President Obama recently participated in a podcast, “WTF with Marc Maron” with the ultra-cool mega talented every man who admittedly couldn’t believe he had scored such a high-profile gig, even though he is obviously more than deserving.
The best part has to be that the leader of the free world insisted on travelling to Maron’s territory, which was staged in his makeshift garage otherwise known as his “man cave”.
Actually, I digress, the most incredible part of Obama’s visit isn’t just the fact that he was willing to submit himself to an extended mental exercise, it’s the sweet revelation that Barack Obama is a man of color who despite having literally the whole world on his shoulders, can manage to kick back and remind us all why he was the coolest guy for the job.
His administration has been particularly rife with racial inconsistencies that have become blatantly overt, mainly because he is the first ever non-white president, and somehow his position has incited a rage amongst those who never imagined his ascension. Or maybe our senses are more heightened and we can’t help but notice how very little progress we’ve made when it comes to societal harmony.
But lets get right to it. Our president used the n-word while sharing his assessment of things. We are just recovering from the events that unfolded in Charleston, SC that left nine people dead and a pathetically confused white boy even more confused. Not to mention the treacherous terrain of the latter half of 2014 that disabled any doubts we had about the great racial divide that has been slowing eroding the foundation of this country for decades.
Obama had to go there, and despite public perception, most of us are glad he did. It’s been hard watching him wallow behind closed doors and then approach the pulpit with dignity and restraint when he is visibly boiling over. I hated that version of him. It was an aggravating, distorted and almost insulting presentation that coupled with his stoicism eroded our ability to connect with the man we believed would be our savior.
Yes, savior, how else can you classify someone who shattered the landscape of politics and infiltrated an “all white club” to become the inhabitant of The White House? His acceptance was almost ordained, and for Black America, it translated into an historical event that was supposed to secure our dynasty by giving us a reason to feel a sense of security that had evaded us for way too long.
But obviously we were naïve in our pursuits. From Trayvon Martin to Eric Garner and now the latest massacre in one of the most revered black churches in the nation, it is clear that having a president of color may have helped escalate things beyond repair.
Which is why Obama’s raw words felt like a long-awaited orgasm, because after that release, all that weight filled with expectation and wonderment floated away. And we finally got to see him naked, without the cloak of office and duty.
“Racism, we are not cured of it. And it’s not just a matter of it not being polite to say nigger in public”. The words of a president torn between White America and Black America, who is evidently tired of being the well-spoken representative skirting around the rubble piling up around him.
His use of that word was both necessary and vital, and for those of you who are perplexed or offended, take the time to examine why because it is a symptom of a deeper issue that can’t be neglected. It is an ugly word that was contrived from a systematic repulsion that has held African-American hostage for centuries. But, it can also be “the” word that heals, that allows us to wash ourselves in the genesis of our plight and fathom a future where saying “nigger” will be a useless irony because its relevance would have been obliterated.
The only way to achieve this dream is to say that forbidden word casually and exceptionally. Many have tried and failed, but it took our president to hit the home run, to score that goal, to throw that unexpected pitch.
He continues, “That’s not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It’s not just a matter of overt discrimination. Societies don’t, overnight, completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior.
Well done, Mr. President. The N-word never sounded better.
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