This made it easier to buy into the campaign slogan of "hope and change. " Nevertheless, Obama was a black man in America. There was no denying that.
Then there is the relationship between President Obama and black America. After describing her drive through the red graffiti, pale brick walls, idle storefronts, and young black men congregated n front of a tattoo shop in South Central Kaplan says, "The distance between all of this and Barack and the new way he is supposed to be showing us is frustrating there has been almost no acknowledgement of grinding sameness, non-movement, hope gone slack. It's a world that belongs to all back people. " She goes on to discuss some disadvantages of blacks in America. This brings me back to my idea of the different dynamic of Obama's blackness. It is not my argument that Obama is any less black than any other black person in American but that his heritage and upbringing allows him to see his blackness differently. I think Obama believed that if America was ready for a black president that America was also ready to let go a long troubling history of racism and injustice. I think he believed it was possible to become President and not be seen as a black president. I agree with Kaplan when she says, "we secured a black president before we secured justice for the vast majority of black people. " I feared this would happen if Obama was elected. We, both black and white Americans, have become more complacent with regard to racism and injustice. Many people ague the struggle is almost over. After all, we elected a black president. No problem with racism or injustice here. .
"Obama is shrinking. " Kaplan is referring to The President midway through is his first term in office. Kaplan points to the reason why as, "all those new white converts started falling away from him like party confetti falling to earth all the things that had stirred people's imagination became, on the other side of the inaugural, targets for doubt and derision.