To be honest I don't know very many Black folks. I never have except for the year 73-74 when I was in college and shared a 4 student, off campus, apartment with a White kid, a year younger than myself, and two Black guys. Gerald, 18, from the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles and president of the campus Black Student Union. The other guy was Marcus, 29, a Viet Nam veteran from Oakland originally, and president of the Black Panther Party on Campus. The apartment was always busy with visitors, meetings, at least one party a week and no less than a couple of poker games every week...sometimes every night of the week. It was the one time...for about 9 months... that I could say I knew some 'Black people'...and I mean, I really knew, as I got to know them...no phoniness between us, we shared our most intimate thoughts and beliefs [as much as anyone truly shares that kind of stuff]...the Viet Nam war was still on...Nixon was going down, and Patty Hearst was in the news. [...and, it was the time of 'Shaft', Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye...it'll always seem to me as the days the 'Black American was finally getting some long due recognition and respect.]
Since then I found that I never got to know many ever again. The few that I did get to know at work or got to see occasionally at some neighborhood/community function, was always superficially as it was behind some facade through a barrier of the psychological/social kind.
Then I moved into this apt. complex in 2007 and at that time there were two Black families living here. [It's a 26 unit complex.] I did get to know the men of the families fairly well...meaning we could talk honestly and openly with one another.
In early 2008 I got to talk with both these guys one afternoon while we happened to meet at the mailboxes at the same time. I struck up the conversation by kind asking them what they thought of the possibility that this country might just finally get a 'Black' President. [and they knew me to be a long haired old hippie and most definitely not a Republican or in any way bigoted...at least not by deliberate intention or as one from narrow mindedness and or ignorance.]
They both kinda smirked a bit at one another and rolled their eyes...as if I was 'patronizing them'. I gave them the honest look of imploring and said; "What? I'm asking for your honest opinion here." [as I had been contributing money to and supporting Hillary...which was the only other time other than Bill Clinton's second term that I have ever supported, much less actually contributed to any candidate for President , other than a Libertarian, since 1976.]
One, Vernon, [the older guy...my age...and the other nodded in agreement] said; "Obama is being pushed and fronted by Oprah." [and they gave every indication of having no respect for Oprah in any matter but most especially this one.] I was a bit surprised but didn't question or ask about this attitude towards Oprah [I thought possibly it just might be an isolated opinion shared by these two guys as for any number of reasons...maybe she caused their wives to have gotten stirred up over something...I don't know....and I didn't want to ask 'So, what's wrong with Oprah?' ...as I didn't want to hear about that anyways] I just kinda shrugged, like, 'Huh? well that was unexpected' [so as to convey thought through body language...you know what I mean...] .
So, I then said to them; "Well,
He is the front runner for the Democratic Party and that is certainly 'a first' for this country and the day, that I have only heard talked about all my life and never thought I'd live long enough to see, has finally come."
They both looked at one another and kinda rolled their eyes again and looked at me, a bit amused, and Vern said. "He ain't Black, He's an Egyptian."
...and that's all I know about that...but, that's 'Straight Up' from me as to, what I know to be, an honest opinion/assessment of Obama from any Black Americans that have two or three hundred years of roots in this country*...and by this I mean a candidate that Stokely Charmichael would have recognized, and as such would have said; "Yes, this is a Black American, one whom has descended from ancestors of the caste of slaves and that has risen to a height as high as any American of any race, sex, or creed, could aspire to." [* Vern, is part Cherokee too...but you know what I mean]
[To anyone that wishes to contest that Jesse Jackson was 'The First' Black American man that should be considered as having been a 'Real Candidate' for President...well, I guess Jesse Jackson is considered the first male Black candidate that had a chance at being a party nominee...but you do know about the fact that the Secret Services' code name for Him was "Pontiac", don't you?...and if you don't know what that name means, besides that of the now discontinued automobile from GMC, look it up on the internet...I'm sure you'll get the story...as I don't wish to repeat it...it's from an old racist joke, that was a bit modified to be applied to Jesse Jackson....and apologies to my fellow Americans for not recognizing Shirley Chisholm ...but she never got anywhere close enough to be considered as having any chance at all...but, I'm certain that somewhere in the United States a Black American will say {or most likely, already has said}; "Obama is the President but I voted for Shirley Chisholm." ...and to that I say; "Right on"
]