History, And Those Who Make It
His paternal grandfather was a Luo elder, a farmer and a medicine man. His father grew up tending goats. On November 4th, he overcame overwhelming odds to rise to the most powerful political office in the world.
This is the stuff of fiction, and even there, it might risk coming off at somewhat outlandish, a tad overdone. I know I for one quirked an incredulous eyebrow at the wishful thinking inherent in the character of President Palmer on 24. And wondered just how far in the future the TV programme was set. Sometimes, it was easier to believe that Jack Bauer was a god than to believe that, in my time, the United States of America would elect an African American as President.
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President-elect Barack Obama.
I watch him sometimes, and it seems to me nigh impossible that this could be the same man who drove around Nairobi in Auma’s mechanically challenged baby-blue Volkswagen Beetle and visited his Aunt who lived in Kariokor. Because these are such typical Nairobi things to do. And he describes them so casually, so matter of factly. Then, the next thing you know, he’s President-elect of the United States of America. And it sort of takes your breathe away. As well it should.
It sends a very particular resounding message from the American people, reverberating not just through the United States of America, but right across the world: If you determine it, you can be whoever you want to be. At such a time as this, you’ve got to pay homage to the American Dream, because the American Dream is ultimately the winner of this election, perched squarely on the shoulders of an unlikely candidate with an unfamiliar name and an unusual story.
But, while I am as devoted a fan of Barack Obama as there can be, I am not of a mind with Thomas Carlyle, a strong proponent of the Great Man theory who once said that: "The history of the world is but the biography of great men."
To see it that way would be to grossly misrepresent the events as I saw them unfold in the United States of America these past few months. Instead, I stand amazed at the volunteer army of millions of ordinary Americans who worked tirelessly, gave generously and fought this battle valiantly.
They believed in it, and so they went to work and made it happen. There can be nothing more profound than that.
I salute them.
I salute also Barack Obama for his steadfastness in framing himself in context and his realisation that his story is part of a wider narrative that far transcends him in importance. That’s what I read in his retelling of the anecdote about the 106-year old African-American woman from Atlanta, Anne Nixon Cooper, who once upon a time lived when neither blacks nor women could vote, and lived to cast a vote for the first African American President.
As the President-elect said, with muted eloquence: “our stories are singular, but, our destinies are shared.”
This is one page in our shared history we are destined to return to, time and again, to marvel together at what men and women can achieve, when they set their minds to it.
* * * * *
To end on a decidedly apolitical note: Barack and Michelle Obama have such chemistry. It sizzles. That he loves a strong and feisty woman and has in turn earned her devotion and respect is yet another reason to admire the man.
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9 Other Thoughts:
WHAT IS KENYAS GIFT TO OBAMA???
Even as we celebrate Obama’s success story, even as we with fingers closed wait for his inauguration as the 1st half black President of the USA. We need as Kenyans to ask ourselves this fundamental question. What has been our contribution to Obama Success?
His BIOLOGICAL father was a Kenyan, who however abandoned his son and escaped any responsibilities of child support. Infact Obama confesses that he learnt more form his Kenyan ‘father’ absence than from his presence. This is kenya’s EMBARASSMENT NO. 1. So his real father was the parents who took Obama in and saw him through his childhood and teenage years giving him the values that he now holds. That’s the reality Kenyans.
His ‘Cousin’ Raila has all along been a source of discredit to his good reputation. Raila with his VIOLENT NATURE, COMMUNIST ORIENTATIONS, MUSLIM ASSOCIATIONS have all been used against Obama. Infact, Raila in himself has cost Obama some support and Obama campaign team had to work hard to show how distant in thinking and association these two men are. This is Kenya’s EMBARASSMENT 2. It has not gone unnoticed to the Mc Cain campaign team that Raila call for mass protest in Kenya led to over 1500 deaths. This explains why Obama banished Raila from any visits to his campaign or why Obama campaign team has consistently turned down on 4 occassions RAILA’S MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS totaling 40,000 USD.
