Can Cory Booker Become the First Nigga to be Elected President of the United States?

This may sound weird, but I’m calling Cory Booker a nigga; but I’m not calling him a nigga. I wouldn’t walk up to him and say “what’s up my nigga.”  I wouldn’t even characterize him as one when speaking about him to another person. I don’t know him personally, but from the outside looking in; it doesn’t seem like he walks around and uses the N-word. I could be wrong though. However, he did lose his first attempt at becoming mayor of Newark to a Black man who supporters claimed Booker “wasn’t Black enough.” Therefore,  I’m going to take an educated guess that he doesn’t use that word often.

To be clear, I’m not associating people’s “Blackness” with the use of the word. I know a lot of Black folks who don’t use the word or even like hearing it. What I’m trying to do is distinguish Booker and Blacks in general who descend from slavery from Black Americans who don’t. It probably would be more tasteful and more comfortable for the reader, if I said Cory Booker would be the first descendant of Black slaves to become president. To be honest, I thought about using that title in the headline; but the word nigga has more shock value. It is not only a controversial, ugly, divisive, and emotional word; it is also definitive. Although other races may use the word and some Black folks want to forget about it; you can’t erase the history behind it.

The root of it, unfortunately, was used to demean Blacks who were brought here in slave ships and have been oppressed ever since. No one who comes from the background has been elected as president. Not Barack Obama and neither would Kamala Harris if she is elected. Barack’s father was a Black man from Kenya and his mother was a White woman from Kansas. Kamala Harris father is from Jamaica and her mother was born in India. On the other, Cory Booker’s parents come from North Carolina. I’m not sure about their ancestry, but I’m sure the lineage will go through slavery at some point. People may think that doesn’t make a difference, but it does. It makes a difference between sons and daughters of slave masters who know the horrors committed by their ancestors. The election of a nigga would be a reminder of that horror.

Furthermore it would signal, at the very least, symbolic progress. Right now there is still an attitude of keeping the Black man in his place in this country. In almost in every profession, Blacks have witnessed the ascension of everyone rise to the top but us. Despite the numerous Black people who have ownership; the majority of us are at the bottom of the totem pole. We have the same qualifications but not same opportunities. I would be surprised if Cory Booker gets that opportunity. If he gets elected, that would be great; but I would be shocked if he does. Do you think Cory Booker has a chance to be elected? Leave your comments below.