Obama and the Myth of Black Excellence (Part 1)
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- Опубликовано: 27 фев 2022
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Barack Obama is a beloved and historical figure both in American history, but also in black culture. His sudden ascendency to the top of American politics took the world by storm and shocked a nation into rethinking race politics and what was possible and feasible for black people. However, as with all political figures, Obama has a complicated legacy that in many ways betrays his image as a pristine figure of progressive ideals and black excellence. In fact that concept of black excellence has insidious unintended consequences despite the beautiful image it presents to the world and to black people. In this first part of a 2 part series, F.D explores Obama's rise to power and the elements that endeared him to the country, but also examines the subtext of why people fell in love with Obama as a political figure and how that love affair may have been more one sided than we want to admit.
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How a feel about Barack is simply: if Barack couldn't make neo liberal politics work. It doesn't.
Obama alpha widowed young left-leaning voters. Him failing to make any real significant changes has caused a lot of people under 40 to give up on voting all together.
Neo-liberalism looks pretty on paper. But it only works in a perfect system. American ain't even *close* to a perfect system.
@@sp123 Couldn't have said it any better. I was one of those young left-leaning voters in 2008, soon to be out of high school, and his disappointment made me go further left and gave up on the voting process.
@@sp123 agreed. I was 25 in '08 when I voted for him. I had hoped at that time he was going to at least attempt to fight for change. I even knew back then that it would be hard because of how our government worked. I was not blind to think he could change things with a snap of a finger but what really made me not like him is he didn't even attempt to change things. He was bought off from the beginning. What I learned from Obama is Democrats are owned by the same rich elites that the Republicans are.
Obama did so many unforgivable things. One that sticks out to me is how he enabled these horrible equity funds to buy up a ton of housing during the financial crisis. He actually pushed for them to buy up housing. They had no interest at first until Obama convinced them to do so. It's because of that action housing is out of control today due to these equity funds buying houses left and right and in return jacking up the cost of housing.
@@TheAutumnNetwork doesn't matter who we vote for. Game is rigged. All the players cheat, fix games, and take steroids lol
I teach a period (not a popular one) in my Poli Sci dept called the Obama Fallout which essentially details how America woke up with the realization that they literally put a Black Man in the highest office of the land then subsequently binged racism like people who just got dumped binge Ben & Jerry's. Think I'll just show this video next time and take a nap during lecture like my research professor does.
Lol! Something about Obama just brought out all the racism in people. So when Trump came in and started saying the quiet part out loud, people jumped on it.
It is sad so many people couldn't criticize Obama without being bigots.
Then you don't understand the fallout very well at all. Most of those red states voted for him, rhe fallout was the realization of the decline of white superiority in the US. This increase in racist behavior is the dwindling embers of that ideology fighting to survive. I think Louis CK has a bit that better describes the decline of whites as number 1, and how the fallout will be very ugly, which it has been. It's in one if his older specials, long before this even happened.
Damn that binge reference was a hot take but yeah it definitely felt like that.
You should make it part of the syllabus for your class to subscribe to FD Signifier's channel ;).
@@mania4270 oh most def. Whenever Obama did something bad, they'd say things like "this is why black people shouldn't be in charge." So black people would rally around Obama to defend the indefensible.
My man said “exaggerated swagger of a black politician” lmao
Excellent reference for an excellent critique of the Obama archetype.
That will always be the best meme
Lowkey this archetype may deserve its own video
That is the stereotype of Black men in general - the slick'/jive talking/ and expressive Black guy who is now, an internationally recognized stereotype. Obama had nothing to do with this. 'Black performance' is another term that ironically is appropriately applied to many of those, who can be seen in the public eye, speaking on the issues of today. In my armchair psychologist mode, I see Black people who speak of ideas like Black excellence and Black Girl Magic, as possibly, an act of overcompensation. I recall my reaction to hearing about a group of media personalities, who actually called themselves, by the media name - 'Very Smart Brothers'. I asked myself - as opposed to what kind of brothers? It seems to me, people who do this kind of self promotion, may really be trying to convince themselves of their worth, as much as convince others. The precursor of Black Excellence may have been Prosperity Gospel. One under-appreciated benefit of being in the Church, is that you learn to read at an early age. I dare say, most of us, who have benefited from the opportunities that were gained over our struggles, have been the religious among us. The Black Church, the Civil Rights Movement, and Black music in general, use to be the face of Black culture that was presented to the world. Now youth/adolescent pop/culture, in the form of Hip-Hop is the face of Black culture. It is ironic that we boast of being steeped in the oral tradition, but so are most people. One can hear many people a part of H-H, boasting that Black people are the pop-culture trend setters, in the world, but who comes into Black communities and into Black owned venues, to partake of it? Why has not Hip-Hop culture transformed the very communities it was created in? Where is the Black version of community revitalization otherwise called gentrification? Many believe that knowing our history is a major part of our problem. This seems to be the only area, where it is acceptable to ask or expect us, to be proactive in improving our lives. Knowing our history is supposed to increase our self esteem. True self esteem, is gained through personal accomplishment. So-called White supremacy can only do but so much, for a White person, with little personal initiative. So many are trying to fake so as to make it. Even the leading intellectuals on both sides of the divide, are pimping the issue of race, just so they can maintain their lifestyle. They are as active in this symbiotic relationship on social media of creating argument just for the sake of drawing views and clicks, just as any activist/blogger shock-jock type individual, on social media. And the band played on!
12:40 So he didn't marry Michelle because he was in love with her and wanted her because of her charm and classy attitude? It was a long term strategy? Isn't his mom white?
@@suezcontours6653 There’s a difference between the multitude of reasons for why someone marries someone and that person utilizing some of those reasons for their socio-political gain.
A lot of people want a relationship with a Black woman because they think that it legitimizes them through some pitifully warped vision of “street credibility.”
Those people may then also try to use that supposed credibility to their advantage in social circles.
I hate that I can't help but smile at Obama's speeches. He authentically gave a young black boy confidence in hope and change and myself in a small rural town. I'll always look upon his tenure with disappointment, but I'll be forever grateful for his impact upon my life.
Well said sir!
Im not so young now, and im not black, but I feel and felt exactly the same.
every politician is dissappointing.
God damn is he charismatic though
It was only a “disappointment” because a lot of Black people forgot how the political sphere worked before Obama got elected and thought his election meant that those old systems were going to change, and they did not. Ultimately he had some successes and some failures as any president. The issue really isn’t Obama and placing the pressure to be the “savior” of Black people was unfair to him. The issue is and will always remain a government and political system that only benefits a certain type of white male. Everyone else is just a cog in the system.
@@FinestOfTheSouth you can't tell me why I was disappointed. You don't know me. Your systemic critique is accurate enough but don't be so presumptuous as to dictate the mindset of a stranger.
Im just feeding the algorithm here, but as a non American, the portrayal of Obama during the early years as a progressive figure was really enthralling and endearing for us in the outside. With everything that’s has went down since, it’s really exciting to see your take on the topic with the delicate and detailed manner that you do (I specially loved your kanye vids). Can’t wait for part 2!
Feeding the algorithm gods!
He had progressive ideals but also knew you have to carry as much of the country with you. And also that if his progressive ideas even remotely backfired e.g terrorism, he'd be the last black president for a century.
@My Name bro what?
I'm 22, not American or even North American, and I remember he was the first president I liked to see in tv. Tbh he had great personality.
@@jakestroll6518 how is terrorism a consequence of progressivism?
My Central Asian self looked at Obama as a kid with wide eyes and idealism. The aspirational quality to a non-white president cannot be overstated. But idealization of the man is not healthy or realistic, and I think your more nuanced, humanized approach to the man's politics, impact and legacy is very much needed.
Selam ^^ im Turkish but its nice to see more central asians on this side of RUclips
The format with adding in cuts for clerification on topics really works well. Dont let anyone try to convince you its unprofessional; the aesthetic comes across as an authentic focus on sharing your continued thoughts and reflections on the topic 😌💛
I like the cuts too I think they are quite refreshing sometimes it help me refocus on what is really being said.
Yeah I really like it too, stylistically as well as substantively
Great video, as always!
I worked on Obama's 2008 primary campaign and interned for the White House during his first term. You're right on point that his politics were never as far left as he ways portrayed. The radical thing about him was his personality - his unflappability, conviction, intellect, and ability to give a compelling speech. Nothing about his politics was game changing.
On election night 2008, I was in NYC. People were celebrating hard. The one image I will never forget was a woman who started running down the street screaming "I'll never have to pay taxes again!!!" It was the first time it hit me that the reality of Obama could never possibly live up to the expectations people had for him. He was pretty much set up to be a disappointment.
