Opinion
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“First black president” label has different meanings.

The news media refers to a “black vote” as one that will split itself between only two of the many presidential candidates in the primaries. They presume that Senator Hilary Clinton must naturally inherit most of those votes as the wife of former President Clinton whom those black folk loved. They did name him the “first black president” didn’t they?

Many writers remind readers those Black Americans refer to former President Clinton warmly as the “first black president.” Every article I read about “African-Americans” loyalty to Clinton also credited Nobel Prize winning Toni Morrison as the person who created this label.

I don’t know why so many writers misrepresent Morrison’s connection with this label. Perhaps they do it because they cannot read well. Maybe they were too lazy to check their sources. Or, maybe they named her as evidence that even this recognized intellectual member of group of Americans labeled black gushes in childlike affection for a white patron.

I never read Morrison’s work before. Nevertheless, what those writers claimed seemed out of character for a person of her intellect and international stature as a writer. On the other hand, it seemed unlikely that so many writers would intentionally libel her this way. So, I went to the alleged source of statement.

Toni Morrison wrote an October 1998 article in the New Yorker that questioned the true motives for Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and the news media’s obsession with bringing President Clinton down because of his adultery. Near the end of the article she wrote: “African-American men seemed to understand it right away. Years ago, in the middle of the Whitewater investigation, one heard the first murmurs: white skin notwithstanding, this is our first black President.”

This paragraph made it clear that she was not naming Clinton the “first black president,” but reporting what others were saying. She made clear who coined the phrase "first black president." She continued, “After all, Clinton displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald's-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas.” There it was, “trope of blackness.” This expression should have alerted readers that “first black president” was a metaphorical expression they should not interpret literally.

Those men Morrison quoted used “first black president” as a metaphor to describe how the Republican Congress, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and the news media were crucifying President Clinton. They reasoned the government and news media usually ignore the adultery and irresponsible sexual acts of white men. This is especially true for white U.S. presidents—Jefferson, Eisenhower, Kennedy to name a few. On the other hand, those in power and influence treat similar acts by them as serious offenses that society must punish severely for reasons other than to preserve morality. Bill Clinton is the first president those in power attacked for immorality. Therefore, they decided mockingly that Bill Clinton must be the “first black president” despite his pale skin color.

Nobody should mistake this mocking indictment of American culture’s moral double standard based on race as idolizing praise for Bill Clinton. The irony is the press and few Americans recognized the metaphor, because they refuse to admit the moral double standard based on the racial category of the offender.

It is painfully tragic that many people in the group of Americans labeled black did accept Bill Clinton as the “first black president” as an expression of affection and respect. They fawned over him as if by accepting this label he raised their human status. Of course prominent members in their group encouraged this belittling attitude about themselves. News accounts report how the Congressional Black Caucus honored Clinton as the nation’s “first black president” at its 2001 awards dinner for his many initiatives to help advance Black Americans’ civil rights.

Groups grant honorary titles to acknowledge that an outsider’s conduct typifies the group’s moral standards and traditions. Members of the group of Americans labeled black announce serial adultery, on-the-job sexual trysts and irresponsible behavior are typical moral standards for the group when they grant Bill Clinton honorary title as “first black president.”

A parent’s conduct provides a stronger more lasting lesson about morality to their children than their lectures do. Therefore, parents confuse their moral message when they embrace Bill Clinton as their model of a black president. They write over lectures to their sons to act responsibly and not to spread sexual disease and not to people the world with fatherless children by having sex with a merry-go-round of partners. Also, parents confuse their message to daughters when they loyally support Hilary for the presidency because she is Bill Clinton’s wife. This act contradict talk to daughters that they should develop self-esteem and not serve as unloved sexual partners birthing fatherless babies for irresponsible males.

Kenneth Brooks is a freelance writer and speaker. Contact him at P.O. Box 882, Vallejo, CA 94590. E-mail to: opinion@ethicalego.com.