Barack Obama is just a few hours from being sworn in as the first black President of the United States, and he is to be congratulated for his remarkable accomplishment..
What, however, makes a person black, white or of mixed race? Considering President Obama was the product of a black father and a white mother, should he be classified as 'black' by his dark skin tone or perhaps 'mixed' due to his ancestry? Although the 'content of (his) character' ought to be the only factor in judging his capacity to lead the nation, questions on race will still have a profound effect on our lives and in our national history. Indeed, a case can be made that Warren Harding (1865-1923) became the nation's first black president in 1921.
.
Born outside the small town of Marion, Ohio during the last year of the Civil War, Harding worked in the newspaper trade and became an influential newspaper publisher. His immersion into local and national issues vaulted him into the position of Lieutenant Governor and subsequently a seat in the US Senate in 1915.
.
When Republican operatives failed to settle on a presidential candidate for the 1920 election, Harding earned the nomination in a compromise deal between political bosses. In a rather forgettable contest, Harding defeated the obscure and lackluster Democratic governor, James Cox, of his own state (Ohio) convincingly. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Cox' running-mate, would eclipse both men at the top of their respective tickets in a dozen years.
.
Harding died only two years into his term, but it was not before presiding over several acts of malfeasance within his administration. While he likely had little knowledge of the misdeeds of his subordinates, Harding has been rated in the bottom tier of presidents for being unable or unwilling to manage the conduct of his cabinet officers. His two significant accomplishments, launching the Veterans Bureau and orchestrating the Washington Naval Conference of 1921-22, were overshadowed by sordid tales of governmental corruption. Aside from politics, his racial legacy is also back in question after years of dormancy.
.
During his political campaigns, rumors and allegations surfaced that Harding was a descendant of at least one black ancestor. If proven true, it would have doomed Harding's career in a nation still prejudiced against blacks from Pensacola to Pittsburgh. Although denied strenuously by his backers, Harding likely had black lineage. Beyond his complexion being a dark hue, his father-in-law, one of the richest men in Marion, not only objected to the marriage between Harding and his daughter Florence on racial grounds but also openly used the pejorative word 'nigger' in reference to his son-in-law on occasion. In fact, his mixed blood was a familiar topic among many in the area and had been so for years.
.
Was President Harding a descendant of a black woman - perhaps his great-grandmother? Between the circumstantial evidence and his unusual charcoal skin color, it is quite possible. Hence, Obama may be regarded as the second black president or the first black president with an asterisk behind his name. Whatever the case, Americans have progressed to a point where the measure of a man or a woman has little or nothing to do with genetics. For that reason, the United States can be rightfully proud of its election of Barack Obama today.
.
J Roquen