Eight years ago, he said “Yes, we can!” looking to his fellow Americans to work together to fix what was then a depressed and deflated country. Eight years later, through his many trials and triumphs, a man of peace, a man of family, a man of diversity, a man of colour and country will say farewell on January 10 in his beloved city of Chicago.
As the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama was symbolic of a political, technological and social change. African American literature such as Ralph Ellison’s “The Invisible Man” and Malcolm X’s autobiographical book, all told the struggles of identity of the Black man in the Western, capitalist world. There is no doubt that the civil rights movement, cultural arts and literature, and increased opportunities for education and athletics paved the way for young ambitious men like Obama to become a political force. He was one presidential candidate, in his race to the White House, who was able to gain significant support of Black minority voters.
Internationally, President Obama has a fair approval rating as an outgoing president in comparison to others such as George W. Bush, whose legacy was a dismal outcome of the Iraqi War and the American real estate crash. Domestically, as president, Obama’s political efforts have been misunderstood as it relates to health care i.e. Obamacare, and education. He made significant changes to Wall Street, the automobile and financial industry, increased the budget for war veterans’ aid, cut spending on expensive military planes and space exploration, and eliminated a dictator and terrorist while in office. When he leaves office officially, he would have made 260 executive orders and has reduced the unemployment rate, which stood at 9.9 per cent (November 2009) to 4.6 per cent (November 2016).
From the Caribbean, Obama is a representative of the Black diaspora as we living on an island can mirror some of his personal struggles for identity, a voice and acceptance in our society. It is unlikely we will see another like Obama – poised, charming, compassionate and loving, a man of deep thought, vision and a strong understanding of the world around him.
In Swahili, Kwaheri, Asante! (Goodbye, Thank you!) Obama. (KPB)
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