Dreams from My FatherBarack Obama.docx
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Dreams from My FatherBarack Obama.docx
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"PCf llltl! thìJ也arnml}刑d"f,wh! 'th,.,.泸州;",-l>lodu,‘'whilC: . IIIARIAN飞VHIGIITIWELMAl\ 1 BarackObama DreamsfromMyFather “Forwearestrangersbeforethem, andsojourners,aswereallourfathers. 1CHRONICLES29: 15 PREFACETOTHE2004EDITION ALMOSTADECADEHASpassedsincethisbookwasfirstpublished.AsImentionintheoriginalintroduction,theopportunitytowritethebookcamewhileIwasinlawschool,theresultofmyelectionasthefirstAfrican-AmericanpresidentoftheHarvardLawReview.Inthewakeofsomemodestpublicity,Ireceivedanadvancefromapublisherandwenttoworkwiththebeliefthatthestoryofmyfamily,andmyeffortstounderstandthatstory,mightspeakinsomewaytothefissuresofracethathavecharacterizedtheAmericanexperience,aswellasthefluidstateofidentity-theleapsthroughtime,thecollisionofcultures-thatmarkourmodernlife. Likemostfirst-timeauthors,Iwasfilledwithhopeanddespairuponthebook’spublication-hopethatthebookmightsucceedbeyondmyyouthfuldreams,despairthatIhadfailedtosayanythingworthsaying.Therealityfellsomewhereinbetween.Thereviewsweremildlyfavorable.Peopleactuallyshowedupatthereadingsmypublisherarranged.Thesaleswereunderwhelming.And,afterafewmonths,Iwentonwiththebusinessofmylife,certainthatmycareerasanauthorwouldbeshort-lived,butgladtohavesurvivedtheprocesswithmydignitymoreorlessintact. Ihadlittletimeforreflectionoverthenexttenyears.Iranavoterregistrationprojectinthe1992electioncycle, beganacivilrightspractice,andstartedteachingconstitutionallawattheUniversityofChicago.MywifeandIboughtahouse,wereblessedwithtwogorgeous,healthy,andmischievousdaughters,andstruggledtopaythebills.Whenaseatinthestatelegislatureopenedupin1996,somefriendspersuadedmetorunfortheoffice,andIwon.Ihadbeenwarned,beforetakingoffice,thatstatepoliticslackstheglamourofitsWashingtoncounterpart;onelaborslargelyinobscurity,mostlyontopicsthatmeanagreatdealtosomebutthattheaveragemanorwomanonthestreetcansafelyignore(theregulationofmobilehomes,say,orthetaxconsequencesoffarmequipmentdepreciation).Nonetheless,Ifoundtheworksatisfying,mostlybecausethescaleofstatepoliticsallowsforconcreteresults-anexpansionofhealthinsuranceforpoorchildren,orareformoflawsthatsendinnocentmentodeathrow-withinameaningfultimeframe. Andtoo,becausewithinthecapitolbuildingofabig,industrialstate,oneseeseverydaythefaceofanationinconstantconversation: inner-citymothersandcornandbeanfarmers,immigrantdaylaborersalongsidesuburbaninvestmentbankers-alljostlingtobeheard,allreadytotelltheirstories. Afewmonthsago,IwontheDemocraticnominationforaseatastheU.S.senatorfromIllinois.Itwasadifficultrace,inacrowdedfieldofwell-funded,skilled,andprominentcandidates;withoutorganizationalbackingorpersonalwealth,ablackmanwithafunnyname,Iwasconsideredalongshot.Andso,whenIwonamajorityofthevotesintheDemocraticprimary,winninginwhiteareasaswellasblack,inthesuburbsaswellasChicago,thereactionthatfollowedechoedtheresponsetomyelectiontotheLawReview.Mainstreamcommentatorsexpressedsurpriseandgenuinehopethatmyvictorysignaledabroaderchangeinourracialpolitics.Withintheblackcommunity,therewasasenseofprideregardingmyaccomplishment,apridemingledwithfrustrationthatfiftyyearsafterBrownv.BoardofEducationandfortyyearsafterthepassageoftheVotingRightsAct,weshouldstillbecelebratingthepossibility(andonlythepossibility,forIhaveatoughgeneralelectioncomingup)thatImightbethesoleAfricanAmerican-andonlythethirdsinceReconstruction-toserveintheSenate.Myfamily,friends,andIweremildlybewilderedbytheattention,andconstantlyawareofthegulfbetweenthehardsheenofmediareportsandthemessy,mundanerealitiesoflifeasit istrulylived. Justasthatspateofpublicitypromptedmypublisher’sinterestadecadeago,sohasthisfreshroundofnewsclippingsencouragedthebook’sre-publication.Forthefirsttimeinmanyyears,I’vepulledoutacopyandreadafewchapters toseehowmuchmyvoicemayhavechangedovertime.Iconfesstowincingeverysooftenatapoorlychosenword,amangledsentence,anexpressionofemotionthatseemsindulgentoroverlypracticed.Ihavetheurgetocutthebookbyfiftypagesorso,possessedasIamwithakeenerappreciationforbrevity.Icannothonestlysay,however,thatthe