Recently I was reading an article on Yahoo! that profiled Black Conservatives conflicted with the choice of party loyalties vs. communal allegiances. In particular, JC Watts noted that the Republican party has largely ignored and forgotten poor and disenfranchised African-Americans. Other Black Republicans mentioned in the article included Joseph C. Phillips (Cosby Show’s Martin Kendall), Colin Powell, and John McWhorter from the Manhattan Institute. The aforementioned all have varying opinions on Obama’s campaign and his votability as a candidate, but they all see his candidacy as hope for the African-American community as well as the entire country.

Additionally, I read an interview with rapper Nas on www.hiphopdx.com. He discussed in the interview his aversion to politics. However, Nas gave Obama credit for giving birth to his interest in the 2008 elections saying, “You’re gonna start seeing more rappers evolve into politicians. If we have a change this year and it’s a positive thing, we trusting the system now. We believe in it more. We see something positive coming out of it that makes us want to get involved more. Five or 10 years from now, you might see somebody like me trust it more. Who knows? I won’t say for sure.”

These are just isolated examples of what I believe to be proof of a larger “political renaissance” in the Black community that hasn’t been seen in over 30 years. I still talk to people trapped in the “why vote when it doesn’t matter” concrete bubble. Those people have always and will always be present. Obama’s candidacy has caused a groundswell that is managing to unite peoples of a wide variety of colors and, even more so, ideologies without polarizing the majority of those who will never vote for him anyway.

Hopefully, whomever Obama chooses as a running mate can join his campaign and blend with his platform without being a token or lap dog. I think it will enhance his votability if he can find someone who will present ideas alternate to his own without becoming a distraction or threat to his power as president.