The Obama Symbol

The wave has broken. Since November 4th all newspapers, televisions and radio stations speak only of Obama, the first American president of mixed blood, with a non Anglo-Saxon family name: Tremendous! Exceptional! Historical!

The idea to criticize this major evolution in world history is beyond me. As a black man living in the west, I measure the symbol that Obama represents. It would be a lie to say that I was not moved, sitting alone in front of my television on the 5th of November at 5:00 a.m. when CNN displayed the words: “Barack Obama, 44th President of U.S.A.”. I was equally filled with an indescribable emotion at the end of his address, when his family rejoined him on-stage.

Yes, for all Blacks, the election of Barack Obama is a moment of immense pride. For all Africans living outside of the continent, it is a tremendous message of hope. But the Obama symbol goes beyond the simple question of race or minorities in western nations. Exclusion is not reserved to western countries and is not limited only to racial issues.

Also, it is necessary that this election be a message of hope for Farid, a mixed-blood, Franco-Algerian who chose the religion of Catholicism, who lives in Alger and who deeply loves his Algerian country. This election must resonate in the ears of Peter, a young, white man of 20 years, a descendant of an Afrikaner who lives in Cape Town, who studies political science and who one day aspires to steer the “Rainbow nation”. Obama also must provide hope for Matthew, a brilliant homosexual, with a degree in political science, who is preparing for entrance into the School of National Administration (ENA), and who hopes to one day return to Correze, his county of origin, with his friend, in order to practice politics at the local level.

Yes! Obama is the hope for millions of men and women throughout the world. The U.S., by choosing Obama, has shown once again that they are the precursors of the progress of humanity. It’s up to all other countries and civilizations to follow the step of the U.S.

Humanity will have succeeded at following the calling of the “free world” when Farid is able to freely aspire to political functions in Algeria without one discrediting him based on his mixed blood, his religion, or the color of the skin of his country. The world will have succeeded if, one day, Peter, the white, South African, gets elected in his predominantly black country because of his convictions and not because of the color of his skin. We will have lifted the challenge when Matthew achieves his political ambition in Correze without the need to publicly renounce, (that he likes) his outlook.

The U.S. has just shown that one can be many. It is now up to us, the rest of the world, to demonstrate that this is also possible outside the U.S.