Rhetoric Race and Religion
By Gee Joyner
R3 Contributor
I thought about introducing this piece by copying and pasting one of the numerous, if not exhausted, references by political media pundits equating Barack Obama to the Messiah (metaphorically speaking of course), or a savior, for the United States of America. Then, I decided that would be too obvious, too contrived, lame, even corny, at best. So, I thought about giving a brief 145 word historical analysis of the African in America since 1619 and the nuances of the subordinating, debilitating, and socioeconomic and political stifling vis-a-vis prescribed attributes and derogatory stereotyping of the Black American which has had catastrophic effects on our psyche and self-esteem. But, I decided against that introduction as well.
By now, my scholars, students, and Intelligentsia are laughing and enjoying the literary trope I’ve used up until this point. I’m literally introducing the piece with all the introductions I claimed I was against. I guess you could say this piece will be a ‘stream of consciousness’ in the vein of philosopher William James, who coined the term in his book ‘The Principles of Philosophy’ (1890).
In my opinion, and subjective reality constructed by the ethnic hierarchy that existed in this country long before my father lay with my mother in the late 70s, there is no scholarly path in which I can intellectually walk in order to definitively compose a rhetorical construct that posits President Barack Obama as America’s Christ, yet that’s what the POTUS has become; A savior. A messiah who’ll cure the ills of the Black ghettos and inspire the Millennial and their offspring and their offspring’s offspring to be great, to challenge the status quo, to break down barriers, to make race, or color, invisible, if not non-existent or a non-factor. So, I will write until I’ve reached my limit—let’s say 1000 words, so that I won’t lose your attention.
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