Edited to add: The perfect example is how he won the Nobel Peace Prize in the first year of his Presidency. Usually you have to accomplish something (or steal it from a POC/female colleague) before they give you a Nobel.
In this video, you mention the fact that when he became President, he was President of the entire country, which is key to my thinking about his legacy. I feel like his #1 goal was to be above reproach. He wanted to be the First Black President, not the Only Black President. Everything he did, or didn't do, during his presidency was filtered through the lens of how it would impact all future Black candidates. So I think he actually steered away from big social justice reforms, etc because he didn't want to scare the White establishment. So middle of the road policies, model family (I legit worried about the amount of pressure Sasha and Malia were under to be picture perfect. Being a teenager is hard enough as it is....), no sex or $$ scandals, and best friends with Uncle Joe Biden. (Note: this is not from first-hand knowledge, just my perceptions being in and around his Administration. I didn't know him personally). Of course, we got Trump as backlash anyways, so maybe he should have just said "F*ck it" and flipped the Federal Government on its head. But he wasn't a revolutionary at heart. He was a negotiator and a peacemaker.
I look forward to your part 2 discussing the realities of his administration.
Well said, he wanted to be the first black president but not the only.
This was great insight and an interesting perspective-thank you.
This comment honestly completely reframed how I view Obama’s legacy, esp. as a nonblack person. Thank you so much for your insight!
First biracial president get it right
@WatchingPhoenixesOnFire Wtf are you talking about.
I'm no Obama stand. But becoming president of the United States of America with the name Barack Hussein Obama is a hell of an achievement
Yep
It meant nothing! It was a name, a black face, and a so-called swagger that he most likely studied. Nothing about this man's blackness was organic! -He was an empty suit from the very beginning...and I recognized it from day one.
@@bemusedobserver6476 but was he the antichrist?🤷🏽♂️
@@the2ndcoming135 I don't believe in a christ or an antichrist -but if you do...yeah, he was close to one for black folks.
@@bemusedobserver6476 totally understandable. We certainly appreciate your cooperation. One last question. Have you ever heard your mother speak ill of your father?
In 2006, I moved to Hyde Park from a small town, so my own journey from Texas (where bush had been governor) to a few blocks from Obama's house mirrored the journey the country was taking at the time. And it was exciting to be in this place at this time cheering for this person. But - even in the early days - Obama spoke against marriage equality (advocating civil unions instead), he publicly disavowed Jeremiah Wright, and generally made sure everyone knew that he wasn't in bed with the actual anti-war movement or the actual LGBT movement. Anyone who was paying attention knew he was a compromise.....but who could say no to such an impressive compromise?
Damn didn’t know that
I dont mind any of those things
@@PrincessPowerUp I'm not going to re-litigate the Jeremiah Wright thing because there's a lot to unpack. But this was 2007; The L Word was blowing up, celebrities were coming out of the closet en masse, and every high court in the country was bombarded with cases racing to the next marriage equality decision. The country was ready to turn on this issue, and It will never not hurt me that every Democratic primary candidate (except Kucinich and Gravel, the progressives) publicly denounced marriage equality to steal a few homophobic swing votes just when it looked like we were really going to make it.
Thanks, Obama.
Facts if u know what Obama was dealing behind the scenes alot of positions he took weren't really his own I feel like Obama didn't want to be the best president he just wanted to be remembered good as the first black president so he definitely comprised alot to protect his image amongst his colleagues and the media
he was "praying over it* with his pastor" until it became politically convenient, and that's how he'll be remembered. (*marriage equality)
My first election was the 2000 Gore v Bush fiasco and I spent those 8 years protesting Iraq and watching Gitmo and torture and the patriot act with horror. I then spent the next 8 years under Obama mostly despairing that all of my progressive friends were so enamored with him while he betrayed his promise to close Gitmo and doubled down on drone warfare etc... it left me feeling incredibly alienated.
What he did at home to ACORN and Occupy is as unforgivable as what he did overseas with his drones. I'd long since given up on Democrats altogether so I didn't vote for him even once.
My first election was Bush vs Clinton and after reading your comment I kept thinking of that meme of two men on the gallows, one of whom is crying, and the other asks him "first time?"
Even I was disappointed by Obama, but at least he wasn't getting blow jobs from interns. He still practiced cruise missle diplomacy and listened to the Clinton machine because that particular Tammany hall was all he knew
@@dianamiller3307 Well, the relentless scrutiny & media circus caused by Clinton's infamous blow job helped slow the march to fully privatize Social Security, which has long been a wet dream for every RWer & every Neolib. So all I can say is, long live Monica Lewinsky. :D
I had an African girlfriend from Senegal in 2010 who lived in France. When we were dating, we agreed to NOT discuss Obama, or we were going to break up!! To say that Obama is persona non grata to most continental Africans is an understatement, starting with the assassination of Qaddafi, who was beloved by many. I was honest when I told her that as a Black American, the symbolic importance of Obama ties me to him, even if I understand her grievances. But when I later attended a graduate law program in Scotland, UK where I was surrounded by students from continental Africa, specifically Nigeria (all of them lawyers, economists, political analysts), and for one year listened to them as they discussed and unpacked to me the destruction wrought upon African and Middle East countries under Obama's watch, I could no longer keep my head buried in the sand. You want to know the impact of Obama's foreign policy, speak to any educated African.
@@AmyLSacks if Social Security isn't broadened to include the very people who prop it up it should be privatized. It's ridiculous that we support old white people who don't work on the backs of the young who do. I fully support abolishing social security and replacing it with UBI
Me and my father got deeply attached to Obama. I still have a hard time coming to terms with his flaws. My dad once said something along the lines of "I just love every word he says" and that's when i realized our infatuation with him was closer to celebrity adoration than anything to do with his politics. It is a shame it wasn't the jumpstart america needed, and as much as we have stumbled and back peddled afterwards I feel like that tiny baby step we took with him will be the domino to get us to a better place.
Thanks Fiq. Maybe i can get my dad to watch this. He has a much harder time criticizing the "democratic party" than he should and i think this can help.
Also RIP Kirkwood.
@Callow Albatross you're right, people want change to happen all at once but life just doesn't work that way. We need to learn to take small victories while keeping an eye on the bigger goal.
I remember when he won in ‘08. Seven years old in Nairobi, Kenya at 5am. Hearing off the tv that a son of a Kenyan was now the president of America. Celebration filled Kenya.
Honestly I felt the same as a 5 year old nigerian girl living in Johannesburg, South Africa. The amount of pride that I had at that moment was absolutely insane
honestly barak obama entered the office when i was literally 6 years old... we had a mock election in kindergarten and i remember being really excited about him because all of the adults around me were excited. i had no idea who he even was really and i wrote him a letter a year later in 1st grade and i remember thinking of him as some super important special guy akin to MLK jr or jesus or something
We had a mock election too...I voted for McCain and I had to write a reason. I said "has grey hair."
I had a mock election in 2nd grade and I was the only one in the class who voted for Obama. It was a Christian school and I was the only Black person in the class.
I did to in 2008 as a 7th grader. Crazy how long ago that was.
I was 4 when he entered the office and I remember seeing his inauguration speech on TV in kindergarten, as one of my earliest memories of things that happened from that time. I also remember waking up early to check the TV in 2012 to make sure he was reelected and being calm and relieved. I also remember anxiously waking up in 2016 to Google search the election results and feeling the opposite of relieved. My opinions have changed from how I viewed him and his party back then but I generally liked him as a kid. I’ve been alive for Bush AKA the worst president of my lifetime but Obama was the earliest one I can actually remember. No. 46 managed to be a more accomplished president than him with policy already which isn’t saying much
As a middle eastern immigrant who lives in Detroit, I was always so confused by the glorification of Obama because to me, Democrats and Republicans weren’t that different in the way they treated middle easterners and Latin people yet it felt like everyone stopped caring when they were in power or at the very least wouldn’t talk about it because we should be grateful it wasn’t a republican. Im half Libyan and half Palestinian so I may be very biased because Obama and his predecessors specifically fucked up my countries but I honestly don’t like when dems are in power because it feels as though people think progress happens that doesn’t occur.
Hey there, I'm from South Africa. I love your work.
When you mentioned how Barack Obama rose to a level of power like no black man before him; it made me think about how that was true on an international scale.
With the US being a global superpower, whose actions directly affect the lives of black people throughout the global South and parts of the global North, I imagine a sense of slight and cautious relief must have washed over many Black people in the global south.
I remember watching his first inauguration with my parents when I was in Grade 7. I must've asked my father why we were watching this event from another country because he said something like: "Being the president of America is like being the president of the world." Eventhough in that moment as a child I read that as a form of xenophilia coming from my dad as an adult I now understand that he was talking about the disproportionate amount of power the US had, and that Obama now had to "right the wrongs" that his many white, often racist, predecessors had done to the rest of the world.