voiceinthisbookisnotmine-thatIwouldtellthestorymuchdifferentlytodaythanIdidtenyearsago,evenifcertainpassageshaveproventobeinconvenientpolitically,thegristforpunditcommentaryandoppositionresearch. Whathaschanged,ofcourse,dramatically,decisively,isthecontextinwhichthebookmightnowberead.IbeganwritingagainstabackdropofSiliconValleyandaboomingstockmarket;thecollapseoftheBerlinWall;Mandela-inslow,sturdysteps-emergingfromprisontoleadacountry;thesigningofpeaceaccordsinOslo.Domestically,ourculturaldebates-aroundgunsandabortionandraplyrics-seemedsofiercepreciselybecauseBillClinton’sThirdWay,ascaled-backwelfarestatewithoutgrandambitionbutwithoutsharpedges,seemedtodescribeabroad,underlyingconsensusonbread-and-butterissues,aconsensustowhichevenGeorgeW.Bush’sfirstcampaign,withits“compassionateconservatism,”wouldhavetogiveanod.Internationally,writersannouncedtheendofhistory,theascendanceoffreemarketsandliberaldemocracy,thereplacementofoldhatredsandwarsbetweennationswithvirtualcommunitiesandbattlesformarketshare. Andthen,onSeptember11,2001,theworldfractured. It’sbeyondmyskillasawritertocapturethatday,andthedaysthatwouldfollow-theplanes,likespecters,vanishingintosteelandglass;theslow-motioncascadeofthetowerscrumblingintothemselves;theash-coveredfigureswanderingthestreets;theanguishandthefear.NordoIpretendtounderstandthestarknihilismthatdrovetheterroriststhatdayandthatdrivestheirbrethrenstill.Mypowersofempathy,myabilitytoreachintoanother’sheart,cannotpenetratetheblankstaresofthosewhowouldmurderinnocentswithabstract,serenesatisfaction. WhatIdoknowisthathistoryreturnedthatdaywithavengeance;that,infact,asFaulknerremindsus,thepastisneverdeadandburied-itisn’tevenpast.Thiscollectivehistory,thispast,directlytouchesmyown.NotmerelybecausethebombsofAlQaedahavemarked,withaneerieprecision,someofthelandscapesofmylife-thebuildingsandroadsandfacesofNairobi,Bali,Manhattan;notmerelybecause,asaconsequenceof9/11,mynameisanirresistibletarget ofmockingwebsitesfromoverzealousRepublicanoperatives.Butalsobecausetheunderlyingstruggle-betweenworldsofplentyandworldsofwant;betweenthemodernandtheancient;betweenthosewhoembraceourteeming,colliding,irksomediversity,whilestillinsistingonasetofvaluesthatbindsustogether,andthosewhowouldseek,underwhateverflagorsloganorsacredtext,acertaintyandsimplificationthatjustifiescrueltytowardthosenotlikeus-isthestrugglesetforth,onaminiaturescale,inthisbook. Iknow,Ihaveseen,thedesperationanddisorderofthepowerless: howittwiststhelivesofchildrenonthestreetsofJakartaorNairobiinmuchthesamewayasitdoesthelivesofchildrenonChicago’sSouthSide,hownarrowthepathisforthembetweenhumiliationanduntrammeledfury,howeasilytheyslipintoviolenceanddespair.Iknowthattheresponseofthepowerfultothisdisorder-alternatingasitdoesbetweenadullcomplacencyand,whenthedisorderspillsoutofitsproscribedconfines,asteady,unthinkingapplicationofforce,oflongerprisonsentencesandmoresophisticatedmilitaryhardware-isinadequatetothetask.Iknowthatthehardeningoflines,theembraceoffundamentalismandtribe,doomsusall. Andsowhatwasamoreinterior,intimateeffortonmypart,tounderstandthisstruggleandtofindmyplaceinit,hasconvergedwithabroaderpublicdebate,adebateinwhichIamprofessionallyengaged,onethatwillshapeourlivesandthelivesofourchildrenformanyyearstocome. Thepolicyimplicationsofallthisareatopicforanotherbook.Letmeendinsteadonamorepersonalnote.Mostofthecharactersinthisbookremainapartofmylife,albeitinvaryingdegrees-afunctionofwork,children,geography,andturnsoffate. Theexceptionismymother,whomwelost,withabrutalswiftness,tocancerafewmonthsafterthisbookwaspublished. Shehadspenttheprevioustenyearsdoingwhatsheloved.Shetraveledtheworld,workinginthedistantvillagesofAsiaandAfrica,helpingwomenbuyasewingmachineoramilkcoworaneducationthatmightgivethemafootholdintheworld’seconomy.Shegatheredfriendsfromhighandlow,tooklongwalks,staredatthemoon,andforagedthroughthelocalmarketsofDelhiorMarrakeshforsometrifle,ascarforstonecarvingthatwouldmakeherlaughorpleasetheeye.Shewrotereports,readnovels,pesteredherchildren,anddreamedofgrandchildren. Wesaweachotherfrequently,ourbondunbroken.Duringthewritingofthisbook,shewouldreadthedrafts,correctingstoriesthatIhadm
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