Fox News has just asked me about my thoughts on Barack Obama’s prospects of becoming the first black President of America. I believe that a black American President is more likely to happen before a black Prime Minister in Britain. In American politics, individuals have a more prominent place than in the United Kingdom. Here, the parties are more at the centre of British politics.
I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Obama in Washington D. C. a year ago. As a black person, I empathise with his desire to overcome social barriers and racial divides. He has always tried to disentangle race from his campaign. However, I feel this may not be possible because of his ethnic background.
America has a very unpopular Republican President. There has been much controversy concerning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The American Dream is being threatened by their current economic problems. Any Democrat Presidential candidate should be far ahead in the opinion polls, yet Mr. Obama is virtually neck and neck with his Republican opponent John McCain. Some feel, but for the colour of his skin, Obama would be further ahead.
But America has the realistic prospect of a black man moving from the “Out House to the White House” (quoting Jesse Jackson). I believe that a British debate on black politics, politicians and even the possibility of a black Prime Minister is long overdue. Why the silence?
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