Obama’s Aunt who also happen to be Kenyan has been an illegal immigrant in US for a while. This was also ANOTHER EMBARRASSMENT from yet another Kenyan.
Infact, we OWE OBAMA AN APOLOGY AS A COUNTRY. With all these bad publicity from Kenya’s heritage, Obama has been understanding enough not to talk ill of us. For that we should be grateful.
Looking on the other side, Obama’s real family in the US has been a SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND GOOD PUBLICITY. Yet, they have been quite about it as we in Kenya tell the whole world how Kenyan Obama is.
So the reality is that KENYA HAS BEEN AN EMBARASSMENT TO OBAMA.
Mwangi pointed, in another comment, on another post, that Obama's father abandoned him, and he was brought up by his mother's family. I conceded this.
I do think however that you're simply reciting the talking points of the extreme Right fear mongering machine when you speak of Raila's violent nature, communist orientations and muslim associations.
And really, as a Kenyan, I think you should be ashamed of using the term 'Muslim Assoications' in that tone. I personally am up to hear with people using 'Muslim' as a derogatory term. What's up with that? I think people have to go back to their cupboards and get a grip. The term Muslim is not synonymous with Terrorist.
I'm not going to comment about Aunt Zeituni until there's more information there.
I do agree with you though, that Anne, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham were the source of his inspiration and are the real heroes in his story.
On a different note, I liked your reference to Obama in a VW in Nairobi. We are all truly human after all.
America does have a history of log cabin to White House - namely Abraham Lincoln. Bill Clinton's story is quite fascinating too, but there others who come from quite humble families. Did you ever read the biography of Colin Powell? He could very well have been the first black president of America had he not followed his wife's wishes.
Ah, yes, Abe. Of course. I know that story. No, I never did read Colin Powell's biography. Will look out for it and add it to my list.
I'm a little slow on the comments here partly because I just stumbled across your site. Thank you for your thoughts. I have to say a word of caution here. What I have seen in Kenya the last few weeks borders on idolatry - both of Obama and the ideal that we can do anything we put our minds to. I don't want to down play the hard work of Obama and his family plus the hundreds of campaign staff and the millions of people who voted for him. But we must remember that the only reason Obama has become president-elect is but by the grace of God, not because of anything Obama has done, but because God has seen fit to allow him to become president.
Hi Anonymous, welcome to my space, and thanks for posting your thoughts.
I haven't personally interacted with the adulation for Obama that borders on idolatry but if and where it does, I do agree it needs to be tempered.
I'm less willing to concede anything idolatrous in the lesson we learn from all this which is, that we can be anything we put our minds to.
Certainly, God had a hand in this. But, he didn't lift Obama by the collar and plop him on the most powerful political seat in the world. There was a journey, and I admire the man who had the vision (and yes ambition) to take it when no one could see this as the end of it.
Nor did God compel ordinary men and women zombie-like against their will to cast votes for Obama.
And all these ordinary folk who volunteered for the Obama campaign were propelled by a vision of what the world ought to be based on which they made a decision, and they went on to supported that decision by committing their resources, their time and their efforts. And I think they deserve some recognition for it.
So, I think it is in order to celebrate the accomplishment itself, and men and women God used to make it happen.
Other thoughts on your post.
1. My wife and I have often wondered if 24 had at least some role in helping acclimate white Americans to the idea of a black president.
2. As a far as idolatry (anonymous comment), I admit thinking that a few people might as well be cheering for a football team. I feel like it cheapens it for others who appreciate him for substance.
3. Speaking of substance. One of the significant milestones in the life of Barack Obama was when he turned away from the perks that being a Harvard trained lawyer could offer him to work for the urban poor. His later move into politics seemed more like a realization that he could have a greater impact there on their behalf than a move for personal gain. Those are the kind of values that give me hope for his lasting impact on the world.
So, turns out, others (David Remnick, and he is VIP others in my book)are thinking what you and your wife were thinking: that fiction paves the way for reality.
Very interesting.
That has set me off in a whole other direction. Must blog about that soon.
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