Oral History: Recent Events Shaping American History
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Oral History: Recent Events Shaping American History
Part 1
Jane Mathews, an Aunt, took part in an oral history interview. The interview was meant to cover events in recent American history. She was asked to talk about any activity which she witnessed, and give her opinion on how it will shape the whole of American history. Her choice was the presidential elections won by Barrack Obama.
When asked about her opinions about the possibility of Barrack Obama, a presidential candidate from a mixed-race winning the 2008 presidential elections, she confessed that such a milestone was unthinkable. According to her, a black man making it to Whitehouse was quite a miracle. She admitted that she believed that a majority of the black community in The United States of America, as well as other races, apart from European Americans, didn’t expect Obama’s victory in the 2008 presidential elections.
When asked why she felt that the achievement of Obama was unthinkable, she argued that considering that black Americans are one of the smallest races in the United States of America, their numbers were not enough to hand over the victory of the presidential seat to one of their own. According to her, it was a huge shock to see a man from one of the smallest races to win such a high position in the United States soil.
She also believed that since none of the forty-three presidents of the United States of America had been from another race apart from European Americans, it would have been a hilly task to convince her that a black man would make it to Whitehouse. According to her, black Americans had the least influence on the politics of the United States of America due to their small population. Thus, according to her, imagining that an individual from such a social setting would be president was highly unlikely.
Lastly, her reason for believing that Obama’s presidential victory in 2008 was a huge landmark was due to previous historical injustices channeled towards the black community. According to her, the high levels of racial profiling and discrimination against members of the black community from earlier days couldn’t convince anyone that a black man would rise to occupy the most senior position on the land.
When asked what she felt about Obama’s historic milestone, she confessed that she thought that it was a turning point in American politics and history in general. She argued that, by Barrack Obama winning the 2008 presidential elections, smaller races living in the United States had hope in their politics. Also, she explained that the historic win would bring some positivity in the fight against racial discrimination and profiling on American soil.
Part 2
Barrack Obama made history for being the first black man to be the president of the United States of America (Love, Tosolt, 2010). No other race had contributed a member into Whitehouse as a president, apart from European Americans. Therefore, his win was much unexpected and is believed to have been a turning point in American politics and its history in general.
Obama’s presidential victory of 2008 was historic because, in American politics, a contester’s racial background plays a significant role in their success (Edge, 2010). In American politics or any politics, numbers give wins. However, in Obama’s case, the black community is one of the smallest races in America. Therefore, thinking that an individual from such a minority group will get enough votes to see them win the presidency is historic.
Secondly, Obama rose to the presidency as the first black man to do so. All the previous presidents were Whites (Kenski, Hardy & Jamieson, 2010). Therefore, considering this history, and the fact that he had no enough numbers from his racial background, it was much unexpected to see him win the presidential elections of 2008.
Lastly, Barrack Obama won both nominations and presidential elections when still racism was prevalent in the United States of America (Tesler & Sears, 2010). Racial discrimination and profiling is still a significant problem in the United States of America. The racists consider other races apart from European Americans to be inferior. Mostly, black Americans happen to be the victims of such racial profiling and discrimination. However, believing that during such times, a black man would become president of the United States was unthinkable.
Generally, Barrack Obama’s win in the 2008 presidential elections brought a massive impact on American politics and history in general (King & Smith, 2011). Obama being a black man, was not expected to run the United States because he came from a minority race and that previously, no president of the United States of America hailed outside the European American race. Another reason might be that Obama had no ‘political goodwill,’ so to speak. His history had no connection with American politics.
Therefore, Barrack Obama’s win brings much hope to minority races living in the United States of America. First, these races see this win as a sign of a start to the end of racism. Also, Obama acts as a political role model for members of these minorities who might be interested in American politics. Thus, this historic win marks a huge landmark to the history of American politics in general. Now, more members from non-European American races will be interested in contesting for various electoral positions in the country.
Conclusively, Barrack Obama’s presidential win in 2008 marked a turning point in the history of the United States of America politically and otherwise. Such victory was seen as a win against past cases of racism and social injustices towards black Americans and other non-European American races. With this milestone, more members of non-European American races are encouraged to take active roles in American politics, shaping the country’s history.
References
Kenski, K., Hardy, B. W., & Jamieson, K. H. (2010). The Obama victory: How media, money, and message shaped the 2008 election. Oxford University Press.
Tesler, M., & Sears, D. O. (2010). Obama’s race: The 2008 election and the dream of a post-racial America. University of Chicago Press.
King, D., & Smith, R. M. (2011). Still, a house divided: Race and Politics in Obama’s America (Vol. 125). Princeton University Press.
Love, B. L., & Tosolt, B. (2010). Reality or rhetoric? Barack Obama and post-racial America. Race, Gender & Class, 19-37.
Edge, T. (2010). Southern strategy 2.0: Conservatives, White voters, and the election of Barack Obama. Journal of Black Studies, 40(3), 426-444.