasted as probably the greatest president of the world ever!
by product of mboya's vision??pleeeeeze...now thats pushing it abit hard...
ReplyDeletetellua luo friend ken that if he thinks luo blood made obama a president, he better start making his blood 'true luo blood' coz he seems to me to be having less 'luo' blood since all he cfan do is talk but no success.
thats unlike obama
@annon, ok, i will tell him
ReplyDeleteOde, I think it will be very important what Obama will do in the office as well. Believe it or not there's a segment of the right wing nuts who are already engineering for his failure. This election was symbolic in so many ways. African Americans were widely disenfranchised from voting until the National voting act of 1965 which tried to clean up some of these practices. African Americans are still widely discriminated against when it comes to education, jobs, promotions, housing, etc. That's why this is such a huge step forward that for a group of people who are still treated as second class citizens in parts of the U.S., one of "us" was able to break that ceiling into the highest office in the land.
ReplyDeleteSlight correction on your post: According to Barack's first book, his stint with drugs was very short during his under-grad years (and to his defense, peer pressure during those years can be fairly strong). I think he had ditched that habit by the time he got to law school.
But all in all, VIVA OBAMA! I don't understand those who are trying to dampen our parade this early.