Summary
As I sat down to write this column and typed today's date atop the page, for some odd reason that song began to play in my head. It was especially odd because the lyrics are in such sharp contrast to the topic I sat down to write about: How Sen. Barack Obama's selection as the Democratic presidential nominee should be viewed as a validation and confidence booster for African Americans. But, instead, the song continued in my head and the lyrics rang out like an indictment against Black men.
That brings me back to Obama. On the night he delivered his acceptance speech last week in Denver, the Illinois senator referenced his own absentee father, a brilliant man whom Obama met only once as a child and would seek to learn more about as a young adult as he tried to understand his own unique heritage. Surely, by now, most Americans know Obama's story and how his mother and her parents did all in their power to ensure that young Barack Obama did not become a statistic.Last week, I stood among the nearly 95,000 people gathered in the Mile High City to witness the historic moment when an African American accepted a major party's nomination for president. Obama's speech was moving to many in the diverse and enthusiastic crowd. People understood the weight of that moment, which took place on the day 45 years ago that our beloved Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream Speech" on the mall in Washington.While it was a catchy tune, it contributed to the negative perceptions and wounded spirits that have dogged Black men - and strained their relationships with Black women-for decades.See the full content of this document
Extract
Obama's Acceptance Validates Black Men
"It was the third of September. That day I'll always remember. Cause that was the day, that my daddy died," and so goes the song Papa Was a Rollin ' Stone by the Temptations, a chart topping hit for the group ...
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