I've been overwhelmed with different emotions over the past 13 days since America did the right thing and elected Barack Obama as the 44th President. There are still a few sparks of excitement and anticipation left over from the initial grandiose explosions of fireworks when I saw the election results. A Black President of the US seemed surreal, but it has become more and more real since I've heard Ru.sh Limbaug.h and S.ean Hann.ity on the radio ranting and damn near exploding like a shed filled with explosives lit from a long trail of gunpowder by a mischievous cartoon character. Despite two people's broadcasted rants that represent the various stages of outrage from 48% of the nation's registered voters, the other 52% of voting Americans are still reveling at the impending change that we anticipate. It also helps that our President-Elect is so crushworthy.
But the other night, I learned that we still have so far to go despite our voting. When I speak of we, I'm referring to my Black brothers and sisters.
I was visiting my family and got to play with my seven-month old niece, "DaBy". We have a nice bond already. It's just natural. Maybe she detects that I was just a light-complected as she was when I was a baby. Honestly, it's hilarious to me that my brother always picked at me for being the lightest, and now his daughter is even lighter than I am.
I love that little girl, but she can be quite a handful, especially when she's unhappy. Sometime during the evening, DaBy was completely irritated and was letting us know it while she wailed right in front of me. She literally was crying and fussing for no reason. At all. I know this because after about 8 seconds of trying the "What's wrong?" game with her, I decided to share some pictures of her cousins that were on the table.
"Look, DaBy!" I shouted in the excited tone reserved for little kids and PBS afternoon stars. "It's your cousin, Mimi! Isn't she pretty?! Ooh, and there's Lee! Isn't that such a pretty picture?! You'll grow hair like hers one day! Ooh! There's Mimi again! She's playing volleyball! You can play volleyball one day, too!!! YES! You can play whatever you want, and I'll bet you'll want to hit stuff!"
DaBy actually stopped crying and was looking at each of the pictures. She didn't even sniffle. Just looked at the pictures. Then, she turned and looked at me and started her baby talk. She really loves talking, so I do my little part to return the chatter back to her.
From out of nowhere, DaBy's other aunt (DaBy's mom's sister) has to say, "Ooh, look who sounds white."
I don't even really know this woman, but that pissed me off. Being who I am, I immediately told her to kiss my white ass. Maybe that convinced her I'm not so white. But how effed up is it that America and the entire world just celebrated the election of an intelligent, well-spoken, obviously educated, charismatic (and attractive) black man as the leader of the world's most powerful country, yet that nonsense notion of being a smart black person means trying to be white still exists? Everyone's victory in his successful campaign should actually illustrate more than ever how important and invaluable an education is. Parents of school children everywhere should point to our President Elect as an example as why young students have to pay attention in school and learn something; their child could be taking the Oath of Office one day. But that damn crabs-in-a-barrel mentality won't go away.
Honestly, the notion that such an effed up belief system that has held black people back for so long would instantaneously evaporate with an historic election is kind of silly. But with such an idealistic approach to life these days, that "woman's" words were almost a slap in the face of Obama's work and his supporters' colorblind beliefs. I still have hope for the rest of us and even DaBy waking her other aunt up to reality. Speaking clearly and understandable is not just a trait of white people. It's just a trait of a well-spoken, educated person. Period.
