There's an African-American POTUS, his name, Barack Hussein Obama. Unless you've been hanging with a lost Amazonian tribe over the last three point five (3.5) years, you know this {for the remainder of this post, he'll be the African-American POTUS, or simply POTUS}. But the concept of this POTUS just sunk in for me. It's probably not too bright to pose this question either...Did you know there is racism in the US?
Yup, maybe the racism is not the good ol' fashioned cross burning, drinking from the colored water fountain, sitting on the back of the bus, plessy v. ferguson (separate, but equal) type of racism, but it is there. Since the civil rights era ended in the 70's, we've been in the "de facto" racism era. De facto, Latin for "by the fact," provides the definition and its etymology. However, contemporary American politics provides the canvas for the less-than-artistic POTUS treatment. From politicians to pundits, our African-American POTUS receives some unprecedented rude-ass treatment...and unfortunately, some of this has to do with the hue of his skin.
For my friends who are not African-American, but are my friends regardless, I would put it this way: your car breaks down in a rough section of town (where you are the "minority"), and chances are, you'll survive the experience. Yet, there's that uncomfortable anxiety...someone will recognize you're different and because of it, the majority will target you in an antisocial manner prior to you getting the hell out of there!
Well, since his 2008 campaign our POTUS's vehicle broke down in a rough section of town called Washington, D.C. Everyone knows he's different. So far, he's surviving his antisocial welcome...ranging from the "birther" movement, to his "improper vetting," to Ted Nugent's anarchist rant regarding our POTUS's re-election, to the so-called "ex-girlfriend" controversy...and despite the GOP efforts to derail him personally and politically, our African-American POTUS somehow takes it in stride.
The POTUS uses last weekend's 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner (aka the "nerd prom") as a cool-ass sounding board. That's the same dinner, where in 2010, our POTUS put the smackdown on Donald Trump's political aspirations (anyone, other than Mitt Romney taking the Donald seriously since?). If his African-American POTUS reelection doesn't pan out, at least he can give Chris Rock a run for his money in the stand-up comedy game...I'm sure he's compiled quite a bit of material. Some recent POTUS punditry below (mostly pro-POTUS)...
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