Whether you voted for him or not, whether you love him or hate him, you cannot deny the impact Barack Obama has had on this country. I can’t think of anyone else in the modern political realm that has generated as much buzz as he has --- good or bad. For the first time in American history, the leader of the United States is not a white male.
     And currently, there is no one who better represents our theme of Culture Shock.
     Obama inspired the theme of this issue, so in turn, we dedicated an entire section to examine what made the President-elect’s candidacy so memorable. From Obama Mamas who took voters to the polls in the “Yes We Van”, to safety issues that continued to escalate as the campaign continued, to black members of the Republican Party who voiced an unique opinion, we wanted to show exactly how much this year’s political climate affected everyone.
     However, when it comes to Culture Shock, the focus isn’t on Obama personally, rather what he represents. When he first came on the scene as a major contender to the presidency, he was accused of not being black enough, something that is not uncommon in the African-American race. What exactly does it mean to be black enough?
     We took a look at this issue of “acting white”, so to speak, in our Carlton Complex piece.
     So, Obama was accused of “acting white”. Considering the fact President-elect Obama is multiracial, that isn’t really an issue. Since he understands what it is like to be considered a black man and he knows what it’s like to be raised by a white family, he can relate to more people than any other politician on the national stage, black or white.
     It’s that type of understanding that this issue will channel. Yes, this magazine is meant to focus on black culture. However, we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t demonstrate how some aspects of black culture have morphed into American culture as a whole. We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t critique how this interweaving of cultures has created a double standard.
     A black person isn’t “acting” any sort of way if he or she doesn’t dress in the stereotypical hip-hop clothing. A black person isn’t “acting” a certain way if he or she likes listening to something other than the stereotypical rap or R&B. And most importantly, a black person isn’t “acting” a certain way if he or she follows a path that isn’t usually taken by others in his or her race.
     When it comes to the idea of Culture Shock, it isn’t easy. People get scared when they think about losing all of those clear-cut definitions of race, gender, spirituality, etc. But, as this issue points out, it’s fine to be proud of your black culture while embracing aspects of others. Just like it is OK for other cultures to embrace aspects of ours. It’s that spirit of diversity that this country is all about. Whether it is music, relationships or self-acceptance, this issue has something that every person on this campus can relate to, no matter what culture.
— Deanna Stevens (Left)   (Photo by Daniel R. Doherty)