While I'm Glad We Have A President That Reads - I Wish Barack Obama Would Read Something That Did Not Have Black Folks As Slaves Or 2nd Class Citizens
I love the fact that Barack Obama is a book nerd. I hope he inspires many Americans, particularly Black Americans to read. With that said, I am beginning to get irritated at the public pronouncements of the books Obama has been reading in preparation for his first administration.
As an academic I understand reading books from past Presidents, but I sure wish Obama was reading about a Presidency where black folks were something more than abused slaves, President Lincoln's era and disenfranchised second-class citizens, President FDR's era.
I hope he has read or plans to read something from President Kennedy's and President Carter's administrations and learns something about disappointed and disgruntled African Americans that provided a lot of votes to a Democratic President, who delivered little in terms of diversity, equality, and opportunity for people of color.
And if Obama really wants to change the nation, let's hope he makes clear there is something to learn folks like Marcus Garvey, Marian Wright Edelman, W.E.B. DuBois, Barbara Jordan, Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez, Dorothy Height, Martin Luther King, Jr., Shirley Chisholm and many other Americans who worked for years as outsiders or lone voices for people who were under-represented or unheard for many, many, years.
Any other suggestions for President Obama's reading list?
