Reaching The Mountain Top
Reaching The Mountain Top
As dust settles from the euphoric cloud storms that were whipped up by the historic American presidential campaign win of Barack Obama; there are many, from all sides of the ethnic divide who were incredulous before the results who are now energised, inspired and full of the audacity of hope.
We have all been captivated by the mantra of the President-elect Obama “Yes we can”. These three words are being echoed around the world. The outcome of the US election has also brought to the forefront of many people’s minds especially here in the UK, the question of, “Whether we can?
In the blue corner, the outspoken Trevor Phillips believes it could not happen here. Trevor writes, “It's a point about the fact that systems can sometimes work in such a way that, in spite of everybody's goodwill, in spite of the fact that everybody wants it to change, it doesn't change”. In short ‘institutional racism’.
In the red corner, the first black president of Oxford student union, Lewis Iwu who believes it is possible says, “If you are good enough at something then nothing can stop you. There are barriers but that should not stop you from going for it.”
These are two seemingly conflicting views of the possibility of a Black prime minister in the UK. The view of the pragmatist and realist - challenged by the view of youth and idealism.
The question of whose view is right may not be so simple to determine.
The reality of the UK political system today is that it would preclude someone, even as talented as Barack Obama, from rising from relative obscurity to become Prime Minister in four years. As Phillips says, “The political system is to some extent, closed to outsiders.”
From the outside looking in, many would concur that our political system does not open itself up enough to allow the everyday aspiring young Black man - to see politics as a career choice.
Also unlike our American counterparts there are no Colin Powell’s or Condoleezza Rice’s in the upper echelons of political life to see as aspirational role models. So maybe Trevor Phillips is right.
Conversely, Obama’s message of hope, if examined more closely, is much more of a call to believe not only in him, but also for the American people to believe in themselves. To remove the clouds of doubt and believe that change can really happen.
Within this context of belief, the reasons cited by many Black people in this country who did not believe Obama would succeed; ‘the American people are not ready’, ‘’they are too prejudice’, ‘they will kill him first’, may hide a more sinister, somewhat pernicious and unwitting belief. An unconscious belief that Black people are not able enough; that a Black man could never reach such a position.
With such a mind-set, even if the corridors of power were thrown wide open to us, would we walk in with the unwavering belief that the top job could be ours?
Some speak of, ‘the lack of high-profile examples of men and women who have made it through the political maze without compromising their cultural identity’. They cite this as a viable reason why the belief may not exist within many people as it should. So maybe Lewis Iwu is right.
Or perhaps the two ideals are not mutually exclusive, for one may not be able to become reality without the other.
For a Black person to rise to the rank of Prime Minster they must first believe they can attain the post and act in accordance with the ideals and practices the pursuit of such an endeavour requires.
However, it is the responsibility of the Government and its officials to make this path more visible and accessible to individuals outside of ‘The Old Boy’s Network’. They must send a message to Black people in the UK that irrespective of class, religion or ethnicity you are first British. Thus it is your right and within the realms of possibility if you so choose to go after the highest office in the land.
Barack Obama's win stands as a testament to the changing times we live in; a time when new dreams are being born each day.
However, we must not forget that we first must wake up to make those dreams a reality... let us wake ourselves, our friends, families and more importantly our children to this new dawn.
The fact of the matter is Black people in the UK are more economically empowered, educated, socially and politically aware than any other time in our history.
This past week, the world has witnessed change in the making. It has seen that even though we may not have yet ‘reached the mountain top’ as Martin Luther King proclaimed. We can however, now see the path we need to travel to get there. Yes we can – you decide.
By Ken Barnes