Why It is Important that this President is Black

Everyone (most everyone) on the right came out after Obama's win and said, "Well, it's good that the country has grown up enough to elect an African-American president." I scoffed at that. Not because it wasn't good, but because it didn't matter to me. "Who cares? Our only concern should have been the ideas he stands for, not the color of his skin." But that was naive. For two reasons: (1) I am not a racist, and (2) I did not grow up in a racist culture. It took Anthony Bradley, a brother in Christ, theologian and author, to show me that the election of Barack Obama is huge.

Please read his phenomenal article he wrote for World Magazine. He writes:

When CNN announced that Barack Obama had the electoral votes needed to win, the euphoria in the room I was in was deafening. I had never experienced anything quite like it. Many of us stood still in shock while others jumped and danced followed by people weeping.

I was so confident that Obama was going to win the election I skipped a McCain-Palin party last night to attend an election night gathering co-hosted by two St. Louis R&B and hip-hop radio stations. Although I disagree with Obama’s views on abortion and his economic philosophy, among other things, I wanted to witness the reaction and celebration with an all-black crowd. I was not prepared for what happened: Euphoria and weeping about a man representing an idea.

Bradley Continues:

Leading up to Obama’s victory speech, the DJ would insert the question, “Are you guys ready for the first black president?” The room would then erupt in cheers and whistling. Then it hit me: For the folks in this room this election was not about policy but an idea. I’ve been told my whole life that a black man could never become the nation’s president. I will never forget hearing those words escape the mouth of Peter Jennings a few years ago on the “ABC Nightly News,” as he reported the findings of a study on race.

I stood in front of the television stunned and discouraged.

Last night, however, the idea that someone other than a white man, a mixed-race man, in fact, could become president became a reality. The realization of this idea created a contagion of cheers and weeping. I wish my grandparents, who lived under the tyranny of Jim Crow laws in the South and through the turmoil of the civil-rights movement, could have lived to see what happened last night. They would be very happy.

John McCain had no idea how powerful his words were when he said, “This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.” On hearing this, the room erupted again in celebration. Who would have ever imagined the first lady of the United States would be a black woman?

For many in the room I realized that “change” was not so much about political change but cultural change. There was a determination to vote a man into office that represented a possibility—namely, that a black man could be president.

He concludes, focusing attention on Evangelicalism:

A black pastor friend in North Carolina called and asked, “Anthony, can you believe it?” We were sobered by the fact that evangelicalism essentially has no Asians, Latinos, or blacks that share the influence and respect of men like John Piper, Tim Keller, John MacArthur, Mark Dever, James Dobson, Chuck Colson, and so on (unless the topic is related to race). Oddly, conservative evangelical’s favorite black go-to guy is a Roman Catholic named Alan Keyes. Is that the best evangelicals can come up with?

Even though some conservative evangelicals, in talking about me, have said “Bradley’s an ignorant baboon,” there is hope for change in an idea in evangelicalism, too. Concerning this election, my theology frees me from anxiety about America in a world sustained by God, but it raises a new interesting set of questions about the church in America and whom we consider our leaders.

Again, the whole thing is phenomenal. Though I am terrified that Obama will make it easier to kill babies, I am happy that one good idea has broken through: the color of your skin should mean nothing. God is slowly restoring relations among the races. No, he won't make us all look the same. Rather, we will someday say joyfully, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," (Galatians 3:28).

My hope for the country is that we would quickly move past this. Ultimately, race doesn't matter. Ideas matter. It is most excellent that our president is African-America. It is highly unfortunate that this African-American man's ideas are so godless.

And yet, we can rejoice for now. Our president is black.