I remember after his presidency came to an end there was a conversation amongst black academics in South Africa, and the African continent in general, about whether his presidency had brought with it the improved relations, between the US and countries on the African continent, that had been anticipated. I believe the presumption to that discussion was that the answer was no, but don't quote me on that.
I thought you might find these hindsight viewpoints on his presidency interesting. It appears Black Americans my not be the only ones disappointed that his tenure did not deliver the kind of end-product they were looking for, to put it lightly.
Awesome to hear your perspective. I appreciate you sharing.
We have a big issue in the United States, both with Racism and Perceived Racism. You basically couldn't criticize Obama during that time, regardless of your race, without being targeted. To be fair, there were ABSOLUTELY Racists that used the First African-American President as a way to spew Racism. Yes, that exists. There were also people of many races who were pointing out actual flaws, that we now openly discuss... getting shut down and flamed.
Simply put, if you didn't vote for Obama you were a Racist or held deep seated self-hatred. That was the view. Obviously, that wasn't true... but that was the narrative.
I wonder, DURING his Presidency, how things were where you lived in that regard. Could you openly point at things you didn't agree with, because it was an American President... or during those two terms did you have to agree or get painted as some sort of hater? I ask to clarify as you speak of these discussion in Academia AFTER his Presidency came to an end.
I know in America, we STILL have MANY who will call you Racist for pointing out any flaw in the Obama Presidency, HOWEVER we are opening up more to these discussions. It's not AS taboo as it once was, though there are still some fierce defenders (they likely will take ANY reason to call some one Racist though, some people are just like that and it's no longer the majority stance).
Black South Africans and black Americans are tied first place in the most delusional black people on the planet.
2 groups who chase white acceptance and validation and have no real true desire to actually attain POWER.
I had an African girlfriend from Senegal in 2010 who lived in France. When we were dating, we agreed to NOT discuss Obama, or we were going to break up!! To say that Obama is persona non grata to most continental Africans is an understatement, starting with the assassination of Qaddafi, who was beloved by many. I was honest when I told her that as a Black American, the symbolic importance of Obama ties me to him, even if I understand her grievances. But when I later attended a graduate law program in Scotland, UK where I was surrounded by international students and particularly students from continental Africa like Nigeria (all of them lawyers, economists, political analysts), and for one year listened to them as they discussed and unpacked to me the destruction wrought upon African and Middle East countries under Obama's watch, I could no longer keep my head buried in the sand. I often tell my Black American friends that if they want to know the impact of Obama's foreign policy, speak to any educated African.
The issue is in the modern world people advocate solving tangible issues like world hunger by putting on a performance about their advocacy.
Many choose to follow social performances instead of just doing tangible acts like actually planting gardens or subsidising food drives
A question I pose with no shade but genuine curiosity: how has your opinion been nuanced with the fact that that same biracial black man that gave so many of us hope was the same one to commit objectionable actions to us BIPOC folk, the detention facilities and illgegal air strikes?
Honestly this is one of the most important,insightful, and enjoyable platforms on RUclips right now. I only recently found you a month ago, and have binge watched from the start. Seeing how much of a following you have gained in such a short time, it does my heart good. It is deserved!
Your username made me remember that Pop Smoke (RIP) song..Great tune had forgotten about it. Peace.
I always jokingly said when Obama was elected (I was in 8th grade) they'd follow up with the most divisive, racist person they could muster.. 🙄 I mean yea I was right, but wish I wasn't
LMAOOOOOOOO Kameron🤣‼️You was correct🤣‼️
Yeah I said this too most people kinda knew from the way they publicly hated him
“You better be perfect or a rapper.” LMAOOOOO
Trump wasn’t racist until the left wing media decided they needed to get rid of him. In fact more black and Latinos voted for him in the second election
@@smithsmith9926 more being, more than the first, yes? So how much proportionally out of the voting population for each ethnicity did that make? Quickly now:)
Glad I wasn't the only who found it incredibly difficult to reconcile my love and admiration for Obama as a black man with my values as a progressive and the legitimate criticisms and failures of his tenure.
My family is right wing and some of them are quite racist and every time I hear your videos, the crazier they seem. Keep up the good work!
All racists are crazy. Racism is a mental illness.
Love this energy
This historical context is so important. My 9th grade history teacher talked me into playing Obama in a mock campaign/election. Doing research to portray him I drank the kool aid, I was in deep lol. But I think the following years have radicalized a lot of us. We’re forced to look back at this era for what it really was through the grace of hindsight. But it’s also important to acknowledge why we wanted so much to buy into it. There was so much going on that set up this unprecedented event and love seeing you break all that down.
Can’t wait for part 2!
@The Esquire of Sports ® If you think Obama is a socialist, you do not understand how the world works in the slightest. He's the average neo-liberal centrist.
oh iim ok
@The Esquire of Sports ® I must have missed the part where Obama seized the means of production, established worker control and eradicated class society
Obama was elected when I was in the 5th grade. I went to a predominantly black elementary school and during the election, we had a mock election as well from K-5. If you were to ask me what Obama's policies or beliefs were, I could not tell you. All I knew was I HAD to vote for him. I was young, but old enough to understand that there was a large pressure/push from everyone around me to see this man succeed. I can count on my fingers the number of white people that were at the school, so when the results of the mock election were announced and Obama did not receive 100% vote, the rumor was that obviously, the white kids were the ones that didn't vote for Obama. Looking back now, I understand that the math was way off; there had to have been black students who did not vote for Obama but somehow the facts changed to "only 3 people didn't vote for Obama," and that right there highlights why It was hard to critique Obama back then as a black person because the prominent voices we heard criticizing Obama were white men like Mitch McConnell openly stating they would do everything to make Obama fail. A lot of what I heard growing up was that Obama couldn't do all he wanted to do in office because the Republican party were blocking his every moves so at my young age, every time I heard someone talk about Obama, if they were white, I chaulked it up to racism, and if they were Black, they were ignorant like Candance Owens.
My school also did a mock election and I was in the second grade. My only thoughts were he’s black and the news talked about him! So of course I voted for him then. We only had black kids and it was a Catholic school and he won our school election.
Candace is a Paid fool. Her job is to attack black folks with her black face on behalf of white folks. However your comment was spot on.
@WatchingPhoenixesOnFire Any sources for any of this? Cause it sounds hilariously stupid. Bleck also means "a sound that people make when they are disgusted", just like I am with you.
@WatchingPhoenixesOnFire this is some sovereign citizen-level of quackery
White girl here , whenever I find myself watching your videos I tend to start of feeling basically shocked , because I'm white I've been very insolated to the real struggles of black people ( and other races as well ) but after my shock and existential dread ( as explained in the bo burnham video ) I tend to come back and I think what you're doing is so important , I feel almost called out on my bullshit regularly 💜✌️ appreciate ya
We appreciate you ❤
I first heard the term "excellence" said over and over again on, of all things, an episode of wife swap. It was from a Black Republican woman and it seemed to me like a concept she was obsessed with. The family were uptight, homophobic (they were paired with a lesbian couple and they were not shy about calling them evil) , extremely pressuring to their kids and the sheer obsession with the word "excellence" was something I never understood until I saw Intelexuals video about classism within the black community.
I think they held themselves to such high standards (trying to get by amongst the racist white rich) it led to them, in the words of my buddy Aston Mack, "taking on the weaknesses of the oppressor". I think Barack may have done the same thing. Just a thought
I remember when Obama was in office. A lot of people were excited to support people just for being black. In hindsight, I think we realize how dangerous that is. But at the time so many people had blinders on. We thought "If a black man can make it to the White House, then we can do anything."
We elevated a bunch of people we should have never elevated. Then, when bigots started saying things like "Black people make inferior things" we closed ranks and doubled down. I'm not blaming Obama for Tyler Perry, but the mindset was there.
"I'm not blaming Obama for Tyler Perry, but the mindset was there."😂💀
I was the same. I was 16 when Barack won in 08 and I had adopted the policy of blindly voting black. I’m glad I figured out how damaging that actually is. I wish it wasn’t a wide scale thing
TP was doing this before his presidency. Hello, diary of a mad black woman, family reunion, the movies of the earlier 2000s
@@fangal12 Oh ok.. How did you come to the non-comparison of Obama and Tyler Perry 🤷🏾♂️
@@jadacampbell9331 did you read what I said? I legit said that Obama isn't to blame for Tyler Perry. I am simply commenting on a mindset - popularized during Obama's time in office - that led to Perry's mainstream appeal.
