What Obama Has Done to Black Men

I parked my bike and continued to lock it when a young white damsel walked from the store to hers. She hesitated, moved about ten yards and began a stretching athletic routine. I all but ignored her presence.
Then as I walked passed by, she asked, “How is your day so far?” It was filled with such warmth that I was at a loss. I smiled and mumbled something and walked into the store.

I never dwelled on the incident—dismissing it as a chance encounter. As I was riding back home, and enjoying the evening breeze, I saw another young white girl sitting in the front steps of a house in the neighborhood. She waved her hands to say “Hi!” Of course, I waived back.

Two in a row? It got me wondering. You have to understand my neighborhood to appreciate. The city has been described as the whitest large city in the US. My neighborhood, that previously had the largest percentage of black folks, has been gentrified and many have moved to less expensive locales of the city. Before the gentrification many whites dared not come to North East of town. When our office was moved to the East area several of my workmates asked for security protection. Even my Jewish girl was hesitant in coming to the area until she eventually felt comfortable enough to buy a house in the area.

Now, I have a sense that white people when they meet me wonder what I am doing in what they no longer call the hood—exemplified by a neighborhood street festival which dissed the description “Festival in the Hood” for “Neighborhood Festival”—a subtle statement of having got rid of gangs, hookers and niggers.

Not again! I was jogging today, minding my own business, and then I hear a greeting from across the street, and turned to see another young white female.

What is going on? I asked myself as I tackled the Hill of Death. Is it my personality? Have I suddenly become a Casanova? That can’t be it. Then it occurred to me that Obama might be the cause. Suddenly I think the debonair well-spoken Obama is making all of us black men seem attractive. Is he debunking the myth of the black gangster who is up to no good?