Expanding the Culture

Obviously some folks are ignorant about African American culture. How else can you explain someone sending out a card with the White House covered with watermelons instead of eggs for the annual Easter Egg Hunt?  Luckily, we don’t have to depend on ignorant fools to tell us what black culture is.  We have the Obamas for that. And they are doing it up in style.

First, Obama had a superbowl party which was bipartisan.  His team Pittsburg won in a tight, heart-stopping game.  The President showed he understood America’s sport culture.

The first lady was not to be outdone. She celebrated Black History in style. She had a group Sweet Honey in the Rock entertain 200 6th and 7th graders in the East Room.  The culture of call and response poetry, acapella singing, and drama came to life for the kids and the nation.  Only covered intermittenly by the media, it still changed the Black History celebrations forever.

Next the Obamas showed they could hold a formal dinner, black tie with the best of them. They hosted the Governors of all 50 states for a formal state dinner.  The Obamas were gracious to the Governors and their spouses, including Jindal of Louisiana. (We now know he exaggerated and lied in his rebuttal to Obama’s press conference, but then we all knew he wants Obama’s job in 2012.)

But what really put the icing on the cake was the Greshwin award for Stevie Wonder.

Obama played the role of “first fan” at the Wonder tribute, and opened up about his and his wife’s common enjoyment of Wonder’s music
He gave Stevie credit for getting Michelle to date him.

“As Stevie knows, I’m a huge fan. And he has been a great supporter,” Obama said before presenting the award-winning singer-songwriter with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress.

He said Wonder’s songs “became the soundtrack of my youth” and that in them he “found peace and inspiration, especially in difficult times.”

While some attending the even sat straight in their seats. The President and First Lady were jamming:  clapping, snapping their fingers and singing along.

The bottomline is we know the haters will keep drawing monkeys and watermelons and just trying to get attention, but the Obams wiell have the last work on what black culture and American culture is for the next four years. They are expanding the culture and making int clear that the Cosby Show’s Huxtables were just a hollywood ideal for black families, but the way it is for so many. 

So the haters will hate and we will let them know that we do not suffer fools gladly.  Even Rupert Murdoch himself had to apologize for the monkey joke, the watermelons were met with swift protest and Rush Limbaugh has taken some hits for wanting Obama to fail.

It will continue, but for those of us who’ve waited for black culture and art, music, song and style from the cut of his suit to her short sleeves not that what the Obamas do, not what the haters say, is defining black culture and expanding America’s.

Obama presented the medal to Wonder, then wrapped the singer in a bear hug. As the media were led out of the room, Wonder struck up “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” which was a staple of Obama’s campaign rallies.

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