“It’s not just a dance a song or a speech, it’s a BLACK dance…” so powerful
Keep doing what you’re doing! Absolutely fantastic video as always ✨
Sending good vibes from 🇬🇧
I turned 18 in 08 and voted for Obama. At the time, the "Hope" and "Change" posters everywhere. The songs from Jeezy and Nas praising the dude and all the hype around him is what got me to the polls. I dont remember necessarily caring what his policies were. We just "had to get a brother in there." It all seems so weird to me now all these years later. Like.....i acutally fell for that shit.
I remember when Obama was first running while I was in elementary school, and I just remember how entranced I was by his confidence and charisma. It was interesting seeing this retrospective on his rise, as well as your breakdown of how that time felt for a lot of Black Americans. Growing up white in an extremely white school district, that was a side to it all that I was just outright unable to experience. I just saw a charming Black man who seemed so genuine and nuce when compared to both Hillary Clinton and John McCain, and I was excited about the idea of us hitting the milestone of the first African American president. Beyond that, I was just too young to have much in the way of political thoughts.
5th grade political thoughts aside, I've been watching for a while (since the Bo Burnham video surprise surprise), and I've never really felt like I had much in the way of room to add any particularly valubable opinions on your topics, but this video threw me back to my childhood at a time when I had a far more limited understanding of both politics and American race issues gave me a bit more confidence to share my voice.
Thank you so much for your videos, they're a genuine highlight of the more sociological/philosophical side of my subscription feed. Also, rest in peace Kirkwood. I'll miss his occasional cameos in your videos.
Former Poli Sci professor at an HBCU here. I've been saying this for years! I was also a bankruptcy lawyer during the great recession and could see in real-time EVERYTHING you've laid out here. I think it will be cathartic for America, and especially black folk, to finally have this conversation about 44.
I had an African girlfriend from Senegal in 2010 who lived in France. When we were dating, we agreed to NOT discuss Obama, or we were going to break up!! To say that Obama is persona non grata to most continental Africans is an understatement, starting with the assassination of Qaddafi, who was beloved by many. I was honest when I told her that as a Black American, the symbolic importance of Obama ties me to him, even if I understand her grievances. But when I later attended a graduate law program in Scotland, UK where I was surrounded by international students and particularly students from continental Africa like Nigeria (all of them lawyers, economists, political analysts), and for one year listened to them as they discussed and unpacked to me the destruction wrought upon African and Middle East countries under Obama's watch, I could no longer keep my head buried in the sand. I often tell my Black American friends that if they want to know the impact of Obama's foreign policy, speak to any educated African.
@@juniorjames7076 Why do you keep posting this under multiple comments?
Please don’t ever stop making long videos 😭 Im at dialysis for 3 hours and your videos get me right on through 💕
Oan: he entered office when I was 16 looking back, I always felt like a lot of black people looked to Obama as the person who was going to give out 40 acres, a mule and bring the troops home, and like you said once he got in switched up.
RIP Kirkwood 🤍
LMAOOOOOOOO your analogy on what most Black people thought of Obama’s presidency🤣‼️Fab Socialism made a great video on Obama too by the way.
@@JulianSteve so many older black people especially in the south I grew up around damn near thought voting him in was like voting black Jesus into office 😂
@IntrepidTit more than likely, yeah, the closest thing to a black president some older black people would say they had was Clinton playing the saxophone 😂
The intellectual bandwidth and objectivity resonating through this two part indie documentary produced by F.D Signifier is the kind of black excellence I pray the world sees a lot more of in years to come.
I was nine during Obama's election. I still remember the excitement at the time. I was raised in a Latin-American family in conservative white town. I remember my older sister wearing her Obama merch and fighting with her racist classmates and our racist father. I watched his Inaugural Address in class and his family walking together I deeply admired the love, beauty, and class that they had (which we did not). I thought that progress was made and I guess I carried that childish naivety for a long time. In hindsight I suppose it has been a very white comedown for me.
F.D, I'm a mixed-race kid of a 17-year-old single mom who grew up in a majority white, upper-middle-class, socially & fiscally conservative context, as the only kid who was neither of those things. Over the course of my adulthood, I've been sifting through the axioms that I grew up with to see which ones hold water. I often find myself wishing I had access to voices that proclaimed a different message to the incredibly insular & narrow perspective of those I had grown up alongside. As I look at my 11 month old daughter, who is a conglomeration of so many beautiful contexts (Chinese, Arabic, Israeli, African American & European), I am so thankful to see the rise of voices such as yours that are grounded in rich humanity, speaking truth to power. Cheers from the North 🇨🇦
@@mindlander Because there's no such thing as "half-white." White people defined it thus at its creation because the objective was to prioritize / "supremicize" whiteness to the EXCLUSION of everything or anything else NON-white. Whiteness, thus, is about exclusion and purity. Think of new white sheets w/ an ink spot on it - now it's "damaged" and only fit for discount sale in the "clearance bin." If you were told a glass of water was "mostly pure" but was 0.0001% gasoline, would you still drink it? Hell no! It's no longer water - it's a new solution/mixture now deserving of a whole new name. Whether it be Black or the outdated "mulatto" - what non-whites are called or how they are defined is less important in the West. That's why the phenotype for "Blackness" in America is so broad in physical characteristic. After 400+ years, most of us "Legacy Americans" likely aren't "pure" anything anymore, but the PERCEPTION of or known "non-white" lineage/ancestry is what defines your white status. In other words, white supremacy doesn't do fractions - not in true practice. Just look at Rosa Parks who you'll note was NOT arrested from the "mixed-race section" of the bus despite all outward appearance.
@@carlad.4428 Ok, nice rant. but what should I call myself when my mother is white and my father is black?
@@shizzlemywizzle1 Ask the cops.
@@shizzlemywizzle1 In American society, you’d be deemed a Black person regardless of being mixed race. Or if your like me (ambiguous looking half-black half-white Biracial person with BOTH parents being biracial themselves), you’ll be called everything under sun vaguely brown I.e Mexican, Dominican, Indian, Arab, Hawaiian, etc. Everything EXCEPT being White.
That’s the key thing for us; society will never see us as “White” even if we have the genetics or ancestry or what not. It’s purely an aesthetic with a tight little narrow box you need to fit in to be seen as “White”.
Uhhh, so that’s a round about way of me saying your black lol.
Biracial, because that's what you are. Nothing wrong with that.I dont get why ppl make It complicated.
Your showing those clips of pre-2008 Obama had me emotional agitated, largely because I remember how inspired i felt when it was happening, and now being twelve years out from electing the first black president and having to admit that it wasn't what I believed it was. Like you said in the essay, there were signs from the beginning that it wouldn't be what I thought it was, and I willfully chose to ignore or make excuses for them.
Today my feelings on Obama's legacy are extremely cynical, which might not be entirely fair, since he never SAID he was the Second Coming, but all the same if you wanted to wash his feet, anyway. But my opinion puts me at odds with my family who still have a portrait of Obama on the mantle right next to MLK and black Jesus. My feelings are... complicated.
(side note: I know you probably have no control over the advertisement RUclips runs, but seriously, there must be someone you can talk to about whoever is running ads for SKIN-LIGHTENING CREAM on your videos.)
Well said Janus. Also, oh no… Not skin-lighting… SMHHHHHHHHHH🤦🏾♂️‼️
Wow, that advertisement algorithm!
They don't have control over it
Pretty sure ads on RUclips are personalized to the user, not the particular video. Might've been mildly related to something you looked up one time two weeks ago and it's kicking in idk
Its awful but there's nothing FD can do about the ads. I've gotten ads about banning gay marriage on gay educational videos, I think it has to do with subject matter. It's deeply disturbing though to consider watching black creators has the algorithim thinking you want to lighten your skin. At this point even if FD could/wanted to remove ads from his videos entirely he can't because RUclips runs ads even when THEY deem a video 'unmonetizable.' FD just wouldn't get paid at all from ad sense then while they continue posting gross stuff on his work. It's really shitty and I feel terrible for him.
I didn't expect Barack to do more than he did because I'm old enough to understand the line a president walks. I was just happy to have a president that wouldn't gleefully work on make things worse for us like Trump, both Bushes, and Reagan.
This this this, 100x, this.
I don't understand why people don't understand this.
It's easier to do harm than good as president. Plus people forget to vote in every election cycle (aka every year), not just every four years, because the local officials affect you more. Plus, if DEMOCRATS still had both houses of Congress, there would be a different Obama legacy instead of lame duck years.
@@tacrewgirl Exactly. The man told you himself, don't get mad about it. VOTE ABOUT IT. You gotta keep putting Democrats in office to back him up. He got left hanging surrounded by wall to wall Republicans.
