Black History Section 5- Contemporary African American Thought, 1975 to the Present Part 2 of 2

YouTube channel: Sunny Sharma‪@IndiaInsightMovement‬, podcast: India insight with Sunny Sharma.

I briefly discuss President Barack Obama’s legacy at the end!

The contemporary era 1975-the present is characterized by an explosion of the black middle class, black electoral politics, the bourgeoisie, and black academic scholarship. Even with the proclivity towards capitalist entrepreneurship and the gospel of wealth of Booker T. Washington gaining precedent in this era, there were still some critical Marxist perspectives concerning the problems of black crime as expressed by Jarvis Tyner, who also ran for president two times under the Communist ticket in the 1970s. Moreover, despite critical condemnation of wasteful spending of the criminal justice system there was an inability to stop these developments. There was a consensus that Americans needed schools, healthcare, and infrastructure development not more prisons. Furthermore, there was still immense discrimination in the judicial system towards African Americans especially former Black panther members who were considered to be political prisoners. The Sing Sing prison acknowledged along with Dr. Cornell West that prisons are easier to build than to give hope (it is easier to incarcerate than to rehabilitate and educate). However, these were not the only essential organizations to reform America, change world perception,  and alter political structures.

The Black Radical Congress (BRC) sought such provisions as public education improvements, economic justice, and the realization of political democracy for all Americans. The Racial Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa in 2001 sought not only to connect class oppression, racial discrimination, and xenophobia, but also to make critical research into black history and why reparations are a necessity for the descendants of slaves. On the other hand, Michael Dyson realized prisons and the history of lynching of the later 1800s and early 1900s was politicized in many ways most blacks don’t understand. The consequences of the Iraq War, the disaster of the relief effort for Hurricane Katrina which marginalized primarily black people, and a need to transcend political divides for the realization of a higher politic resulted in the ascendency of Barack Obama to the presidency in 2008.

President Barack Obama’s ascendency to the presidency in 2008 and 2012 was not just an explosion of hope, it was characterized by a resounding defeat of his critics through his ability and example of navigating complex difficulties in which he shaped public opinion in favor of his perspective and agenda. He was certainly criticized for certain actions and rhetoric, but it was shown through his genuine compassion and communication of the fundamental issues American were facing that he not only cared for the average American, but that he had a plan to respond to their fundamental grievances. President Obama understood the dangers of tribal politics, something he discussed widely at the end of his presidency, but his social media campaign demonstrated that technological advancement can be used in favor of positive political programs rather than become a divisive tool. He advocated peace domestically and abroad in a world in turmoil especially in the Middle East contributing to his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Award. More than anything, President Obama not only boasted a very progressive, radical, and transformative agenda, he stood as a symbol of black excellence and meritocratic success that showed anyone with an education and strong sense of purpose can benefit from the American Dream.

Tune in for my summary of these 9 episodes covering black history since 1768. All these 10 episodes are in my playlist Black History Month February 2025 - Let Nobody Turn Us Around: An African American Anthology (10 part series).