by Nadra Enzi, Contributing Writer
I grew up during the tail end of the “First Black This and That” era. A feature in Ebony or JET magazine (equivalent to Time in its heyday) documenting your feat was a mark of very high distinction. Each Black “first” was one small step for a Black man or woman and one giant leap for all of us away from otherworldly stereotypes. That was in the old days of Jim Crow and decades following desegregation. I didn’t vote for President Obama either time and don’t consider his White House residency as a triumph for me.
In a desegregated nation, my self-esteem doesn’t rely upon accomplishments of other American Blacks or bi-racials. I take people on an individual basis and thus am not confined to residual segregationist thought. The nomination of Hillary Clinton by the Democrats triggered this retrospective on ” firsts.” All she’s offered America is a matchless desire to be the first woman president and nothing else.
As an over-privileged member of the shrinking majority population, a former First Lady, US Senator and Secretary of State, any claim to being “oppressed” is embarassing. She’s hardly a 21st Century Susan B. Anthony and even many progressives don’t support her.
In 2016, excessive focus upon being a “first” means you need to be America’s last choice!
Nadra Enzi aka Cap Black, Your UrbanSafetyist and Traditionalist in a nightmarishly non-traditional America. @nadraenzi on twitter. Cap Black is Here! blog http://www.capblackishere.blogspot.com