I never got why people put him on a pedestal.. he was the president, they usually can’t change much tbh from what I’ve seen and continue to see.. he was fought every part of the way about his policies with congress lol
I did enjoy seeing a black man as the president nonetheless but to expect … “unrealistic” change in this system is baffling
@@tacrewgirl he... did also make things worse though, like every American president.
But he did make things worse, domestically and abroad... His response to the 08 crisis was bad, just bad. His cabinet was a joke, suggested by citibank. He didn't do what he promised, even when he had a Democrat house and a supermajority in the senate. Obamacare is a heritage foundation plan, proposed by Romney (but I can acknowledge it did at least something) he didn't introduce and implemented the pro women act I believe it was so Americans didn't had to rely on a shaky roe v wade ruling and now here we are... He didn't close down GTMO. His foreign policy, no matter what it was specifically, was horrible. He vetoed everything related to Palestinian liberation in the UN. Drone murders sky rocketed. His reaction and actions to Occupy were horrible and almost worse than Bloomberg's... I could go on and on, but no! He and his failure was a complete failure and his arrogance, unwillingness to see reality, his elitism, suppressing of any leftist movement and momentum and and and lead the US directly to the Trump presidency!
This was almost painful for me to watch and relive this political era. As a black Canadian kid watching Obama's presidential run, it blew my mind. I thought it was impossible. I thought he would get sniped while reciting his oath at inauguration. And then it happened. I was so hopeful. I though black people had finally risen up and overcome. That the worst was behind us. I think I believed Barack would legit end racism with the power he wielded lol.
I don't think I've ever had the chance to, quite frankly, grieve the fact that this future I envisioned did not, and could not, come to pass. That he was not and could not be the black messiah me and the adults I trusted thought he was.
Risen up and overcome? What does that even mean?
Don't feel bad we all believed in him.
The worst is objectively behind us.
@@MrgoldenRosethinking this allows for worse to happen. “That’ll never happen again” or “this will never happen here” is the start to bad things.
@@MrgoldenRose You poor things
Black capitalism and bourgeoisie isnt the answer
Nope. The system doesn't work. Demanding that black people have equal access to this system isn't the fix we need. I wouldn't even call it a fix. The rich will get richer, and the poor with get poor. Only difference will be more diversity in the upper class.
Socialism isn’t either but hey who am I
@@sonofatlas1372 Why did you just assume Socialism?
@@sonofatlas1372 Socialism is. Direct Democracy and the social ownership of the means of production.
@Ainapa Murolo But not everyone could vote in "Greek Democracy" it was only restricted to high class free men. And all those issues you're talking about occured under a representative Democracy.
The ironic thing about Jimmy Carter was that people remember him as much more liberal than he actually was. He was actually significantly more conservative than LBJ, for example.
Probably because he does things like build houses for the poor these days. It's easy to forget what he's actually done when he gets nothing but good press these days.
@@krh6239 absolutely
People who remember what he did to Andrew Young don’t think that way of him. At the end of the day Cater reminded people he was a white man.
Love your videos! But I wish there was a clear thesis in this one that went into the reasons why his presidency wasn't what we thought. Followed up with a clear explanation of this videos contents. I felt like I was waiting for the reasons why Obama wasn't that great, but it never came. I do like the nostalgia overview of how he came to fame but I was left a little unsatisfied. Also a definition of black excellence for those who don't know might be helpful. I'm having to explain it to a friend and I realized it was never explained.
You saw the end where he said this is just part 1, right?
that's for the next vid hopefully
Your videos are so interesting, well-researched, and I love how clear your points come across, especially when clarify them during editing!
I was naively hopeful when Barack Obama was elected President. After 8 years of GW Bush, I was excited to vote for a candidate again. For all the reasons you mention in this video. If Bush was the President who killed my interest in the Republican Party, Obama was the President who rekindled my interest in the Democratic Party.
I honestly thought that the racist backlash to Obama's administration starting with the infamous outburst of "you lie!" were simply the death throes of a passing era. But the last dozen or more years has horrified me. Not only was the pushback against President Obama almost desperately strong but the enthusiastic election of his successor ripped me out of my idealist cocoon. The country that I thought I was living in is not that country at all. White America showed itself openly and loudly, what these years have been aren't "death throes" but an energized resurgence. It is my shame that the face of white supremacy is no longer that of my father's generation, but my own.
I apologize if I sound like yet one more aging white liberal mouthing platitudes.
If it is of any consequence, I've lifted my voice and votes to the cause of helping my country claw back the progress that slipped through our fingers when we were asleep at the wheel.
My grandfather is a staunch conservative, his sons and daughters ( except my mother ) are staunch conservatives and their kids fly "rebel" flags and scream for Trump.
I am also half black, and this whole generation of people, starting at the top down, are incredible open racists. The old generation keeps it alive. My grandpappy is proof of that.
You do sound like an aging white-guilt ridden liberal. Obama’s own actions were the problems in many cases. Imagine a lawyer like Obama telling people that a thug like Tray v on could have been his son before that case was ever heard by a court.
There are Trump supporters of all colors. Acting like only white people voted Trump is ridiculous and untrue.
@@jessehenderson2967 it’s so easy to call people racist when it makes you feel better, right?
@@cougar2013 Please explain how my relatives, who refer to me as n word blooded, arent racists.
@@jessehenderson2967 if someone does that, they likely are racist. So I’m not saying that this or that person is or isn’t racist. I’m saying that you made a blanket statement which isn’t true.
When Barack was initially running, I got a taste of the post-Obama perspective when two of my friends (a white Jewish woman and Latino man) had two opposing perspectives after watching an Obama speech . One was in awe and thoroughly inspired at the hope and audacity invoked in his speech of what was possible and the other could only comment "Look, he's just another lawyer."
You can tell who was already running low on the gas tank of "a politician can bring real change to this country". I was in a weird middle, I guess like you cited: we kinda thought he wouldn't win. I saw that old Daily Show footage of the old southern woman saying "She had enough of "Husseins" in her life". I remembered the trend of only southern Democrats winning the White House. I figured it would be close but that America's rcism would win out. When it didn't, I was impressed. Not just w/ Obama but w/ America. A guy named Barack Hussein Obama was the president of the United States. I thought I'd be OLD when this happened, the fact that it happened in my 20s made me (and obviously others) think "What else can happen? What else can we bring about?"
The win in itself created more believers, but time eventually showed one of my friends right.
That ‘sorry to bother you’ scene is so wild and just a trip
LaKeith is a genuinely dope rapper too he done some song with one of our crew members Spencer bonds before his acting fame but
The truth is LaKeith did his whole acting to get a bag and do his music comfortably so he can be as abstract as he truly wants.
He represents a form of e em r that is unmatched, a dark undertone to a well rounded person and the battles that are dealt internally to get there✨🙏🏽
I really loved 'sorry to bother you'. The story just hit different.
That comment about how he was seen as arrogant by conservatives really struck me. I remember reading a comment on the Internet where a guy claimed he didn’t like Trump, but also didn’t like Obama because he came off as “arrogant”, but didn’t share details. I figured it had more to do with Obama’s neoliberal leanings, but after watching this video, I understand now. Didn’t think it was a form of low-key racism. Damn.
Jimmy Carter wasn't even close to a socialist much less the "closest thing to a socialist" the US has ever had. He was arguably our first neoloberal president as he championed deregulation and fiscal conservatism, and ran on the southern strategy.
Which president is the closest to a socialist?
Maybe LBJ. Since he actually did some explicitly socialist stuff.
@@Praisethesunson Probably him or FDR.
As a leftist myself, I have had my own share of issues and praises for Obama, but I had never really considered Obama from a black perspective. It's kind of amazing how I had managed to miss even thinking about it, but I guess that is white habitus in a nutshell. Thanks so much for creating this essay. I really look forward to part 2.
I recently came across this channel and have been really really enjoying the sharp analytical mind that you take to a lot of these complex issues and topics. The empathy that you extend to the people you cover is genuinely admirable, and I really have been learning a lot. I really hope this kind of wonderful and thoughtful content can be an example of the kind of things we as a RUclips community can put on the front page, and the people that need your perspective get to hear it!
This is just a perfect retro inspection of times and politics I too have lived through as someone of similar age to this RUclipsr! Truly looking forward to part two.
The fallout of Obama was also weird for me, growing up conservative as I did. I never particularly liked Obama and I became a leftist after he was president, so there's been no disillusionment for me. The first Democrat I ever voted for was Biden, and I had no illusions there.
The antichrist mention among conservatives is a granted, of course, but the wave of anti-Obama hate was incredibly pervasive. My parents very briefly entertained the Obama non-American conspiracy theories, and I will credit them as being relatively level-headed as conservatives; my dad in particular is an avid yet critical reader of Snopes. To be taken up with the zeitgeist of conservatives at the time (not to mention the "All Lives Matter" bullshit from 2013-2014) shows how powerful that wave of bigotry or just plain hatred was.
