Kamna Arora

“One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society,” so said Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, in his historic public speech ‘I have a dream’ on August 28, 1963. King’s apprehensions were calmed 46 years later when Democrat Barack Obama became the first African-American to win the White House. King’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington was a defining moment of the Civil Rights Movement in America, when he was hoping for the harmonious co-existence of Blacks and Whites among others.

The colour of Obama’s skin made the 44th President of the United States of America as a character in the long, heart-rending tale of the US’ journey from a history of racial segregation.

Centuries back, the United States of America was viewed by the rest of the world for the prevailing bias, injustice and inequality on the basis of skin colour. The nation had White traders oppressing Blacks from Africa by enslaving them in 1619. It was a time when the very existence of black skin meant being humiliated by the ‘Whites Only’ boards. It is painful to realise that laws prohibited Blacks from accessing public facilities, including restaurants, toilets, parks, hotels, and stores. They were not allowed to use taps used by the white skin, and had limited access to public transportation.

The system of segregation denied Blacks of voting rights as well. Albeit slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865, yet they were not given the fundamental right of voting till 1964. The voting was a kind of privilege only given to Whites that time round. Sham literacy tests, violence and intimidation were the tools used by White administration to keep Blacks away from the polls, thus keeping them out of American community in the literal sense. They were forced to stay voiceless in the issues related to their own existence.

But things have changed for good since then. Today, we are the fortunate witnesses to the time whereby a young man, who is a son to the mother from Kansas and father from Kenya - has become the President after hitting success at primaries and caucuses. Obama’s entry into the White House will be an honour for his wife, Michelle. Mrs Obama is the descendant of slaves, whose family had lived through the civil rights era. According to the Telegraph, Michelle’s “admirers describe her as a 21st Century Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the woman who would bring a touch of Camelot glamour back to the White House after eight years of barbarian Texan rule.”

Obama’s nomination is very significant for the construction of Black identity in the US. It is underlined by the support extended by the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Obama. Notably, she and the Illinois Senator share the same skin colour, but do not come from the same political party. Moreover, her Republican background did not stop Rice from praising Democratic Obama`s nomination as a pioneer moment for equal rights after over two centuries of struggle.

"But what I would understood as a Black American is that Black Americans loved and had faith in this country, even when this country didn`t love and have faith in them, and that`s our legacy," Rice added, expressing the pain felt by Blacks in contemporary US.

Obama’s popularity gained another mile when he was endorsed by chat show queen Oprah Winfrey. "I`ve never taken this kind of risk before, nor felt compelled to stand up and speak out before because there wasn`t anyone to stand up and speak up for," Winfrey said, who was convinced that Obama can bridge the gap between Whites and Blacks in the US.

Then comes the endorsement from the most prominent Republican Colin Powell, who once tipped to become America’s first black President. His full-fledged backing to Obama added to the already higher credibility of the Democrat’s policies. It must have been a great moment of pride for Obama to see himself described as a “transformational figure” by the former US Secretary of State and retired four-star general. In the words of the 71-year-old Powell, the Democrat Obama “has both style and substance.” “He is a new generation coming . . . on to the world stage and on the American stage. And for that reason I’ll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.”

In a bid to avoid the issue of ‘race’, Powell said that he was extending support to Obama ‘not because of his race’ but because the latter had “met the standard of being an exceptional President”.

The rise of Obama, Winfrey and Rice is the offshoot of the civil rights movement that brought legal equality to Blacks. It was that movement that forced the ‘White’ government to instil money in Black communities for their advancement.

According to the Washington Post-ABC News poll, 71 percent of Whites and 76 percent of African-Americans perceived Obama’s presidential nomination as an indication to broad-based accomplishments for Blacks in the US. It also opened the window of hope for an increased percentage of Black voters, who now dream about their children in the White House.

Obama’s ascendancy to the White House is sure being seen as a momentous shift in the US politics. According to the US media, majority of the populace share the view that Obama’s ascension indicates the general progress for African-Americans. However, another poll does not indicate any major shift in the opinions apropos of the status of race relations. As per a June 2008 Post-ABC poll, race relations in the country were seen “excellent” or “good” by only a small majority, whereas about two-thirds of African-Americans think Obama’s candidacy would help race relations. However, Whites do not seem to be too pleased with the idea, the poll suggested. However, that will not stop Obama and his supporters from moving forward, in any way.

By and large, the progress of the Blacks in the US symbolises one of the most epic struggles of a minority race in the history books. Handing over the complete charge of the nation to a Black clearly reflects that the American people “insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time”.

The time has come when the Americans can put aside the burden of race, as Obama`s entry into the White House hints at the beginning of the new America which was once foreseen by the King.