According to the media, black women are facing a dilemma, and are in a power position politically to pick, either the first black president or the first female president. So what's a lady to do? I for one, am voting skin first. Not to say that I haven't scoped out the issues and tried to figure out who stood for what I stood for, and not to say that I don't support Hilary as a woman. However, as a black person, I'm more attached to my blackness. Yes, I'm a woman, but I'm black first, woman second. Further, as a friend pointed out, with the fluidity of sexual identity these days, it is easy to go from he to she, she to he, or be a shemity (he/she). It is not so easy to, contrary to the way Michael Jackson looks, to turn yourself from black to white.
Though I believe, both Hilary and Barack, would move this country in a positive direction, I stand for Barack Obama. I feel like when I'm voting for him, I'm voting for the package, black man, black wife, black kids, and that represents me.
Who represents you?
2 comments:
Thanks Tam for adding my inquiry. Until now being black & a woman have gone hand-in-hand for me. I think while strides have been made for women, we have more to go as in the case of being black (in America). I think if Barack was a black woman running, he would not be as far in the campaign race. I think it is still a racist and misogynistic world but America as it relates to race is a different animal in itself. So for many, race does trump sex. This is all to say, I am still debating who to vote for. I was excited to have Barack as our senator and didn't expect it to possibly come to an end so soon :) So we shall see!
Now I can say that in the beginning of this race, my vote was not being pushed by color or sex. I was more drawn in to Hilary because I was a huge supporter of the First Generation Clinton Administration and I expected, foolishly, for Hilary's Administration to follow as her family predecessor. However, because this has been such a dirty campaign trail for the Democrats I have been delving more into the person (not simply the platform) to find out what their personal morals and values are. I will say that I have at times felt a little "guilty" for not supporting Obama 100% because I my color will always ascend my sex and maybe I should vote accordingly. But then again nothing about politics has ever been comfortable or cut and dry. I am glad, however, that this time around black women do have REAL options. We are always the least focused group in campaigning and this is the first time in my voting history that I really see us having options. The candidates know that WE are the commodity and they need to really court us if they want our vote.
Post a Comment