I think the biggest and weirdest thing was how, as his presidency went on, my parents and their friends got quieter. Lots of conservatives started to if not accept then respect Obama. Conservatives approved of his family values, or his religion (after they stopped believing he was a Muslim) or the way he could take and tell jokes. Hell, my mom complained once that he promised to leave the Middle East but sent more troops, which she was outright in favor of; her complaint was more to do with hypocrisy than the War on Terror.
These were not quite the affluent conservatives, of course; not the ones who had the money to made their views heard, most middle to upper-middle class. They weren't particularly racist or weren't aware they were racist (see: All Lives Matter). But there was an air of "okay, he's black, but he's an okay black guy", or just the modern version of being a "credit to your people". Which isn't really a surprise, but it's a great disappointment, especially as they tried very hard to instill anti-racist values in me that I still cling to, even as they grow and evolve.
I dunno, it just sucks.
Yeah my parents are both conservative, but my dad is black and my mom is white. So they weren’t ever racist towards him or anything, just didn’t like him. When I was growing up I was completely awestruck by the hero worship he would constantly receive. I thought the only particularly good thing about him was that he was generally likeable. But always felt when I would press people on what they liked about him I received incredibly shallow answers.
I legit wanted to know because around high school I was starting to get extremely suss of conservative ideals.
Fast forward and I too am a leftist. And it was interesting seeing the level of disillusionment with Obama because the whole war crimes thing wasn’t a huge talking point before trump era.
And man if we wanna talk about absurd levels of hero worship Trump is another one for the books. That’s when I kinda kissed my parents goodbye
@@chardrive people literally called trump a god
@@chardrive Wait. Suss on conservative ideals. Okay. Got it.
But now you see the hypocrisy of Obama. I'm sure you're aware of who the Clintons are. Biden is just as Pro-Corporation and Pro-War as any Republican.
You don't yet realize that there isn't really 2 different parties, since they're both owned by Corporations... the same Corporations actually, funding both side to hedge their bets.
How did you come to the correct idea of being suss on conservative ideals without becoming suss on the hypocrisy of the left? The unfulfilled promises? Using minorities to get elected, then leaving them out to dry?
It wasn't 2 days ago NICE was out there protesting because Hispanics were given a lot of promises, but they haven't been delivered (It's March 4th, 2020 right now so '2 days ago' doesn't become confusing in the future).
In the United States the only correct stance is both sides, as far as the Political Leaders go, are useless. It's a proven track record there. By definition, the Party of Empathy who beat Racism by putting the 'First Black President' in the White House... put some one who technically committed War Crimes in power. I say 'technically' because that's most US Presidents, it's not a shot at Obama, it's a shot at what our Leaders do, regardless of which "side" they are on.
Which is to say, it doesn't matter who wins... we just keep losing. Which is why digging into either side, is lunacy. The answers aren't on either extreme, and since the Corporations OWN the Winner, even that point really doesn't matter.
No one group is right 100% of the time, which means when you choose a side you're accepting being wrong sometimes, just to stick it to the other side. Instead of, you know, finding the proper solution... which is the purported goal of Politics. Sometimes Republicans have the right idea. Sometimes Democrats have the right idea. Sometimes some Third Party has the right idea. And if you reject that singular correct idea, because it's not from your party... think about what that really means. You'd rather not find the solution, you'd just rather your side get some 'points'. That's the problem with these ideologies. We don't want solutions, we want to 'win'.
But as I said, that doesn't even matter at the end of the day. It SHOULD. It should be a fundamental process for us, looking for solid solutions regardless of where they come from and using them to better our World. But at the end of it all, no matter who crosses the finish line to be President... they're already bought and paid for. Our Teams don't even really Win, because we don't beat each other... every Election, the Corporations beat us.
And think how frustrating that is for Moderates, who don't completely align with a Political Party and see good Moderate Answers that don't lean very far either way. To know even if they talked sense into everyone else, it still wouldn't matter.
Progressive and Conservative both have there roles to play. Conservative is to uphold the Traditions that work, the foundations things function on, so we can continue. And Progressive is to eradicate the Traditions that don't, the problems in the system, so we can improve. You NEED both. For this to work it DEMANDS both. Yet so many are Anti one or Anti the other, which tips the scale and it all collapses. Yet we define ourselves by either having to be over here, or over there. One, or the other. Fools, the lot of them.
We need change, but not change for change sake. We need intelligent and good change, positive change. At the same time, everything doesn't need to be changed. Some things fundamentally work, and create a foundation to build the other things on. That's Progressive, that's Conservative. The problem is the Progressive wants to break it all, and the Conservative wants to keep it all the same. They don't understand their roles and how both are needed. In some ways this means that the fighting is pretty fierce, and Change only happens when it becomes a big enough Social Impact... so we don't have change for change sake. But at the same time it means important changes don't happen fast enough, because people are holding on to things they shouldn't because 'Tradition'... which makes a bit of sense, since they ARE the holders of Tradition. It's literally the role of the Conservative. But maybe they should be a bit more willing to let some of these go. And they might be, if they didn't fear letting one goes emboldens the Progressive to take them all. They won't give up this, not because it is this, but because that exposes the taking of that... which they do hold dear.
This is the constant conflict of the Progressive and the Conservative, until we reach Utopia where everything has been fine-tuned to perfection (perfection doesn't exist, it is merely an ideal to strive for... therefore Utopia can not exist, but should be strived for). But here is the problem, logically, with this unattainable Utopia... now you no longer need Progressives. It's over, EVERYONE is a Conservative, because these Traditions are perfection and changing them only harms Society. That's the extreme conclusion of this Yen/Yang Battle. We did it, we got there... now there are no more Progressives as we all uphold these Perfect Traditions for eternity. But then how do people accept that? They now no longer have a reason, there is no good fight to fight. There is no good ground to gain. But all they know is forcing change... so, what do they do? Become the thing they hate... the Keeper of Traditions?
You see, as Individuals, our roles are not to be a Progressive or a Conservative as an ideology. It's to look at what doesn't work, and look at what has worked. To keep the Traditions that work, and to replace Traditions that don't. And we can do that forever, that's sustainable. That's how this is SUPPOSED to work. But somewhere along the way we were convinced these were two different things, two separate teams, that had to fight each other. You're either for Progress, or Tradition. That's not how it ACTUALLY works though. But when you believe that is how it works, you change things you shouldn't or you hold on to things you should let go... because that's what it's about for you, the changing or the keeping. Not the best for Society. Because remember, at some point that Progress BECOMES Tradition when it's been in place long enough... and as the Progressive, that Tradition is an issue and requires Change. Even though it's literally the change you sought after and achieved. The Progressive doesn't just fight the Conservative, but they fight their old selves that made previous changes that are NOW Tradition.
We've been warped to believe it is Tradition itself that is negative. We don't weigh and judge each Tradition on it's own merit and need. Because we're been indoctrinated to either be Team Change or Team Same, like there isn't some way we can change some and keep others in terms of Traditions.
Neither side is 'right', nor will either side ever be 'right'. The answers aren't at either extreme. The answers are more to the middle, where we look at each issue and look for the best solution to them individually. Which we will not do as long as we define ourselves by these labels.
@@theclimbto1 Not reading all that shit. Good luck or sorry that happened to you
@@prixe12 1. I didn't reply to you. 2. If you don't read it, why respond at all? 3. The post isn't about me at all, nothing to give me luck or feel sorry for. Which you'd have known... if you read it. 4. I hope you never run into a Novel, or an Instruction Manual.
oh you got time today
Always love when you post a video, Sir! It's nice to be able to sit back and listen and be confident that you're getting a well-researched view on things 👍🏽
Subscribed. You educate me with your clarity of thought, your deliberate and careful argument, and your ability to express your experience in context. Wish I was able to communicate history as well, learning something of that as well as i listen.
He was a digestible black man and was not a.d.o.s. and didn't have that "chip" on his shoulder. I did worry that he was going to get killed. But no one person can fix things we have to work together even after voting season was over
Well said. I was a kid when Obama was sworn to the presidency. I was a huge Obama fan. Now, I am 70/30 with him. No president is perfect, but I expected more from him as the first “Black” (yes, I know he’s mixed with Black) President💯
@@JulianSteve thanks
Something that seems to be missed by many of you young brothers and sisters. The black experience at that time was two major sections. One the parents who prayed for the idea of a black man running for president. The other group was the group that knew the truth, all the race stuff was a smokescreen used to keep white people accepting their position. What was also going on at the time of Obama was many of us black Gen-Xers were figuring out that green was the only color that matters in America. The moment Obama was elected the race conversation become front and center again. One group of white people get to say they are not racist because they voted for him and the other side who was seeing the fulfilling the fear of the loss of their country. Many of us voted for Obama only because our elders demanded this. He was never the savior to us black Gen-Xers. We were the ones getting the boot of earlier democratic policies. We knew better because we were the ones going to prison for decades for weed and crack and then watch the white boy with the coke getting months and probation. We knew Obama was just more of the same.
