Africa's Place in Obama's Inaugural Speech
Did President Obama Address Africa's Concerns in His Speech?
May 17, 2009
Since he won the presidential elections in December 2008, Barack Obama became a symbol of hope and pride for Africa. The entire continent convulsed into euphoria for having a son in control of the most powerful nation on earth. Many Africans listened to Obama’s inaugural speech with keen interest, hoping to hear where Africa belongs in the agenda of America’s first black President.
Obama Avoids Mentioning Africa in His Speech
The most remarkable thing about President Obama’s inaugural speech was the omission of the name “Africa.” Perhaps because racism is a very sensitive issue in American politics, and also conscious that this almost cost him his election victory, Obama’s speech contained the name of only one country – America. But in many indirect ways, he talked about Africa. His speech was meant for a global audience. “…from the grandest capitals to the smallest village where my father was born….”
Kenya, the African country where Obama’s father was born, still nursed fresh wounds of ethnic conflict as Obama took the oath of office in Washington. It was a sad reminder to Obama of the scourge of political instability throughout Africa. To leaders of chaotic Africa therefore, Obama had a clear message “… to those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history.”
Addressing Corruption and Ethnicity in Africa
President Obama addressed the issue of corruption in very subtle terms by appealing for transparency within America. “Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account”. African countries rank among the most corrupt in the world. It is this high level of corruption that leaves the continent completely void of what Obama called “the vital trust between a people and their government.” Government and power in Africa are the properties of individuals and their tribes.
America’s cultural diversity which Obama called a “patchwork heritage,” is the same as Africa’s ethnic, regional and cultural background. In America’s case, this diversity has been harnessed into national strength and glory. In Africa, ethnicity has produced genocide in Rwanda and has left entire countries and economies devastated. While America in Obama’s word has “tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter,” Africa still remains firmly trapped in it.
Obama’s Message of Hope for Africa
Africans in Zimbabwe, Somalia, Darfur and Congo must have heaved a sigh of relief to know that rescue was on its way. “To the people of poor nations we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow, to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.” Obama also knew this was a collective effort with African leaders. He therefore promised to “extend a hand” to those willing to grasp this new opportunity, but not to those who “blame their country‘s ills on the west.”
Conscious that Africa’s plight is not solely her responsibility, Obama called on all “those rich nations …that enjoy relative plenty,” to come to Africa’s rescue. In his words, “we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders.” Here, Obama was very prophetic. Only a few months after his speech, piracy reached frightful proportions in Somalia. The world came to know about this bulging plague when American captain Richard Philips was taken hostage. It is easy for such situations to translate into terrorism.
The word Africa might have been omitted from President Obama’s inaugural speech. But by every stretch of the imagination, it was largely about America, Africa and the world. Other parts of the world might have drawn comfort and inspiration from President Obama but nothing is yet strong enough to shake Africa’s hopes on Obama. His inaugural speech was once again a reaffirmation of this hope.
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