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Cameroon: Born Again White Man

Al-Yasha Ilhaam

3 October 2008

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opinion

Today, I printed out my Absentee Ballot request so that I can vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming Presidential elections in the US.

To be honest, I've never been that enthusiastic about voting, since I'm usually left unimpressed with our government. Growing up in the Reagan years has made me a permanent skeptic.

I've always voted, but mainly out of obligation, because "your ancestors were denied these rights", as my parents would say, conjuring up the feeling of centuries of deprivation that's supposed to motivate African Americans to read books, eat salads and open a savings account.

More often than not, I'm just going through the motions, hoping the spirit of Fannie Lou Hamer is being honored by the gesture and that the winning candidate won't spend all our tax money bombing brown people. I call this "doing my civic duty" while "hoping for the best."

But if you hadn't noticed, this election is somewhat different, and voting has a different purpose for me this year. Not that it's entirely new. In fact, I first registered to vote when Reverend Jesse Jackson came to my college during his Presidential campaign in 1988 and insisted we should be registered "wherever we'd spent the last two nights." So I registered in Rhode Island and I have voted in every election since, even when the choice has been between the clown on the left or the joker on the right (see 2004.)

Before coming to Cameroon this past March, I was active in the Obama campaign. Well, if you call wearing an OBAMA '08 t-shirt "active" and concede that t-shirts are called "active wear." Actually, I did attend some rallies and distribute some pamphlets and stickers to neighbors.

I've also read his books, and, for a lawyer, he's exceptionally clear and to the point. It's in his first book, Dreams from My Father, where he discusses his awareness of his African identity and his goal of fulfilling his father's thwarted American dreams.There's a lot of excitement in the United States, and especially in the Black community, for Obama's success.

We'd really like to see a Black person in the government who actually acts like one. Everyone's thinking, with a Black president, racism will be officially dead. We have overcome. And, maybe, I'll get the hook-up and be appointed the U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica or something.

But I never imagined the excitement for Obama that I'd find here in Cameroon. I imagine Kenyans must be downright insane at this point. People are constantly asking me about the elections and if I think he can win. Neighbors tell me the latest poll ratings.

When I wear my OBAMA shirt, I get comments from people on the street, and, since giving an Obama button to a man with a call box near my house, he's started calling me "African American woman" instead of "Whiteman," which is a dramatic step up, I'd say.

Truth is, the whole planet wants Obama to win, but nowhere more than here in Africa. The hope is that the Obama administration will be a new day for Africans in America, will strengthen relationships between African nations and the United States, improve conditions for immigrants and foster peace and prosperity.

No matter what Obama does, he couldn't do a worse job than his predecessor and, for that alone, I welcome the change in January.It was W.E.B. Du Bois who declared that the problem of the 20th century was the problem of the color line. With that century behind us, it might be time to deal with a few other problems, and look to a new tactic for some solutions.

For my part, I'll be faxing my ballot request today and waiting to see how the world deals with the 21st century, featuring a new administration, new priorities, and, maybe, America's first Black president.

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