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Southern U. Weighs Prospect of First Black U.S. President

www.barackobama.com/ Barack Obama's Web site shows the senator from Illinois pressing the flesh.

By Kim Butler
Black College Wire

Is America ready for its first black president?

Is Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., too inexperienced to govern the nation?

"There's no such thing as presidential training," said Niiobli Armah, president of Southern University's Student Government Association. "Obama displays excellent leadership skills and sound decision making capabilities.

"If anything, his inexperience is an advantage because he has had less time for corruption," Armah said.

Armah was one of several Southern University students and faculty members who reacted to Obama's Jan. 16 announcement that he was creating an exploratory committee and preparing a full-fledged campaign to run for president. Armah called Obama's bid a milestone for young black males with higher political ambitions.

Adell Brown, vice-chancellor of administration for the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, agreed with Armah.

"Unlike others who insist that his time is not now, he has to run while he has a high level of popularity," Brown said. "He can recover from his inexperience by being a quick study and surrounding himself with key people who can bring him up to speed on the issues in which he is lagging."

Four days after Obama's announcement, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., announced her intentions to seek the office. If elected, she would become the nation's first female president.

"Fortunately, Obama does not share the same deficit as Clinton," said William Arp, a political science professor at Southern. "Our system is gender biased." It is the belief of some "that this country can only be run by white males. However, Obama is not a traditional African American, although his pigmentation may discourage white voters." Obama was born Aug. 4, 1961, in Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr., a black native of Kenya, and Ann Dunham, a Caucasian woman from Kansas.

Erica Williams, a public administration graduate student, saw it differently. "While I appreciate the cultural and gender diversity that this upcoming election will display, I would really enjoy seeing Obama and Hillary on the same ticket," she said.

Travis Spikes, a sophomore criminal justice major from Baton Rouge, was less positive about Clinton.

"A woman can't handle a man's position," he said. "Think about it. Is there a woman leading anything in the Bible? I am pretty sure she can do a great job, but if a female becomes president, the world will end."

Kim Butler, a student at Southern University, writes for the Southern Digest. Jerrica Skidmore contributed to this story. To comment, e-mail [email protected]

Posted Jan. 29, 2007