Introduction
Evie Shockley, an articulate poet, wrote and published (Mis)takes one to know one. The poem is a fascinating work of literature where she expresses her raw and candid thoughts about contemporary political matters. (Mis)takes one to know one incorporates criticism around the political space, one which I resonate with. She features Douglass, who communicates directly with her about his experience in the Civil war and the subsequent strange election of 1865. Shockley uses Douglass to personify this atmosphere, her critical message to Americans being that they should not confuse change of race for progress, “don’t/ mix up servitude and race” (Shockley 9-10). This critical poem focuses on Evie Shockley’s expression of how black people viewed Obama as an Icon of change in America, but he gets into power and proceeds with the actions of the oppressive regimes.
A Historic, Strange Election
In the 19th century, slavery was an issue that was highly politicized. In 1861, a civil war was sparked by political unrest and a fierce battle ensued, where whites fought among themselves over the then status of slavery (Walsh). Douglass is surprised as he had not earlier imagined that whites would turn against each other, “you’d never have convinced me white men/ would kill white men by the hundreds/ of thousands freeing/ the negro- even as/ the desperate, calculated means to purely/ economic ends” (Shockley 25-29).
Shortly after the end of the civil war in 1865, elections were held seven years later, where America witnessed a dynamic duo of a woman presidential nominee and a black vice president. Victoria Woodhull, a radical feminist ran for president with Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist, as her running mate, and the first Black vice president (Walsh). The end of the civil war saw the amendment of the constitution where women were now allowed to vote and vie for political positions. Shockley acknowledges this achievement, and she features Douglass who narrates the historic experience,” but war/came and, in its wake, amendments/if not amends were made. seven years/after its end, I was running for vice-/president of the union. No, the equal rights/ticket didn’t win, and it only took/another one hundred and thirty-six years/to put a colored man in the white house” (Shockley 31-38). However, Douglass explains that inequality prevailed in that election, and they did not win.
He acknowledges that this election was quite historical as there has been none other like, and it is only one hundred and thirty-six years later that a black president, Barack Obama, was ‘put’ in the white house. Douglass proceeds to express his view on the election of a Black man to the white house. He says that people should not be over-ambitious about the performance of the black president, “will be what his country has taught him to be, will/ do what his experience leads him to do” (Shockley 41-42). By this statement, Douglass signifies that a person’s leadership capability is not determined by the color of his skin, but by the values instilled in him by his society and country. Barack Obama had lived in the United States and had integrated into its system, “don’t mix up change with progress” (Shockley 43). Therefore, very little and insignificant change was to be expected from him.
Criticism of President Obama
November 4, 2008 was marked by grand celebration and thrill. A charming intellectual, Barack Obama was sworn into office as the first Black president of the United Stated of America. Some Americans had however not come into terms with this fact, “I dreamed I told Frederick Douglass Barack Obama is not black, not yet” (Shockley 1). It was uncertain whether the change would bring any substantial progress in America. In 2016, Barack was replaced by Donald Trump, a white president, a transition that highly triggered skepticism, pessimism, and denial.
During Obama’s administration, questions from American citizens ranged from whether hope, truth, and justice held a chance in America, and if America had the tenacity to be sincere enough and acknowledge its cowardice, obsession with money, and xenophobia (West). The uncertainty erupted from Barack being previously integrated into the oppressive American government as a Senator. Would he now just bring change by being black? “The child/ follows the condition of the mother? don’t/ mix up servitude and race” (Shockley 9-10). The Barack Obama era might have been the last chance for Americans to re-invent themselves for the better, as they were previously deep-rooted in cartels and deceit. Barack Obama and his administration were key contributors to the nightmare that was later caused by Donald Trump in America (West). The administrators in the Obama regime were meant to keep the government in check, but they overlooked this role and let him get away with his unjust actions without consequences.
During the economic battles between the average American investors and the large global Investors, the average Investors called out Obama to bail them out. Obama did not listen to them, but he instead followed the advice of his cheerleaders who misled him into bailing out Wall Street, the high global organizations (West). Shockley in her poem describes this as power control and slavery, “I would think/ the president of the United States could/ not be a slave to anyone or anything/ except his own desires.” (Shockley 10-13). Obama was ill-advised and met with Wall Street in 2009, where he promised to stand between them, protect and bail them out. Subsequently, none of the Wall Street criminals went to prison, a typical case of ‘buying justice and freedom.’
Americans were vocal calling out for those who tortured Muslims to be accountable for their actions. They were angered by the US drone strikes that were killing innocent civilians, and they called for transparency (West). They are the selfless people described in the poem, “some among us have chosen to be or/ not to be what laws or customs inscribe in our blood. race is not biology” (Shockley 16-17). However, instead of taking responsibility and exerting necessary measures, the US government dismissed the allegations and claimed no civilian had been killed, but the statement changed later and claimed that only a few civilians had been killed. Obama’s regime seemed to consider the plight of the whites more than the blacks. In 2015, an American Civilian was killed and the state held an emergency press conference. Even without legal obligation, the government made an apology and financially compensated the victim. As reflected in the poem, this was the epitome of hypocrisy.
A section of Americans and African Americans held street demonstrations advocating for the protection of black lives, a movement dubbed, Black Lives Matter. The movement protested the killing of innocent black youths by the police. They voiced out the sudden deaths of the dreams and destiny of youth, an issue that Shockley finds disturbing and disgusting, “I never knew a white parent to stand between a colored man and his destiny” (Shockley 20-21). Major protests were held when there was mass killing of Palestinians by the Israeli army (West). No police went to jail over this gross infringement of human rights (West). Without factual evidence, Obama proceeded to refer to the black youth as gangsters and thugs.
Obama’s Government implemented an education policy that caused unfathomable damage to the education sector (West). Through the market forces unleashed by the education policy, there was massive closure of public schools for charter ones. Labor insurgencies in Seattle and Chicago were hardly addressed (West). During a span of eight years, child poverty levels remained astronomical, even as the high-income earners experience two-thirds of their income growth.
Unfortunately, in all these inconsistencies, the mainstream media was expected to highlight this violation of human rights and link them to Obama and his Government, but it did not. Instead, most of them praised and defended him, probably after being paid by the administration. Other black spokespersons, with weak moral authority, continued to defend Obama, even at the height of his incompetence. They hid under the shadow of racial symbolism (West). It is until when white power took over the government that they speak the truth, while they previously said nothing.
Conclusion
Obama’s legacy was to be marked by affordable and accessible healthcare services for over 25 million citizens. However, it could not be considered an achievement as 20 million citizens remained uncovered. Unfortunately, Obama left such a sad legacy, when Americans had hoped that he would be their candidate for change (West). Indeed, “don’t/ mix up servitude and race” (Shockley 9-10). The truth that the brave Americans voiced kept fading until it was not heard anymore.
Works Cited
Walsh, Colleen. “Recalling another strange, historic election”. National and World Affairs, 2020. Web.
West, Cornel. “Pity the Sad Legacy of Barack Obama”. The Guardian, 2017.
Shockley, Evie. Renegade poetics: (Mis)takes ) One to Know One, Iowa city, University of Iowa Press, 2011.