Thank you for offering this lesson!
I remember when Obama first was introduced, I was very young but I remember my uncle telling me, “Oh yeah, the democrats created that brotha. He ain’t human.” Still funny to this day 😂
Awesome video as always. Thank you for your input!
Just putting it out there, the length of your videos is one of the draws! Don't feel pressured to shorten them haha. How many RUclipsrs do you get who are willing to think critically about their own content/what they put out into the world in real time (i.e. editing asides)? We appreciate the nuanced approach.
I saw it at the time and got beat up royally. As a law professor (different school) I knew him through what he did to become editor of Harvard Law Review - promise the most racist conservative student group - "federalist society" that he would not offend. Also, being offered a teaching position at the University of Chicago which is known for almost exclusively hiring free-market capitalists. He was transgressive in our minds and not his values.
Carter was the most conservative of the major candidates running in 1976, he was NOT a liberal Dem and the farthest thing from a socialist. I was 17 in 1976 and this was the first election I followed closely. Ted Kennedy was the champion of the liberal/left Democrat, and he ran against Carter in 1980 explicitly because Carter had moved way too far to the Right. Carter was a failure for the same reason Hoover was. Economic events overwhelmed him.
Great Vid as usual. You’re great at verbalizing complex thoughts.Proud to have been here before 10k followers. Glad you’re work is getting the recognition it deserves. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Thanks for letting us into your editing process as you create the video that prioritizes the message you want to deliver over the polish of a single-take style.
I bought into Hope and Change , Black excellence, and the new era of Black opportunity hard. When I finally realized that Obama was more interested in placating moderates and maintaining neoliberal economic policies, I tossed that kool-aid down the drain.
I feel very small as a 18 yr old amongst the comments from actual professors but I do feel that I have some valuable input. As I am pretty young, I have no other “reality” to compare to before Obama. Throughout my entire childhood Obama has been touted as the “magical negro” figure talked about in the video. But I think something that could’ve been expounded upon (maybe it will in part 2) is Obama’s proximity to wealth and prestige, which in America I feel is a larger indicator of success than anything. His racialized status as a black man in combination with his wealthy background and allegiance to wealth was a way to distract from the wealth divide and instead shift the conversation back to race. With the impending financial crisis, I think the 1% saw the tables and attention being shifted to them as people were beginning to be evicted from homes and they placed Obama as a preemptive measure to largely distract from things like the March on Wall Street while still maintaining the status quo. In short, Obama was a capitalist ploy that we all fell for, hard.
This is a really, REALLY excellent point.
Another great video, I’m becoming a real fan of your work. Just wanted to offer an idea when I saw you were having to deal with all that “manhunt” noise in the background - I do music myself and found software called Acoustica, pro quality stuff that rivals Izotopes software at a fraction of the cost - it can get rid of any background noise in recordings, it’s really effective for noise reduction, I thought it might make your work for videos a bit easier and more flexible. All the best man!
Love your work! Your videos are so thoughtful and thorough, keep it up! (and you don’t need to make them shorter, every minute is excellent!)
That Muhammad Ali sound bite hit so god damn hard
I'm super interested in watching this, I've watched a lot of your videos and this topic is going to be fascinating to me.
As a CIS white man, Obama was my first foray into paying attention to politics. I absolutely loved Obama and your comments about looking back are pretty accurate. It's difficult not having tunnel vision and rose-tinted glasses because of *most* previous presidents and of course, the most recent 2. Obama *was* seemingly a breath of fresh air. A man who had a powerful and loving family life. It really felt that things were going to be better.
As an aside, I've consistently loved your video essays. I always seem to take things away from them and for that I appreciate your dedication. Thank you.
*edit: I just finished the video, and as previously stated, I have a lot to process through. Also, fwiw, I would probably watch 2+ hour video of yours. The way you present all the material makes it feel like a lot less time has passed so it doesn't seem like your content drags on.
Anyway. Thanks again. Looking forward to pt 2.
This was an excellent analysis. Absolutely hit the nuanced nail on the head. Can't wait to view and share part 2.
Lookin forward to part 2. Your vids have been invaluable to me, man. Keep up the great work.
Excellent video. I just have one point I need to argue:
18:00 -- Jimmy Carter wasn't "the closest thing to a socialist" America had as President. Far from it. Jimmy Carter's 1-term presidency in fact saw the "very early" introduction of neoliberal policies that Reagan and Clinton extended and deepened.
Carter ran a campaign aimed at moderation and unity after the Nixon era, and his regime coincided with an economic crisis (which wasn't really his fault and whose resolution he deserves credit for) and in the process he made many cuts. His administration also saw him slow-drag and slow-walk much progressive legislation at a time when the Dems had both houses of congress. Carter was so unpopular that Ted Kennedy primaried him for the nomination in his re-election year. And in addition to Reagan, he had a third-party challenger (much like Perot for Clinton). Ted Kennedy specifically primaried Carter because he saw Carter as moving away from the New Deal-Civil Rights pillar that defined the party and made a famous speech ("the cause lives on") when Carter won his re-election nomination on a far more conservative platform than in 1976.
In terms of foreign policy, Carter was less hawkish but even still not exceptional. As a post-President, he's been an excellent diplomat and statesman and a progressive figure in many respects, but that doesn't give a full account of how he was as a President.
Yeah I see that and I know that Kennedy ran from the left of him. Still idk maybe Roosevelt is more socialist. The point was to illustrate that anything close to being left was dead on arrival in the U.S.
@@FDSignifire That makes sense. Thanks for responding.
Carter deregulated the airlines, too.
As someone named after him, I really don’t know much about him other than his charitable efforts. I know that the economic crisis, Iranian Hostage Crisis, and him pardoning draft dodgers got him major slack. I always assumed that the reason he was dogged on so much was that he was “too left for his time” or something.
@@carterburrage8 Jimmy Carter's odd because he was overly scapegoated by the conservatives because they needed him to be bad for Reagan to be this great President (lol) as if he was somehow like Herbert Hoover against FDR. The truth was that Hoover was genuinely a terrible president while Carter was merely unfortunate. At the same time...Carter's post-presidential work has lent his time in office to go a bit too far in the other direction. Carter was a centrist democrat for his time, and given power and platform refused to pass healthcare (a more progressive version than Obamacare too) when he could have. He initiated a lot of the neoliberal fiscal tightening that Reagan got credit for.
Carter was better at foreign policy than Reagan and certainly did project a less imperial mantle, and on the whole I'd say he did have moments. But he was a flawed guy, ideally he should have stepped down as candidate and allowed for other Dems to take the field.
I am looking forward to the next part. I want to see how close to my interpretation of his entire Presidency being like a ship trying to correct a course before hitting an iceberg, but the ship being too big and weighing touch to be able to move much before hitting, is to what you are going to present.
I remember not thinking much of Obama when he was first running. But at the time, I was stuck down an information silo of my own making during that time. It wasn't until I met my wife and he was elected that I started to shift my views. I started trying to answer simple questions about stuff I was told all the time, "How is this policy/item Communist or Socialist?" Things Republicans amd Conservatives still say all the time, but cannot adequately explain to anyone who knows what Socialism or Comminism is.
It was during his Presidency that I began to realize just how much language of politicians were coded white supremacy talking points. How much they would talk about "economic" issues in a dog whistle where if you weren't aware of it, would never recognize it. And this when I began to notice the attitude of "if it isn't overt, it's not racist."
I am still unsure if people, especially those on the Left, realize just how much he had to contend with. How solidified the Republican opposition was against him. And at no point did he have enough of a majority to be able to affect real change without Bipartisan support and had to temper his goals with that reality.
I could really write a book about it, and apparently nearly have, so I will stop here for now.
My first voting experience was in 08’ being black & 18 at the time … voting for the first black President was historic & felt great. AT THE TIME … but over time I just walked away feeling empty about his entire term in office. All we got out of it was simply history books,symbolism etc
Translation: He’s not good enough because white people😂
Obama is not black!
Same here.
I honestly love the length of your videos. I understand there are probably alogrithum reasons for shortening them, but they're wonderful as is.
