I imagine that it is not easy being the first black president of a “land settled by the Dutch in the mid-17th century, then taken over by the British, and at last independent; a land in which the native inhabitants were at first subdued, but relations with whom remain a problem to this day; a land which defined itself on a hostile frontier; a land which has tamed rich natural resources through the energetic application of modern technology; a land which was once the importer of slaves, and now must struggle to wipe out the last traces of bondage”.
I am imagine it was not easy being President Barack Obama. The only man who I imagine carried an even bigger burden is the first black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.
Obama returns to South Africa in a few days to deliver the annual Nelson Mandela lecture in celebration of the centenary of Mandela's birthday on 17 July. It was in 2006 that the then Senator Obama visited South Africa for the first time. His inaugural visit came at a time when the relationship between the United States and the rest of the world was highly volatile as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq entered their fifth and third years respectively.
At that moment of his historic visit to Africa, Obama actually had no plans of running for the 2008 presidential elections, which is understandable considering he had just recently emerged victorious from a gruelling campaign which led to his election as the fifth African American senator in his country's history. However, his visit to South Africa would change his mind, life and history forever.
Read Full Article »