Oprah…for President???

The presidential fund-raising circuit heated up this past weekend, as Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement rang to the tune of about 3.2 million bucks for one, Mr. Barack Obama. After delaying the presentation of her seal of approval, Ms. Winfrey pulled out all of the stops by hosting a star-studded event at her estate in Santa Barbara. She has sent authors on their way to millions, built careers for other TV personalities and turned an assortment of “nobodies” into household names. But with her assertive involvement in Obama’s run, Winfrey is attempting to show just how big of a deal she really is.

Yet, as we sit back and watch her first real stab at national political sponsorship, it begs a number of questions: 1) why did Ms. Winfrey side with race over gender and, 2) why in the world isn’t Oprah running for president herself?

Let’s seriously think about it (and I hope I’m not the first to have done so), Winfrey basically encompasses the gist of both of the Democratic frontrunners. Obama is Black (at least in the eyes of the dumbed-down and superficial American public), Oprah is Black. Hilary is a woman, Oprah is a woman. Roll them both up into one ball and you get a Black woman with more power than most people in the world and with more adoring fans than the gentleman that currently resides at 1600 Pennsylvania. Just like clockwork, Oprah could shatter the aspirations of all those seeking the Dem nomination and find herself in the drivers seat for the 2008 election, given the unlikelihood of a Republican victory next November (like most things in life, this is debatable.)

She has the money necessary to shake things up. And given the participation of other Hollywood personalities in the upcoming election, why wouldn’t throw her hat into the mix? The likelihood of this happening is slim-to-none, and reports say that Slim just boarded a flight to Tahiti. But it’s great to think about what an Oprah-led America would be like:

There wouldn’t be a First Man; there would be a First Beau – because her relationship with Stedman has yet to break into the marriage realm. Winfrey would be able to communicate with most leaders around the world with ease, because face it, everyone watches her show. She’d be able to further advance her philanthropic efforts and convince those with deep pockets to fund educational outfits like her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls right here in the US. She’d also be able to bring in Dr. Phil as her Secretary of State – needless to say he would be assassinated during his first diplomatic tour. And last but not least, the people of America would become avid readers. Lord knows that Oprah can pick a helluva book when she sees one. There is certainly no reason to believe the book club would cease once she hit the Oval Office.

This is all an imaginative exercise. But seriously, Oprah will at the very least be MY write-in candidate.
Harpo in ’08 anyone???

Silently overlooking The Jena Six

It continues to amaze me how little coverage The Jena Six have received. Updates on proceedings are passively included in news publications. Television programs do little more to give the matter the attention it deserves. And just this past Tuesday, a group of students at USC decided to protest the legal proceedings in Jena, Louisiana: they did so silently.

 

There is no need to rehash the details of the situation. Even the untrained eye can see that the entire scenario is laced with double-standards and is spewing racism left and right. Americans removed from the situation, seem to be subtly shaking their heads and praying that the matter gets properly sorted out. Others are oblivious to the situation. Others still, may very well feel that the African American students involved in the fiasco are getting what they deserve!

 

The media has grossly mishandled this matter. Media outlets have failed to generate any widespread sense of urgency. Not only are the authorities in Louisiana allowing the concepts of equality and justice to be slapped in the face. Instead, they are being assisted by those powerful players in American society that so forcefully assert their belief systems and work to shape our everyday realities.

 

The stir amongst African Americans isn’t even overwhelming. The omnipresent Rev. Jesse Jackson attempted to throw his two cents in by joining the list of individuals questioning the authenticity of Barack Obama’s blackness. Of course, no self-respecting Black man would allow such a travesty to go overlooked. Obama should be using every opportunity he has to champion the cause of The Jena Six! He should be a Black man first, a politician second (this paragraph is laced with sarcasm).

 

Yet, not even the polarizing comments made by Mr. Jackson will be enough to right the mishandling of the Jena situation. The Jena Six serves as a reminder to the divisiveness of race in America. The affair is likely being so heavily overlooked due to most American’s unwillingness to accept the fact that race is still a major issue in America.

 

Not just class. Race still divides. Class matters. But race, arguably, matters more.

 

The southern region of our nation still serves as a testament to a dark past. Racism exists everywhere. But no other American region continues to showcase the stark Black-White divide that festers in the American South. As a nation, we have undeniably progressed. But that cannot be taken to mean that all racist ideology has been eradicated from the general public and/or the bodies that govern our cities, states and country.

 

And while I hate to do this, this entire affair begs the question: would the situation be the same if the roles were reversed? If The Jena Six were white and going up against an oppressive predominately-Black system, would the legal proceedings be receiving daily front page coverage?

 

I think the answer is yes. You decide…