I am ABSOLUTELY NOT complaining about your long videos. I watch them, share them with my friends, talk about them on my stream, use them for self reflection. Thank you for being courageous enough to share your thoughts and feelings on complex topics from a black male pov!
I was an Obama stan, until I started to see past his color, and the content of his character, his policies and what he did and didn't push forward.
your channel has really meant a lot to me just found the break bread video and fell in love. keep it coming.
Looking forward to seeing the part two! I'm happy to see your videos however long you want to make them, but 2 parters work too!
This, as always, was incredibly knowledgeable and enjoyable to watch. As always, our RUclips uncle bringing out great content.
I come from a family of Nigerian immigrants that loved Obama at first but now dislike him not because of his neoliberal politics that inevitably worsened their already poor social status but for the fact that he legalized gay marriage. Now Trump is their guy. Besides them scoffing whenever Obama is mentioned, they still very much aspire and hold onto his image of black excellence as their goal for immigrating to this country. I think its quite interesting the way different black people view black excellence. For my family, I think not only is our view influenced by neoliberalism but also colonialism. Black excellence for us, coming from a country ridden with corruption and exploitation, is reaching the white ideal placed on us from the days of the first European colonizers but with our faces on it. We essentially wanna reach the status quo while being unapologetically black and Igbo while doing it. But we also see something wrong with the status quo coming from culture war perspective: it's not Christian enough anymore. I feel that's the point where we agree with white evangelicals.
Ur family was mad that he legalized gay marriage? I dunno why people have this obsession with marriage when people who straight have the worst marriages and high divorce rates smh
So true. My family didn't like when the "legalize the gays" but still loves him.
"Now Trump is their guy."
how did Trump make their lives better?
@IntrepidTit that makes no sense. then that is liking someone how puts you down as Black/African people but enjoy the suffering of other groups.
@IntrepidTit then there is no reason to like Trump
Another superb example of long form essay; long threads, smooth research and clips, and phrases that keep leveling up the discourse when he could have coasted on a thought.
Big respect particularly to the dining table editing addenda; somehow it’s super meta but also really natural and thorough.
Loved this video F.D. I am learning so much from your content and appreciate the nuanced take, and historical context setting. This video really forced me to challenge my own perspective and past judgements about Obama. Looking forward to part 2!
i push back against the idea that Obama was a moderate republican but we just didn't care because he was cool and black. in 2007 "the left" was different in the US than it is now. How many prominent figures were there at the time left of Obama? He was progressive for the time he was elected the first time. now toward the end of the 2nd term it gets a tad shaky. but don't forget there was virtually no mainstream support for even social democracy, let alone socialism before Bernie ran in 2016
I agree. Not to mention the fact that, after the 2010 elections, there was no way for the Democrats to pass any bill without Republican votes.
The worst thing about so-called analysis like this is that it is mostly "magical thinking". "Obama should have...", with NO understanding of the American political system. It is tiring to listen to and even worse to watch. Once again we are at a turning point, will the American populace stand up and give the Democrats to finish Build Back Better or will they behave as petulant children and pout, "where's my free college..." or some other priority, not realizing these things take time and patience. Imagine these immature babies of today having the fortitude to withstand 100+ years after a bloody war to get voting rights or 60+ years for the right of women to vote.
Do not confuse mainstream talking points for actual leftists. My highschool teacher himself was a left leaning liberal and he saw Barack Obama as a neo liberal phony. Actual leftists were more harsh and accurate in their assessment. People were and still are ignorant of leftist politics. Despite major works of Anarchism and Marxism being around for 200 years.
@@sorzin2289 Other crapping on Obama, the Congressional Black Caucus, Bernie Sanders or perhaps AOC as insufficient, what do you and the author have to offer? Neither of you hold office, apparently.
@@cfletcher9849 There is alot to parse through. The Congressional Black Caucus, Bernie Sanders, and AOC are not socialists. It must be stated that Socialist do not associate with or run in the Democratic party. Maybe Marxist Leninist*. But they have an asterisk next to them for good reason. For one the history of the Democratic party is that of a reactionary party, that hijacks disorients and coopts social movements before ultimately destroying them. They do this because they are the party of bourgeoisie Capitalists who's livelihoods and those of their children depend on perpetuating this system. And if a Socialist were to run and win as a democrat in order to achieve their goals would necessitate dismantling not only the policies their party put in place, but the government and ultimately the party itself. If they can. Most likely they would have long been booted out before they even got to a point of trying to attempt such a feat. I'm an Anarchist so I wouldn't run for or vote for someone in public office. Our material interest would diverge completely and they would end up with more authority over me.
If I can't catch this live I'll still watch it after. Looking forward to your insights
Another excellent video. I'm eager to watch part 2 when it drops. Additionally, I'm really sorry to hear about Kirkwood. Our cat also passed away recently. It leaves a quiet hole in a family that hurts for long time. Sending love to you and yours from a little slice of the American Midwest.
im glad you dedicated some time to explain why everyone, especially black people, were so entranced by him. this joy and pride was felt by black people all over the world. Just watching this evoked emotions i haven’t felt in over a decade. Remembering watching my dad burst with pride during both elections, even my grandma joyfully saying ‘ah theres bamo' whenever he showed up on TV. it felt like something magical and historical. It makes sense why so many of us only saw through it in hindsight.
F.D that sorry to bother you clip has crystallised something so unsettling about the performance of blackness in the western world. Really appreciate man. Sending love from the U.K. 🇬🇧.
this was really great. I'm half Native & a 60's scoop survivor (and lighter skinned). A lot of scoop survivors also believe in an ending of racism as a reality and Indigenous excellence. As a teen (several decades ago) the Indigenous community held me to account for holding these (white) ideals (that was not easy but necessary). So knowing he was raised in whiteness makes so much more sense. For my people we mainly see Indigenous politicians as a problem (although of course many of our people are also assimilated into the idea of an american dream)).
What is a scoop survivor? I tried to Google it, but couldn't find any clear information. All I was able to find out is that it concerns Indigenous people in Canada (I'm from the US).
@@eklectiktoni It happened in both occupational states. In fact I was scooped from the so called US to called Canada. The US just has more efficient erasure.
@@eklectiktoni the Canadian government and US government literally forcibly kidnapped and separated indigenous children from their families/communities as a means of cultural genocide. The Native children were hostages at boarding schools where they were not allowed to speak to their family and could not practice their language and such. Much terrorism and death. Last year, a mass grave of indigenous children was found in Canada, where the last boarding school is recorded as being closed in 1993..
@@tulatrippin I see. Unfortunately we don't learn a lot about the abuse done to indigenous communities here in the US. I've personally been doing research to better understand that part of history. I only recently found out that the reason buffalo were almost wiped out was because the government knew it would negatively impact the Native American tribes. So sad.
Getting to see the second part of this video essay is now part of my to do list for sure.
So looking forward to the second part!
Excellent work as always, thank you for the history and I am looking forward to part 2.
Tossing a coin to the algo.
Love your nuance as always!
On the chance that it makes a difference, I'll do the same.
Yeah, man. I just left a volatile Women’s History Month comment section and noticed hardly any Black women there😅
I’ve been cooking all morning listening/watching your videos. Thanks for creating so much great content. Happily subscribing and sharing now.
I recently came across your content and although I'm not American (USA) and sometimes it's a bit hard to understant everything because of the language barrier, I find your videos super interesting to get a better understanding about the context of the North American reality, it's fascinating how different and at the same time similar it can be to our society and the many forms that racial prejudices can take. Your content is excellent and I hope you get super big fast. Will def watch second part :D
really excited for part 2! i was too young to be really aware of all this when it was happening, so i'm really glad to have your breakdown and perspective on this. thank you for making your videos!
If you want to understand the Obama years, his memoir is an excellent place to start. Get the audiobook, and let his soothing voice wash away all the pain of national politics since 2016 👍
I disagree that Obama selected his wife as a political calculation
Right, don't quite a few Black male politicians marry *white* women as a political calculation? Unless somehow Obama didn't want to threaten white men by having a white wife. But still, is it seriously a political decision to marry either Black or White? Maybe he truly admired Michelle. I think he does.
All I have to say is wow. This is the most perfectly articulated and multifaceted description of black excellence, it's positive attributes as well as the complexity of the problems. I am in awe of how you put this together.
Love seeing more in depth and thoughtful commentary like this on RUclips. Keep it up!
Another great premiere, excited for the next part in the series 🙏❤️
This video is so good, I can't wait to see part 2! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Amazing video bro! One of the best analyses I’ve seen on Obama’s impact on modern politics and breaking down racial barriers and all the new problems that arose that we still continue to struggle with as a nation sadly. So glad I found this video. Just subscribed!
I've been saving this video for a few weeks now. A refreshing and interesting analysis, as per. Many thanks.