The President of the United States of America vs. the HNIC

President Obama released his birth certificate today to prove his right just to be in the room. For the uninitiated, THIS issue demonstrates the state of race in America. The wider, whiter public has likely turned away from this 'silliness' but just see how it festered. Those of us in Black America who have been charged with integrating the nation- from Little Rock Central High to the Oval Office- have always faced the implicit questioning of our legitimacy, and doubts about our competence. All the while, liberals have pretended not to understand the implicit nature of racial bias- the most liberal whites can be the most racist because they fail to question their implicit ideas about the 'Other'. So, here it is for all of us to see. The 'big guy' still have to prove his right just to be here, let alone deal with doubts over his intelligence (remember the surprise that Collin Powell could speak Standard English). That's all to say that we still have to work twice as hard to get half as far. Obama has worked triple as much as most all his predecessors, including communicating directly with the public. Yes, we know tons more about Obama than any other White House occupant. We must know, because like the poll taxes during Jim Crow, and like having to show two-ID's to get in a club in the half century since, this issue is unlikely to die here. This is what it means to be the HNIC. If you don't know what that means, you betta ask somebody.

Diepiriye: Constructing Global Citizenry