By Angela Hughes

November 4, 2008 was one of the most monumental days within black political history along with the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. President Barack Obama is the epitome of hope and an outstanding example of African American intellectual prowess. However, President Obama’s journey to becoming the 44th President of the United States was not only a difficult one, but there were more obstacles thrown in his path to deter him from continuing his run than things to assist him in winning. What’s mind-boggling is that his experience during the 2008 election season was not surprising. In a country where racism is a common element within the history of Asian, Latino and African American citizens alike, it was not surprising. In a country where financial success and wealth stands firmly on the exploitation, inhumane labor and mistreatment of our people, it was not surprising. In a country where African Americans are at the bottom of the cultural totem pole, his treatment couldn’t help but be expected. Time and time again, people of color have had to overcome adversity and toil to reach a point of success in politics or academia.

As of late, various news sources have conducted polls and surveys regarding President Obama’s approval rating of his first 200 days in office. The results have indicated that his supporters are unsatisfied and his efforts are reminiscent of his predecessor, George Bush. To that, I can’t help but ask, “Who are they polling and surveying?” These constant attempts to discredit President Obama’s judgment boils down to one thing and one thing only: he’s an intelligent, black man. The biggest threat to this European influenced society is a person of color altering the image of leadership. President Obama’s cultural identity has caused critics, self-proclaimed pundits and political commentators alike to question his judgment. The ghastly combination of racism and the capitalism used to uphold it are the sole reasons his judgment is questioned. As the president has resurrected and brought forth the issue of race relations in this country, many racially charged incidents have received national news coverage. With the recent Professor Gates and Officer James Crowley incident, President Obama used common sense (something our former president failed to exercise), and had the men simply talk it out. Objectively looking at the situation, there was a problem between two individuals who both represented two larger groups of people, law enforcement and the black community. The leader of both individuals brought the two together, talked about it and they reached common ground. While that was the most rational and effective means of resolving the problem, the same critics, pundits and political analysts focused on the beer drinking aspect of the meeting more than anything. Another important example of this extreme distrust of black leadership is happening right now with President Obama’s plan for healthcare reform. Yesterday, in a town hall style forum, conservative, right-wing suburbia expressed tremendous opposition to his plan. While it is easy to say that these activists do not trust President Obama because he is black, we need to delve deeper -to the root of this grave distrust.

America’s wealth was built on the backs of African slaves, indigenous exploitation and immigrant labor. These very people could not receive an education simply because their acquisition of knowledge would disrupt the power structure. So there was (and still is) a conscious effort to keep them ignorant and uneducated. As the U.S. Constitution was designed to benefit the “explorers” that settled here completely excluding the aforementioned. Decades later, immigration continues to increase and cultural diversity has flourished. While educational and political opportunities have been extended to people of color, the fear of loosing control of the power structure has grown in white America*. Conservative, right-wing suburbia has used their political affiliations to cover-up their “deep-seeded hatred” (courtesy of Glen Beck) for African Americans, with President Obama as a menace to the society they tried so cunningly to maintain. On one hand, the number of African American politicians, doctors, entertainers, lawyers, and business owners are steadily increasing, and on the other hand “Republicans” continue to boil with anger (read: fear) of our country becoming socialized (read: people of color in power).

Ultimately, President Obama is getting graded every 100 days not because he’s black, but because conservative, right-wing, suburban America is afraid of loosing the sovereignty they once had. A good friend of mine mentioned that former president George Bush received praise for starting a war that has resulted in the murder of millions of people, but President Obama gets called a Nazi and socialist for wanting to save millions of people. As an African American community, it is imperative not only to our future, but to the future of all people of color, that we continue to support our president and shun the opinions of those who oppose his well-intended decisions. People of all ethnic backgrounds, ages, and political affiliations have created an organized effort to gracefully change America into the very thing that President Obama’s critics loathe. Election night was his successful crossing into the treacherous political territory of presidency. But no grade, report card, poll or survey can taint the reputation he continues to build for himself in his quest to better America for all its people.

The Facts

HIV/AIDS and young blacks

• In 2005, the rate of AIDS diagnoses in black adults and adolescents was 10 times the rate for whites and nearly
  three times the rate for Hispanics.
• In 2004, African Americans were disproportionately affected by HIV infection, accounting for 55 percent of all
  HIV infections reported among people ages 13–24.
• Of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004
  in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 11,554 (61 percent) were black.
• In 2007, nearly 20 percent of people infected with HIV residing in the District of Columbia were between the age 13-29 at the time of their diagnosis.
• In Georgia, the rate of adult/adolescent HIV/AIDS cases was 81.2 per 100,000 for African-Americans in 2005 and 8.7 per 100,000 for whites.
• Of the 68 U.S. children (younger than 13 years of age) who had a new AIDS diagnosis in 2005, 46 were black.
• Of the estimated 141 infants perinatally infected with HIV in 2005, 91 or 65 percent were black.

HIV/AIDS and black women

• One in 30 black women will be diagnosed with HIV at some point in their lifetime.
• The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black women was nearly 23 times the rate for white women in 2005.
• AIDS was the leading cause of death in 2006 for black women 25 to 34.
• Of the 126,964 women living with HIV/AIDS in 2005, 64 percent were black, 19 percent were white, 15 percent were Hispanic, one percent were Asian or Pacific Islander, and less than one percent were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
• Of 40,608 AIDS diagnoses in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for 2005, 10,774 (26 percent) were women.

HIV/AIDS and black men

• One in 16 black men will be diagnosed with HIV at some point in their lifetime.
• The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black men was eight times the rate for white men in 2005.
• AIDS was the second leading cause of death in 2006 for black men ages 35 to 44.
• Of the Washington, D.C., residents living with HIV/AIDS in 2008, 76.3 percent were black and 71.7 percent were male.
• The rate of adult/adolescent AIDS cases for African-American males (118.7 per 100,000) was eight times that of white males (14 per 100,000) in Georgia in 2005.

The cost of HIV/AIDS

• The total lifetime cost of illness for Americans newly diagnosed with HIV in 2002 is approximately $36.4 billion.
• While whites incur more direct medical costs than blacks for HIV treatment, blacks suffer greater financial damage from loss of productivity.
• In 2007, over half of the 900,000 Americans living with HIV died from the virus.
• HIV/AIDS is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
• The U.S. Agency for International Development for funding HIV/AIDS in the region is expected to increase its funds to $30 billion by 2010.

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