CNN: Black First Family ‘Changes Everything’

President and FLOTUS

by Lamar Tyler | on January 22nd, 2009 | 14 comments

Interesting article over on CNN titled:Black first family ‘changes everything’. Here’s an excerpt:

Jamaal Young was watching Barack Obama and his family greet an ecstatic crowd in Chicago, Illinois, on Election Night when he realized that something seemed wrong.

President Obama and his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, greet the nation.

Obama didn’t shout at his wife, Michelle, to shut up. The first lady didn’t roll her eyes and tell Obama to act like a man. No laugh track kicked in, no one danced, and no police sirens wailed in the background.

Young had tuned in to celebrate the election of the nation’s first African-American president. But he realized that he was witnessing another historic first. A black family was being featured as the first family, not the “problem family” or the “funny family.”

“They are not here to entertain us,” says Young, a New York Press columnist. “Michelle Obama is not sitting around with her girlfriends saying, ‘My man ain’t no good.’ You’re not seeing this over -sexualized, crazy black family that, every time a Marvin Gaye song comes on, someone stands up and says, ‘Oh girl, that’s my jam.’ “

You can check out the article by clicking this link. Once you do make sure to come back and let us know what you think. Do you agree with this or not?

About the author

Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are the creators of the award-winning blog BlackandMarriedWithKids.com . They also are behind the Amazon.com bestselling DVDs Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage, You Saved Me and Men Ain’t Boys that explores manhood in the African American community. The Tylers are also the proud parents of four children.

King James

This title is misleading… partly b/c I don’t agree with it.

“Obama’s family shows that there is not one way, but many ways for someone to claim membership in the black family, some say.”
KJames —> Are you kidding me?

“Durrow, the author of “Low Sky Dreaming,” says it’s refreshing to see well-spoken black children on television who act nothing like “Bebe’s Kids,” the unruly black kids from the ghetto immortalized by the late black comedian Robin Harris.”
KJames —> I’ve not heard the young ladies say much, if anything at all…. Maybe Durrow has and can attest to it. Anyone will seem OK when compared to the worst.

Anyway, this article uses unneeded hyperbole to paint its picture of Black Family Super Heros. Yet, in all fairness, I assume most tangible changes are preceded by a change in perception.

BOO to the article.
http://afrikacan.blogspot.com MoAfrika

Whoa!! This is heavy! What, in plain english is being said here. We (South Africans) experienced a similar phenomenon with Nelson Mandela. Suddenly being black was being moved from one stereotype box to another. Obama did not marry a darker skinned sister for pete’s sake!! He married a woman he loves!! There are families like Obama’s the world over and they come in all colours, for present purposes, they come mostly in Black. Just as an illustration, the grandfather of Thabo Mbeki (erstwhile president of SA) boasts among his grandchildren a senior counsel (the equivalent of a Queens Council advocate), an engineer and senior health adminstrator both of whom live and work in the US and of course the then SA president. This nonsensical, racist diatribe only arise now because the positive images of the Obama family cannot be avoided! The positive images of black families are everywhere. They are there in the ghettos where community workers do their damnest to keep it together and to help the youth. Of course the Cosby Show will come up! That however begs the question: how many shows have been pitched to the networks portraying positive, ambitious, loving, extremely bright, confident children families? I bet you thousands over the years. I salute Tyler Perry in this regard for movies like Why did I get married. When we saw the movie down here my wife and I were excited and as we left the show I could not help but say to a white couple – there are black folks like that you know, the kind that go to a mountain retreat for vacation – and they are not rappers of basketball players.
Obama is the president of the US because the could not be beaten by any of those who threw their hats in the ring. Everyone of them will accept that much – the brother is simply that good. It is for the same reason that he was Harvard Law Review president. Michelle is brilliant in fact she is the reason he excels so. The combination is just downright formidable, they are a tough combination to beat. They are good, they are bright and on the face of it, in love. Being black is simply incidental and detracts from all else. It almost suggest that they are different blacks almost as if they need to be explained as some phenomenon – no, they are one couple out of lots others, who the media have found it convenient to ignore until they do something negative. None of this diminishes the great and fantastic role models they are. I apologise for the emotion in the comment.

MoAfrikas last blog post..Of Peasants, Black Englishmen and the ANC . . .
Tara

I think it’s so interesting how white folks are eating up Obama’s image, please don’t get me wrong, the man is amazing without a doubt. However, this notion of an intact middle class black family gets my goat! My parents have been married for 40 years and my grandparents on both sides until death did them part. Strong, proud, hardworking black families are more a part of our legacy and heritage than all the overly done criminal, dysfunctional images we see in the media. These types of stories are insulting and demonstrate how out of touch mainstream America has been to African Americans. And if I hear one more comparison to the Huxtables– a fictional couple, when there are tons of real life examples–I may scream!
Harriet

all i can do is cosign what everyone else has said. i couldn’t have stated it better.
Sasha

I agree that parts of this article seem to try to paint the Obamas as a black super family, but I, personally, like this article for a couple of reasons: first, I LOVE the point they make that the Obamas will show young black men how to treat women. I believe young black men ABSOLUTELY need a better role model than the videos on BET and MTV, which totally denigrate women.

