Newswise — Stephen Jones, Central Michigan University assistant professor of history and authority on African-Americans in the legal process, says that we might be at the tipping point where our country is ready to elect an African-American president. "Barack Obama's political candidacy shows that the U.S. is moving toward the next level of political empowerment," said Jones.
A few more of Jones's initial thoughts on the subject:
"Obama's win in the Iowa caucuses proves that for the first time ever, there is an African-American candidate who could very possibly win the presidential nomination. There have been a number of African-American major party candidates dating back to 1972 and virtually all of them have been perceived by whites as race candidates, appealing to only a segment of the population."
"Obama is seen as a real and acceptable candidate by many white people, which raises the question of whether his appeal to white people undercuts his credibility with some African-Americans."
"Even if Obama were to be elected president, we still have a long way to go before the people of the United States achieve real understanding and acceptance across racial lines. But Obama's candidacy raises that possibility and that has clearly excited and inspired a lot of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire."
Stephen Jones is an authority on African-American history, African-Americans in the legal process and African-American literature. He is co-author of "African Americans in Congress: A Documentary History." A 20-year veteran of the journalism industry, Jones worked as a reporter and copy editor for the Associated Press, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Sunday Journal and Ypsilanti Press.
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