The Obama Legacy

The triumphant election of Barack Obama has unleashed the nation at last from the burdens of history. Being the first black man to step into the presidential role might however, materialize into increased scrutiny.

“It is always difficult being the first,” said Raphael Sonenshein, a professor of political science at Cal State Fullerton. “It means you spend a lot of time trying to keep people from attaching stereotypes to you.”

It was a symbolic moment when Obama won the presidency, one that supporters likened to the dream Martin Luther King spoke of during the 1960s Civil Rights Era.

In a society obsessed with racial divides, African Americans have long been stereotyped as emotionally or genetically inferior, said J. Owens Smith, professor of Afro-Ethnic Studies at CSUF.

“Society has always been reluctant to put a black man into a higher position,” said Smith, who cried when Obama won. “[But] now you have a young black, very articulate, [portrays] John F. Kennedy’s image and at the same time, there’s an economic crisis.”

But the high expectations that come with being the first also pack a load of pressure.

The president-elect’s victory managed to remove these black stereotypes and launch the imaginations of young African Americans through out the nation. As a result, the notion of “Mr. President” has completely been transformed.

“I’d say it has now changed for all time,” Sonenshein said. “With this door shattered, it is hard to see how it will be re-closed.”

Many black youth believe they can be president one day, too, Smith said.

“But wanting to become president and getting elected is two things,” he said. “It takes money to be president.”

Obama was able to garner the youth vote, about 23 million nationwide under the age of 30, perhaps more than any election since 1972, according to Civicyouth.org.

They served as the back bone for Obama’s success. Through grass roots organizing, the Internet and transparent campaigning strategies, Obama was able to gain support and funds, Smith said.

In the week following his success, citizens of all nations joined in the celebrations. They declared their delight in the president-elect and in America for transcending beyond years of racial inequality.

Many affirmed, on the same social networking sites Obama used to communicate with youth, that their love for and faith in America had returned once again.

“I’m very glad to see Obama [as] president even if I’m not American but I’m proud to see a black [man] in the White House for the first time in our history,” said Layla of Morocco, a supporter on Facebook.

Others closer to America also reveled in his election.

“For the first time ever since the last eight years, I truly wish that I was an American,” said Crystal, who is African Canadian, also on Facebook.

Supporters must realize however, the difference between campaign speech and reality, Smith said. The fundamental change Obama promised will not come right away.

“The issue is not about civil rights, it’s about the economy,” Smith said. “Once it’s solved, both blacks and whites will benefit.”

As Obama dives into the financial crisis, people will start to focus on his work ethics and how much gets done through his administration.

“It will be like JFK’s Catholicism. Obama will be remembered by what he does, not only that he was the first African American president,” said Kristen Monroe, a professor of political science at UC Irvine.

But the mere fact that he is black will always attract disapproval from those on the radical right.

“You don’t want to get caught in mistakes,” Smith said of Obama, who made no real mistakes during his two year campaign. “If whites make the same mistakes, they’ll get away with it.”

The president-elect will continue his strict, controlled and calm disposition, he said.

A taste of discrimination was evident during the campaign. Even some supporters of Sen. McCain were terrified that a black man could possibly be their next president.

Sen. McCain however, did not tolerate the bigotry and urged his followers to focus on the issues.

“A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt’s invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time,” McCain said during his conceding speech.

After his comments, a lot of white people will now follow suit, Smith said.

How the president-elect delivers on the economy and America’s necessities will determine his place in history, besides his status as the first African American to hold the position.

“Over time, the barriers begin to fall,” Sonenshein said. “We will see how long that takes.”

Credit: Urmi Rahman