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A Story of Race and Inheritance“What is our community, and how might that community be reconciled with our freedom? How far do our obligations reach? How do we transform mere power into justice, mere sentiment into love? The answers I find in law books don’t always satisfy me – for every Brown v. Board of Education I find a score of cases where conscience is sacrificed to expedience or greed. And yet, in the conversation itself, in the joining of voices, I find myself modestly encouraged, believing that so long as the questions are still being asked, what binds us together might somehow, ultimately, prevail.” - Barack Obama, in Dreams from My Father
Like many Americans, my first exposure to Barack Obama came during the 2004 Democratic National Convention when he gave the Keynote Address. Watching the speech, I was moved by his hopeful message and enthusiastic delivery. Here was a well-educated, intelligent, humble, engaging leader - and he happened to be African-American. He spoke about his father and mother, how a man from Kenya and a woman from Kansas had come together, sharing a common dream and abiding faith in the possibilities of the American nation. He played down the greatness of the country's power and wealth, instead expressing pride in its foundational ideals. He shunned the two Americas, liberals and conservatives fundamentally divided, and embraced a truly united United States of America. He spoke of the need to work together, of common dreams and goals. Like others, I was smitten. At the same time, as Obama became an overnight political sensation, I began to wonder if he was for real. Sure, he looked black, but he was only half-black. Had he really experienced the issues of race and identity that black men in America endure, or had he instead been sheltered from them? When I picked up Dreams from My Father, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I discovered was a moving account of an unusual and fascinating life - and proof that Obama is for real. He is a black American. He has endured the challenges that others face. And he is capable of becoming the first African-American President of the United States. Dreams from My Father was written long before Obama entered the political arena. The book was a response to the smattering of attention he received after being elected the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Dreams is an exploration of his childhood and the familial relationships that shaped his development. Though largely absent during his youth, Obama's father - who returned to Kenya before his son was born - influenced his experience profoundly. His father was intelligent and charismatic; he demanded excellence of both himself and others. Although Obama lived in Indonesia for a period after his mother remarried, most of his childhood was spent with his grandparents in Hawaii. Living with his maternal grandparents in a community with few black residents, he struggled to find his identity and voice. Eventually, during and after his years in college, Obama settled into his own skin and came to terms with his father's absence. Following his father's death, he visited Africa and met the family members he'd never known. I decided to highlight Dreams from My Father here for several reasons. First, the book provides an interesting account of a multi-racial, multi-cultural human experience. I was pleasantly surprised to learn of the years Obama spent in Indonesia as a boy. His exposure to severe poverty and a predominantly Islamic populace altered his outlook on the world. At a very young age, he'd been exposed to another way of thinking and living, a simpler way, and he'd gained lifelong perspective as a result. A personal bonus, his descriptions of Indonesia served as vivid reminders of my own experiences in Southeast Asia. I loved the segment where he recalled being introduced to the region's "red, hairy-skinned fruit so sweet at the center that only a stomachache could make me stop." I did the same thing myself, though I was a good 20 years older than he'd been when I downed my first rambutan and couldn't stop. Dreams from My Father is a story of blending cultures and world views. Obama is where he is today in part because of the perspective he gained grappling with issues of race, culture, and identity. He provides reason to hope in Dreams and explores the possibility of creating a more peaceful and harmonious world. Dreams from My Father isn't a book outlining policies that will help us get there, but it does provide impetus to continue striving to reach that goal. One final aspect of the book I appreciated was its demonstration of Obama's humanity and humility. Though not "politically convenient," he acknowledges mistakes and youthful indiscretions such as experimentation with drugs. He shares his struggles and doubts, fears and failures - and comes across not as a Harvard grad with all the answers but instead as an always-thinking, ever-questioning student of and believer in life. Barack Obama may well end up running for the highest office in the country someday. Pick up Dreams because that isn't his goal. Making a difference is. << Find this Book on Amazon.com >>
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![[Book Cover Page: Dreams from My Father]](images/books/dreams-from-my-father.jpg "Dreams from My Father")