...............................by Pensereo
[A short, light-hearted fictional skit based on published
historical facts. Links to factual sources are in the
FOOTNOTES]
The year: 1988 (1)
The place: Chicago, Illinois
The scene: Office of Michelle Robinson, associate attorney
The characters:
- Barack Obama
- Michelle Robinson [who later became Mrs. Barack Obama]
[Barack knocks on the door of Michelle's office. ]
[Michelle:] Come in.
[Barack enters]
[Barack:] Good morning.
[Michelle:]Good morning. Please sit down. As you know,
I'm Michelle Robinson, and I'm looking forward to being
your mentor, here at the firm. Let me start off on the
right foot. I see here from your Resume that your name
is spelled B -A - R - A - C - K. How should I pronounce that?
[Barack:]It's Barack. But, you can call me by my nickname, Bar.
That's what my mother calls me; and that's what my
grandparents call me. Some years back, my teachers
and friends in school, all the way from elementary school
through high school, called me Barry. In those days, I found
it EASIER to be Barry, EASIER for both me and the people
who knew me.(2)
[Michelle:] OK [downcast]
[Barack:] What's wrong?
[Michelle:] Well, when I was in college, in Princeton University,
I minored in African-American studies.(3) So when I saw your name,
I thought it would be great to be a mentor to a person with an
African name, like BARACK.
[Barack:] Actually, I prefer to be called Barack, which
is my real name. Yes, please, call me Barack.
[Michelle:] Great, Barack. Now, I hope that you aren't
self-conscious about our age difference. You know, I'm three
years younger than you, and I recently graduated from Harvard
Law School.(4)
[Barack:] No, I don't mind that at all. I'm glad to have you as my
mentor at this law firm. Actually, I am VERY happy about it. I believe
you're the only African-American associate lawyer at the law firm, and
I'll be the only African-American legal summer associate at the firm.
You know, I, myself, am going to start Harvard Law School in the
Fall, and it would be great to have a mentor about Harvard Law
School, too. How fantastic is that, to have a new graduate of
Harvard Law School as my mentor.
[Michelle:] That's great.
[Barack says, with his voice softly rising in pitch]
[Barack:] And, you know, Mrs. Robinson ...
[Michelle:] That's MISS Robinson.
[Barack:] Excuse me, MISS Robinson. You may also
be interested in knowing that I want to enter politics.
You know, I majored in POLITICAL SCIENCE at Columbia University.
Would you happen to know a person who could mentor me in
entering politics?
[Michelle:] Politics? Really?
[Barack:] Yes, and you know... [Barack hesitates] ...
Oh never mind.
[Michelle:] Know what?
[Barack:] Well, ever since I was a little kid...
[Barack hesitates again]
[Michelle:] What? Please tell me.
[Barack:] Well, it's a little embarrassing.
[Michelle:] Please, tell me. I'd like to know.
[Barack:] Well, ever since I was a little kid,
you know, how they say that in this country, anybody
can grow up to be President of the United States of America?(5)
[Michelle:] Yes, go on.
[Barack:] Well, that's it.
[Michelle:] What's it?
[Barack:] THAT'S it. I want to be President of the
United States of America.
[Michelle is somewhat shocked; she stares into the distance;
and she's speechless. ]
[Barack:] By your reaction, I'm sorry I told you that. Forget it.
FORGET it.
[Michelle regains her speech]
[Michelle:] Please, no, no, don't be offended. I was just a
little surprised, that's all.
[Now, thinking out loud Michelle continues. ]
Gee, I'm going to be your mentor, and you want to be
President of the United States...
[Barack:] ... of America
[Michelle:] Yes, ... of America. I'm going to be a mentor
of a possible future President of the United States ...
[Barack tilts his head to clue her so she won't make a mistake.]
... of America. Yes, I can help with politics too. My father
used to be in Chicago politics. He was a precinct captain (6),
and he knows lots of people in Chicago politics. Sure, I could
help you with politics too. Imagine that, I could possibly be
mentoring a future President of the United States ...
[Barack moves his head and changes his facial expression]
... of America
[Barack:] Yes.
[Michelle:] You know Barack, I feel just great. I feel just
like on Christmas morning when I open my presents. You know
what I mean?
[Barack:] Well, not exactly.
[Michelle:] What?
[Barack:] Well, my father was a Muslim. And my stepfather
was a Muslim too.
[Michelle:] Oh, I see. But you said you wanted to be
President of the United States...
[Barack:] ... of America
[Michelle:] Yes, ... of America. Don't you see; that may
be a problem?
[Barack:] Why?
[Michelle:] Well, as far as I know, the United States...
[Barack tilts his head]
... of America, has never had a president whose father was a
Muslim, as far as I know.
[Barack:] So, I'll be the first. What's wrong with that?
[Michelle:] NOTHING, nothing is wrong with that, of course.
But, well...
[Barack:] What?
[Michelle:] Well, let me put it this way. If you were, I
mean, just hypothetically of course, if you were a
Christian, then maybe THAT could make it EASIER for you to
get ahead in politics, don't you think?
[Barack:] I guess so.
