My President Is Black (Circle the Bandwagons)

Now that it's all said and done, I can say with a bit of certainty that I really didn't think I would ever see a black President. It wasn't a conscious thought like "oh no, hey, there will never be one of those", but it was there nonetheless. In truth it never really crossed my mind. It wasn't something that I thought about. And, because of that, it was never something that I would aspire to. And that's the most profound effect.

I'm not sure if that's a statement to my own ideas of self worth, or the motivation I received from my communities to become something greater. I don't think it is. That is to say, I don't recall being told I "couldn't be anything I wanted to be." In fact I distinctly remember my parents, teachers, preachers telling me explicitly that I could be whatever I wished. And I know that my own father knows that I have that potential. It's been quite obvious to me since for the majority of my life he's been pushing me, much to my....discomfort, to be much better.

Still somehow, "president" was never in my mind. And to me that is the single greatest effect of racism and "post-racism" in the post civil rights era. There are still inferred ceilings, and boundaries that direct our aspirations, our goals and our actions. And seeing these boundaries broken opens up the mind to all the possibility that this life has to offer. I grew up, never realizing, at least consciously, that I had the potential to be President of the United States. I was fortunate enough to have successful family members - engineers, doctors, lawyers, public servants, scientists; and I was fortunate enough to know some very successful men and women in my community. And even with all that positive influence, there were some things I never thought possible for myself. Imagine what it must feel like to live in this world without half of the influence I've had in my life? What does this world look like to someone who can't see themselves holding a steady a job, much less becoming becoming President?

And the obligatory, "And what can we do about it?"