by Dorothy M Neddermeyer

Created on: November 25, 2008

During the recent U.S. presidential campaign, the 'talking heads' referred to Barack Obama as possibly the first black president. This puzzles and outrages me. Why? Because calling Barack Obama black is denouncing his Caucasian ancestry. This is racial discrimination of a different kind, but none-the-less racial discrimination. Likewise, referring to his race as Caucasian is denouncing his black ancestry.

His mother, maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins back several generations are Caucasian. His father is black. Does the fact that his father is black qualify him to be referred to as the first black president? Since Obama is half white and half black, he qualifies as being a white president as much as he qualifies as a black president.

A case in point is Tiger Woods. Tiger's father is one-quarter white three-quarters black. His mother is Thai. Unlike many celebrity-actors Brandon Lee, Halle Barry and Jennifer Beals, who have been recognized only as Asian, black and white, respectively, Tiger Woods has forced Americans to come to terms with his multiracial identity. Despite his racially mixed background-Woods has clearly demanded that he wants to be recognized as a multiracial person. In recent years how often have you heard a sports caster refer to Tiger Woods as the most prominent black golfer in America? None that I have heard.

Woods' recent stunning victory at the U.S. Open could not be more timely, say activists who are campaigning for a "multiracial" category on the U.S. census for 2010.

"He is completely articulate on the issue," Ramona Douglass stated, half Italian-American and half African-American, woman who is president of the Association of Multi Ethnic Americans and a member of the U.S. census advisory committee on the proposed category.

"He [Tiger] has made it clear he has no reason to deny his mother," Douglass stated. "Whether he wants to or not, he is sort of becoming the poster person for multiracial identity."

Barack Obama, please stand up and demand as Tiger Woods did, to be recognized as a multiracial individual. You owe it to yourself, your country and your country's multiracial citizens.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Life Coach, Hypnotherapist, Author, "101 Great Ways To Improve Your Life." Dr. Dorothy has the unique gift of connecting people with a broad range of profound principles that resonate in the deepest part of their being. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's daily thoughts and feelings. http://www.drdorothy.net

Learn more about this author, Dorothy M Neddermeyer.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.