I also LOVE that young black women will also have another great role model, and that they will have a great relationship role model in the Obamas. He is extremely respectful of her, and always kisses her cheek and holds her hand. I hope that this makes young women raise their standards in a relationship, instead of playing the “hoochie” card, because that is what BET teaches them men want to see.

Now I am not saying that there are not other positive black role models out there for young black men and women, and I am not saying that there are not plenty of wonderful black relationships out there, as well; I am merely saying that it is wonderful to have one that is so public and sets such a high standard.
King James

Sasha, I like your last paragraph… reminds me of relationships in general and how we manage to get our point across around folks who jump at the first chance for argument. Cute and awesome!

I agree with you in that it’s awesome to have a family in the LIGHT who seems to be together and healthy. Could have been much worse. When I was at the monument and folks cheered for Bill Clinton, I couldn’t help but to think (yet again) that I didn’t remember him being called ‘one of us’ (a black president) until after the oral sex drama. I’m all for Barack and the healthy family image we get from them.
good stuff
King James

But seriously folks, what am I going to learn their relationship? All I see is them kissing, holding hands, hugging… am I learning that?
http://afrogeekmom.blogspot.com conseula

Have those who write about black people in the media ever met any actual black people?

conseulas last blog post..Rev. Lowery Rocks My Socks; Praisesong for the Day
LaKeysha

@ Sasha
I totally agree. Though middle class married black families do exist,lets be real, they do not get much media attention. The stereotypes of the no-good, jail-bound thug and the welfare baby mamma are still up and running, in the white community AND the black community.

It’s also good for Blacks to be known and exposed for more than just our entertainment value (sports or hollywood or music).

I love that this family is professional and yet real. They have not given in to the pressure to abandone their heritage to fit in. Case in point, during the campeign, I saw a few pix of Malia wearing cornrows straight to the back. Now thats Black!!! And I was so proud that this was just a small show of the adherance to a culture that was outside of the accepted “norm”.

So of course we don’t want to put them on a pedestal as the super-family (we dont know what goes on behind closed doors) but we cannot forget the world and our own communities still yearn for real black families to publicly demolish old persistant stereotypes.

And is it just me or do we do still deal with dark vs light-skinned issues? I know I still have to tell the kids I work with that Black is beautiful.
http://www.bucketdrops.blogspot.com from the desk of..me

I agree with you that clearly we have taken several steps forward with OUR new First Family. Now, the world can see, that successful black families exist and I don’t think any of us could have asked for a better platform.
Anna

LaKeysha said:
I love that this family is professional and yet real. They have not given in to the pressure to abandone their heritage to fit in. Case in point, during the campeign, I saw a few pix of Malia wearing cornrows straight to the back. Now thats Black!!! And I was so proud that this was just a small show of the adherance to a culture that was outside of the accepted “norm”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
That is what I also loved. Their daughters hair was not always pressed/blow dried and curled, at all times. I appreciated the fact that the cornrolls/french braids were still an option. They don’t have to look glam eveyday. Kids should be kids. My daughter just stopped wearing french braids last summer, she has now turned from the tomboy to a girly girl. Let them be kids as long as they can. Malia has also sported the million braid look, lots of smaller braids all over your head. Our President and First Lady know that we are in a recession. Michelle could have easily had a well know designer to make her a dress for the swearing in and the ball. She chose two unknowns who saw what she wore at the same time we did. If that is not class I don’t know what is. The dress she wore to the swearing in costs $1500. Designers have already made the outfit for under $300. Ppl do like to buy what they see those on tv wearing. This is also a win, win situation. I don’t care what anyone buys as long as it helps increase our out going dollars to raise our economy crisis.
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Nikki

Hmm, how do I put this??? Well, this article was somewhat refreshing–just to read other people’s perspectives, but in other ways, this is nothing new to a lot of people.

I grew up in a well-behaved, black middle class family and had many friends of the same background. My husband’s parents have been married for over 30 years (mine divorced), so this “notion” isn’t really a notion to us. It’s exciting to see that others are energized and enamored with this family. Admittedly, I feel pretty warm and fuzzy about them. But overall, I think that the idea that this “changes everything” is a little inflated.
http://rnichols72342 Rev. Dr. R. C. Nichols

It is very refreshing to read an article which is descriptive of what has been my reality, and the “norm” lived in a great majority of African American families , churches, and communities. Often the media promotes negative sterotypes often fuled by systemic racism, rather than acknowledging the strength, courage, fortitude, and accomplishments of our great African American heritage.I am so proud to see a “First Family” in the White House who will raise our national conscienceness to the values which have nurtured African American families for multiple generations.

Thank you for sharing a portion of our story. Continue writing to enlighten our nation and global communities with truth!

Ashe!