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Obama and Rev. Wright a Bi-Racial Issue
The question, why Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama never
left the church after Rev. Wright’s statements,
is not a black issue, but a bi-racial identity issue.
Growing up bi-racial has its own unique issues that are usually
never discussed. Bi-racial individuals have a
problem identifying "normally" with either race. We
are caught in the middle and find ourselves struggling
with who we are and with what race offers us acceptance.
My background is very similar to that of Barrack Obama. My
love for a man that gave me clarity and hope is
very similar to the love that Senator Obama has towards Rev.
Wright. After discovering that we are black,
and that acceptance by white people because our mothers are
white is dispelled, we then had to learn how
to be black. After years of searching for my place, I met a
man who inspired me and taught me how to be a
black man. In additionto teaching me how to be a black man,
he also taught me how to be a caring and loving
human being. He stressed the fact that I must be aware of how
people view me and treat me, but how I view
and treat them does not require that I takerace into consideration.
The absence of a male black figure in
Senator Obama’s childhood was filled by Reverend Wright
in the same way that the gentleman who entered
my life filled a void for me. I only knew what I would see on
the streets and on television about being a black
man. I knew that I didn’t want to be a thug, and I could
not be a professionalathlete because of my lack of
physical talent. I was educated and surrounded by white people
who I knew would accept me only to a
certain degree. It was not because they did not like me as a
person. It would only be, in some cases, just
because of my skin color. Where was my place in America?
My mentor taught me that I would be viewed and treated as a
black man, irrespective of how I viewed
myself. However, the defining of who I am as a person can only
be done by me. He taught me not only
how to be a proud black man, but also how to be a compassionate
and understanding human. There
were views that he had on issues with which I did not agree
in the least bit. It did not in any way change
how I viewed this man. I loved this man for giving me the keystone
in which I was building my arch in life.
This man took on the role of my father. The things that my father
could not teach me were supplied to
me through this man that I know, love and adore. He answered
a question that I had been in search
of all my life. The question that had kept me from being whole
my entire life was now filled by this man.
The hole I tried filling with money, sex, drugs and alcohol
was now filled by this gentleman. Neither my
mentor nor Rev. Wright (nor any of us, for that matter) is perfect.
Rev. Wright answered some of these same questions for Sen.
Obama. When reading his book,
Dreams from my Father,it was apparent that Senator Obama struggled
with his identity. Sen. Obama
acknowledges that he drank at an early age and experimented
with drugs. He made a good decision
not to continue this destructive behavior and turned his attentiontowards
his education. Yet, still, he
lacked a black male in his life to teach him how to be a black
man in America and also a loving caring
person at the same time. While Rev. Wright’s remarks were
not wholly accepted and endorsed by
Senator Obama, this difference in perspectives in no way changed
Senator Obama's views about and
loyalty to the man that filled an abyss in the senator's quest
to be the best human he can be. There is no
college or accomplishments that could have filled that hole.
There is no amount of money or intellect that
he may have possessed that would accomplish what only another
human could. The idea that he could
divorce himself and deny the love and appreciation for Rev.
Wrightis not plausible. We all forgive our
fathers for things that happened in our homes. We forgive for
things he may say towards us or our mothers.
Rev. Wright has a place of father, mentor , teacher in the
senator's heart and soul. To have disavowed
Rev. Wright would have been an abomination. I could never leave
or separate from the man that gave
me and my life meaning and hope. The idea of hope and love is
the most attractive attribute of Senator
Obama. America is in a state of hopelessness. People have stopped
dreaming of better days. This lack
of "Hope and Dreams" of a better tomorrow is what
has transcended ethnicity, age, and socio-economic
status in attracting the masses to the philosophies of Senator
Obama. That which attracts so many of
us to Senator Obama is due in no small part due to the role
Rev. Wright has played in the senator's life.
The idea of looking for good in people and understanding is
a lost art.
My mentor told me that once I realized that it was not for
me to be understood, but for me to be understanding,
I would then be on my way to being a loving human being. I believe
Senator Obama understands through this
journey of self-identificationthat he is not only a Black man,
but more importantly a caring and compassionate
human being who wants to make a changein people’s lives.
Once we all truly understand the importance of Rev Wright to
Senator Obama’s development as a whole
person, we then can understand and appreciate the ability of
a human to respectfully disagree with another's
views, while compassionately appreciating the goodness of others.
I think someone once referred to this
phenomenon as tolerance. Hmmm. What a wonderful feeling it is
to know that tolerance and empathy are
more than the stuff of which lofty goalsand sound bites are
made. They are laudible and deeply held virtues
of the man I hope to soon call Mr. President.
*The author, Eugene E. Brooks, is completing his book, Behind
the Cover, which addresses the issues
related to being bi-racial in America. The book chronicles the
author's battles with addiction that lead him
from being homeless to graduating from law school nearly thirteen
years ago. See www.halfblackhalfwhite.com
for more details regarding his book. Mr. Brooks can be reached
for comments at eugenebrooks@sbcglobal.net.
About the Author: *The author, Eugene E. Brooks, is completing
his book, Behind the Cover, which addresses
the issues related to being bi-racial in America. The book chronicles
the author's battles with addiction that
lead him from being homeless to graduating from law school nearly
thirteen years ago.
See www.halfblackhalfwhite.com
for more details
regarding his book. Mr. Brooks can be reached for comments at
eugenebrooks@sbcglobal.net.
