Why Barack Obama Is A “Magic Negro”

I’ve been mentally laughing uncontrollably due to the recent re-hashing of the Barack The Magic Negro tune and resulting commentary. I thought the song was funny back then and I still think it is funny. Why would this black guy find the song funny? One, because I have a jailhouse brand of humor at times and two, because any honest black person knows that many folks in the black community thought that White America looked at Obama as a “Bagger Vance” from The Legend Of Bagger Vance movie fame (as an aside, The Legend Of Bagger Vance is one of my favorite movies… A good story in my opinion). “Bagger Vance”, according to a certain segment of black thought, was vanilla, non-threatening, safe, not black enough, and eager to please “whitey”. But Barack Obama’s way of speaking, intelligence, charisma, and obvious love of his wife and children won black folks over (not to mention the Iowa Caucus affirmation). Obama’s win has transformed the black community in ways that still astound me. Urban black radio is really engaged in a larger spectrum of politics. The black community is energized in ways where a critical inward look at itself is now becoming the norm without cries of “airing dirty laundry” (a monumental feat). And the Obama Role Model Train is just steaming along in the black community. This and more is why I consider Barack Obama a “Magic Negro”. Because of the damn near magical transformation his run and win has done to black political and civil rights thought.

Black America needed Obama’s win more than I thought. Of all the racial groups in America, black folks have the most complicated history with America. From being brought here as slaves to Obama’s presidential win, black folks have had a love/hate relationship with America. As my grandfather has said many times:

Damn, I love America. Damn, I hate America. Damn, I’m so hurt and confused!

And this coming from a man that faced down the Ku Klux Klan with a rifle multiple times with the intent to shoot ‘em all or die trying. I admit that at one time my hate of America used to get the better of me. Yes, my friends, I was a hardcore black nationalist and Evangelical Minister Of Whitey Hate at a point in my young life. Every white person was the embodiment of evil and would only stop me from being happy. Even though my grandmother was white as snow, it didn’t stop my whitey rambling. College changed all of that. I stopped hating blindly after meeting so many people of all colors and started directing my hate into community service. Eventually (faster than I thought) my hate burned away. In its place, grew a seed of political cynicism and outright disgust of our political system. I registered as an independent and vowed to NEVER vote for a stupid donkey or a dumb elephant. I got involved with others who felt like me of every race, creed, and sexual preference. And I’ve followed that track all the way to Election 2008 where I voted for Bob Barr. But I never lost sight of how Obama’s run was transforming the black community. I watched as my family morphed from “victims of America” (e.g., the man is doing this to us) to proud Americans. Now don’t get things twisted, my family always knew they were Americans but felt more victimized than “Americanized”. This is coming from a family of black nationalists, Marxists, and former Black Panthers. Looking at their transformation has been stunning. Watching how they now talk more about all Americans instead just black Americans (and with such patriotism) fills me with unending joy. It’s like we have finally arrived and can now do something from sea to shining sea.

All due to Obama’s win.

So to the black community, Obama is a “Magic Negro”. I don’t know how his administration and governance will fare, but he is already etched in Black American Lore. Not as a messiah (yuck, yuck, yuck!). But as a man that ushered in a whole new thought direction for the black community. And that direction only makes America stronger. Damn near magical I say!