My Obama Evolution

By Cheryl A Rainey, Contributing Writer

“Mama, he’s one of those University of Chicago people.” “Ma, he’s backed by the Rockefellers.” “Stop! I don’t want to hear it,” I said as I placed my hands over my ears. “He’s our modern-day Moses. God sent him to save Black people.” These were comments I heard from my family. It’s what I thought. 

I thought Chicago activist Sister Zakia Muhammad was nitpicky and jeopardized our chance for our first Black president by criticizing Obama for not mentioning the poor, Black people, or housing. I stopped watching Tavis Smiley because he was critical of the man who would be president.

For the first time ever, I contributed money to a presidential campaign. Twice! I called friends and family in Arkansas, Alabama, and Georgia to convince them why they should move their support from Senator Hillary Clinton and give it to our young, fine senator with the mahogany-skinned wife from the southside of Chicago. We couldn’t possibly go wrong. He’s sat under the teachings of the Rev. Dr. Jerimiah A Wright, Jr., the Blackest pastor in America. 

Yeah, I was a little disappointed that our “savior” kicked his pastor to the curb; but hey, he had to do whatever it took to get elected. I was certainly not pleased when he appointed Republicans and Wall Street to his administration; but hey, he knows what he’s doing. Though my lessened enthusiasm didn’t result in additional contributions nor campaigning, I voted for America’s first Black president to serve a second term. Surely, he’ll institute policies and issue executive orders that will address the housing, income, and police brutality concerns permeating the lives of Africans living in America.

I was offended when he lectured the men of the Apostolic Church of God about being good fathers. Next stop NAACP, “take off your bedroom slippers and put on your marching shoes.” I questioned, “Really? You’re telling the NAACP about marching shoes?”

While I might be among a small minority, my life did not improve upon the election of America’s first Black president. I watched the inauguration in the boardroom at Chicago Public Schools, along with several hundred other CPS employees, where I worked as a contractor. By the end of June, 1,000 of us were out of work. My niece was laid-off from the hospital where she’d worked for 23 years in August. My son’s construction apprenticeship ended in December as did any work in construction. The People’s Policy Project’s study reveals,“the percentage of black homeowners whose mortgages were underwater multiplied 20-fold between 2007 and 2013.”

I don’t blame President Obama for any of this. These events, however, helped me evolve from “savior” to politics. While maybe anyone can run for president, only the anointed win. I’ve evolved to understanding what founding father James Madison meant when he stated at this country’s birth the purpose of government “is to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority.” Additionally, we ain’t that minority. The government was not created for the descendants of enslaved Africans in Amerikkka. President Obama served who he was elected to serve.Cheryl A. Rainey is a Chicago-based entrepreneur, writer, speaker, and presenter. She attends St. Stephen AME Church. She can be followed on Facebook at Cheryl A. Rainey