The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

Mansfield B. Frazier of Cleveland.com had me cracking up this afternoon in his piece “Scale back the Obama worship”.

Comedian Chris Rock used to do a routine that questioned why, in most cities with a substantial black population, the most crime-ridden street is virtually always named after Martin Luther King Jr. The answer, of course, is that black folks, in our rush to honor our great civil rights leader, usually picked the most high-profile, well-traversed thoroughfare in the urban community to rename – not pausing long enough to realize there could be a downside: that the busiest street in black neighborhoods is often the most crime-ridden. Call it the Law of Unintended Consequences, and it’s about to rear its ugly head once again – this time in regard to President-elect Barack Obama.

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Additionally, I can guarantee you that in the school year 2013-14, the most popular name for black boys entering kindergarten at most urban schools around the country will be Barack, which really isn’t so bad. But what sends chills of trepidation down my spine is the thought of some poor girl showing up for her first day of kindergarten, forever saddled with the name Baracka, Barackonique or Obamanesha. What about Obamanation?

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Black folks, please, I’m begging on bended knee, let’s not do this. You know we African-Americans have a tendency to take the joke past Broadway, but if we don’t get a grip early on and nip this madness in the bud, we’ll soon be seeing our kids walking to school in the morning, eating a bag of Obama Potato Chips, washing them down with a can of Barack Red Pop, while carrying – what else? – a Barack Obama backpack.

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Talk about crass commercialism about to run amok. What’s next, an Obama Barbecue and Soul Food Restaurant run out of some half-dilapidated greasy spoon down on Scovill Avenue? Newspaper headline: “Obama’s Ribs robbed for the third time this month.” While, from halfway around the world: “Dozens sickened after eating at Obama’s House of Sushi in Kuala Lumpur.” Where, oh where, will it all end?

At the rate this phenomenon is taking off, before the man even takes the oath of office, a group of militants will be out in the Black Hills of South Dakota demanding that racist honkies agree to put Obama’s face on Mount Rushmore immediately or, at the latest, right after he delivers his first State of the Union speech.

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Blacks certainly are not alone in wallowing in early hero enshrinement. Republicans rush to name airports after presidents as soon as they leave office, and I recall that some fools wanted to place Ronald Reagan’s visage on a new dollar bill, or some other denomination. Stop! Enough! (more…)

His whole piece is good. Read it when you get the chance.