(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
It was not many weeks since we all witnessed what we were not brave enough to once dream of a few years ago: a person of African background became president of a white country. And it wasn't any white country, it was the greatest and most powerful of them all: the United States of America.
The world cheered and cried with us as we heard the news. But in the wake of the election, many questions, dilemmas and not least – concerns arise.
On the African continent, Obama is celebrated as a people hero, freedom fighter and the Messiah of democracy. But even before Obama was elected president, the disappointments and critics were not surprisingly in place.
Obama's return to Africa was viewed with great joy, but several noted that he did not comment on the tragedies that took place in his native Kenya or in the Congo. This silence signaled to many that Obama, just like the rest of the world's leaders, also carries the muzzle for "the higher-ups". During his victory speech on election night, he also did not mention Africa once – a strategic move, some believe.
For many with an African background in Norway, Obama's victory is an undeniable affirmation that if we work hard enough, well, then we can actually become exactly what we want. Obama's victory is bittersweet as many remember their own homeland where democracy is a fluke and those with the most money and power win.
Here in Norway, we see the Obamacracy explode on Facebook where ethnic Norwegians think Obama is "the shit" or "better than Bush anyway" and where party politicians declare his support for him.
But no matter how you look at it, Obama represents a victory for Western democracy and for the collective African self-image. African youth, including those in Norway, have now received a model that is well-articulated, well-dressed, in a position of power and that is in television and the media all the time. "Yes, we can" will be the new mantra for Africans around the world, and here in the country we will also see the effects of the black population. Obama is the new face of Africans, and we carry it with pride.
At the same time, we also see the danger that Obama is now "our man." Obama now represents Africans whether he wants it or not, and the danger of this negatively impacting our lives is not so small.
All it takes is for him to make a small mistake, say something wrong or – God forbid – hire someone he knows. Yes, there are some of us who fear that what happened to Manuela in this country may also happen to Obama. The difference will be that all the Africans in the world will have to face the consequences of his mistakes. "See what your leader has done", the world will say, "We gave you the power and all the prerequisites to succeed, but still so…". There will be no shortage of negative remarks and shame if Obama does not turn out to be the black superhero the world has been waiting for. The unreasonable expectations that rest on Obama's shoulders also rest on ours, and we are watching with excitement as he soon enters the White House.
But we have every faith in him as leader, president and not least African. Barack Obama has already proven to be superior in several areas, and we do not doubt for a moment that he, despite all the unreasonable expectations, will take America and the world into a new and better era.
Congratulations to Obama, and congratulations to all of us. Yes we did!
