Barack Obama puts the spotlight on the role of the so-called coloured in the black struggle

Barack Obama’s predictable triumph in the American presidential race, interestingly, sets up the role of the so-called coloured in the black struggle for critical examination.

Of course, most blacks deny that there is intra-racism determined, largely, by complexion and class in black American society. Thus the political euphoria has misled the world to believing that Obama is “black”.

If we go by Steve Biko’s definition of “state of mind” blackness, which embraced everyone subjected to political oppression and economic exploitation irrespective of skin colour, then Obama is, indeed, black. But he remains, essentially, a coloured ,which, in South African political jargon, is a cross breed between black and white.

It may sound a bit racist to attach this racial epithetic to America’s future president but, unfortunately, it makes a lot of sense to in a racist world for which we should give thanks to the Americans themselves.

Perhaps in an unexpected way Obama’s victory not only focuses on the origin and evolution of the coloured as a people, if you like but, most importantly, it will force the world to confront an important issue: what is the role of the coloured in a black struggle? In fact, to which racial side does coloured belong to? Are they really, really black?

Of course, throughout history, there are countless coloured who have been intuitively connected to the black struggle, its organisations and have helped formulate its strategies and visions. But history is also littered with many coloured who have, suddenly, changed sides as soon as they have tasted the juicy fruits of white privilege, comfort and luxury.

The ascendancy of Obama gives us a political canvas to re-examine the history, heritage, identity and, primarily, the formal institutionalisation of the black struggle. This magnificent development should, inevitably, produce a significant shift of a disturbing dynamic of black politics where suspicions are held against the coloured because of their genetic make up, complexion, hair texture, eye colour and shape of nose. This racial specter haunts black politics and has, sadly, resulted in too much emphasis on subtle and nuanced differences instead of focusing on similarities.

Fortunately, the issue of coloured “racial” identity is not a major issue with Obama because not only has he defined himself as “black”, but he espouses the new post-racial political age.

But the scrutiny of the role of the coloured in the black struggle is something that is spoken about in whispers in black political circles and thus will be with us for a very long time.

Perhaps it would not exactly be a waste of time and energy to stand back and take stock of a zillion issues that Obama’s rise raises. This, hopefully, will have healing consequences for the future of intra-race relations in the black community and its politics. In fact, the first thing that will be said, should he not live up to black expectations, is that Obama is not “black enough”. This is a charge that has been put against him over the last two years by those who consider themselves blacker than he is because they see him as a coloured.

If we put rose coloured glasses on, there are some good lessons – especially for the Western Cape in South Africa, for instance — that can be learnt from Obama’s life, example and victory.

First, Obama fully understands the history of the black struggle and regards himself as the outward expression of its dreams and aspirations. This is a great achievement.

Second, much as he was raised by his white grandparents — with very little help from his Kenyan father — he has managed to identify with and unconditionally embrace his paternal black family, world and identity through great personal effort.

Third, thus he was empowered to use his life experiences, growth, development and history to forge a new “post racial” political philosophy that fuses the black and white race identity, political and life outlook.

It is hoped that Obama’s emergence marks the beginning of a new world where people will not be judged by their complexion to determine whether they are black or not, but the content of their mind and commitment to freedom, equality and justice in the world. The black world will, hopefully, no longer be divided between the so-called coloured and the blacks as there is, now as ever before, only one race: the human race.

But there is no doubt that, at the same time, Barack Obama’s rise to the American presidency should also force us to examine the co-option of a coloured into the White House (sic) and its consequences for the Black Struggle and its internal dynamics intra-racial politics.