[Michelle:] Well, you're 27 years old. You've spent most
of your life in America. The majority of people in America
are Christian. You're an Ivy League college graduate.
Obviously, you are very intelligent. Have you thought
about becoming a Christian?
[Barack:] Well, I'm not really religious.
[Michelle:] Well, you see, you are interested in POLITICS.
You do want to become President of the United States...
[Barack tilts his head]
... of America
[Barack:] Well, you being my mentor, have you any suggestions?
[Michelle:] How about going to church. Well, not to beat
around the bush, and to get right to the point, how about
becoming a Christian?
[Barack:] I'm PROUD of my heritage. I feel it very deeply.
But, do you think that Christian thing you're talking about
might be important?
[Michelle:] Well, have you heard of Harold Washington? He was an
African-American. He had been Mayor of Chicago,and he died not
long ago? Before becoming a mayor, he had been a U. S. Congressman,
an Illinois State Senator, and a member of the Illinois House.
[Barack:] Yes, I've heard of him.
[Michelle:] Well, he was a Christian.
[Barack:] Yes, I know.
[Michelle:] A couple of other deceased African-Americans in
politics, that I can recall off hand, include Edward Brooke and
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.. They, too, were Christians.
[Barack:] Yes.
[Michelle:] And, as we speak in 1988, to name only a few
LIVING African-Americans who are in POLITICS or in GOVERNMENT:
Tom Bradley; John Conyers; Jesse Jackson; Barbara Jordan;
John Lewis; Thurgood Marshall; Clarence Thomas; they are
all Christians.
[Barack:] OK, ALREADY, I GET THE POINT. I SEE; I GET IT.
If I were a Christian, I'd have an EASIER time becoming a U. S.
politician. Actually, it may even enable me to become a
politician. It would be EASIER for me to get people to vote for
me. It would be EASIER to become President of the United
States...
[Michelle:] ... of America
[Barack:] Yes, ... of America. Michelle, you are just so great.
You're the woman of my dreams; the woman I have been searching for.
I think I'm in love.
[Michelle:] Barack, you're so impetuous. Please.
[Barack:] I think I want to marry you someday. You're just
so perfect. You're just so wonderful, so beautiful, so smart,
so wise.
[Michelle:] Oh Barack. You're very nice, but I just couldn't.
[Barack:] I know, we just met. I know what you mean. I
don't mean to get married right away. I'm no fool, even
if it IS love at first sight. Of course, we'll date. We'll get
to know each other. We'll learn to love each other; I'm sure.
[Michelle]: It's not that, Barack, I just couldn't.
[Barack:] What do you mean? Why not? Are you involved
with someone else?
[Michelle:] No, that's not it. Well, I just told you how
great I feel on Christmas morning, when I open my presents.
[Barack:] So?
[Michelle:] My family...we celebrate Christmas.
[Barack:] So?
[Michelle:] I don't want to change. That's the way I grew
up. That's the way I have been all of my life. I love being a
Christian. I love my family. My family, you know. And if I'd
ever have children, I'd want them to be brought up Christian.
My FAMILY would want them to be brought up Christian.
[Barack:] Oh, I see.
[Michelle:] And, I think, although I'm not sure, in the
Muslim religion, a child of a Muslim father is considered
to be a Muslim too. So, as I understand it, you are considered
to be a Muslim, according to the Muslim religion.(7)
And I told you, if I have children, I'd want them to grow
up Christian.
[Barack:] Well, I can see that it would be EASIER for me to
be a Christian than a Muslim for a whole bunch of reasons: for
politics; for dating; for marriage; and for children.
You know, Michelle, I remember from my studies in Political
Science at Columbia, there was once a royal contender in France
who renounced being a Protestant to become a Catholic so that
he could become King of France. Yes, I believe it was Henry IV.
As I recall, there is a famous quote, in English translation,
that goes something like this:
"Paris is worth a Mass" or "Paris is well worth a Mass",
something like that. Hmmm, yes, HE CONVERTED HIS RELIGION
FOR POLITICAL GAIN.(8)
[Michelle:] And it may make it EASIER for you, while you're
in Harvard Law School, too. I've been there; I've done that;
and I know.
[Barack:] Yes, that too. It's kind of like when I called myself
Barry instead of Barack. It was EASIER for me, and it was
EASIER for the people I dealt with. Most times I just like to
take the EASY WAY OUT. But where do I start, what do I do?
Michelle, I need a mentor for that, too.
[THE END]
POST SCRIPT:
Barack Obama joined Rev. Jeremiah
Wright's church in Chicago, also in 1988 (9).
FOOTNOTES:
(1) Sidley Austin: When Barack Met Michelle
(2) When Barry Became Barack
(3)Meet Michelle
(4)Meet Michelle
(5)Barack Obama: Third-Grade Liar, 12/03/2007, by Eva Lam
(6)Profile of Michelle Obama, From Linda Lowen, Your Guide to Women's Issues
(7)In Interfaith Marriages, What Religion Are the Kids? By Laura Sheahen
(8)Wikipedia Article: Henry IV of France
(9)The Origin of Obama's Pastor Problem, By James Carney and Amy Sullivan
