A Head of State, and a Boy’s Touching Request

[Kadie]

A Head of State, and a Boy’s Touching Request



In the photo that has hung in the West Wing for three years, President Obama looks to be bowing to five-year-old Jacob Philadelphia, his arm raised to touch the president’s hair — to see if it feels like his.


By JACKIE CALMES
Published: May 23, 2012


WASHINGTON — For decades at the White House, photographs of the president at work and at play have hung throughout the West Wing, and each print soon gives way to a more recent shot. But one picture of President Obama remains after three years.

In the photo, Mr. Obama looks to be bowing to a sharply dressed 5-year-old black boy, who stands erect beside the Oval Office desk, his arm raised to touch the president’s hair — to see if it feels like his. The image has struck so many White House aides and visitors that, by popular demand, it stays put while others come and go.

As a candidate and as president, Mr. Obama has avoided discussing race except in rare instances when he seemed to have little choice — responding to the racially incendiary words of his former pastor, for example, or to the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Florida. Some black leaders criticize Mr. Obama for not directly addressing young blacks or proposing policies specifically for them.

Yet the photo is tangible evidence of what polls also show: Mr. Obama remains a potent symbol for blacks, with a deep reservoir of support. As skittish as White House aides often are in discussing race, they also clearly revel in the power of their boss’s example.

more...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/us/politics/indelible-image-of-a-boys-pat-on-obamas-head-hangs-in-white-house.html?_r=1




Jacob spoke first.

“I want to know if my hair is just like yours,” he told Mr. Obama, but so quietly that the president asked him to speak again.

Jacob did, and Mr. Obama replied, “Why don’t you touch it and see for yourself?” He brought his head level with Jacob, who hesitated.

“Touch it, dude!” Mr. Obama said.

As Jacob, who was 5, patted the presidential crown, Mr. Souza snapped.

“So, what do you think?” Mr. Obama asked.

http://barackobama.tumblr.com/

[postulater]

1. That photo captures so many things about this Presidency.

It will be one of the most significant of his time in the office.

Finally a human as a President.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. I grow to like President Obama more and more each day.

[lamp_shade]

3. One of my all time favorites.

[SCantiGOP]

4. wish I could give it more than 1 rec

[Voice for Peace]

5. a good friend told me the story of his childhood school integration experience

where he and another little girl were the only African American
children in the class, and the teacher ridiculed the little girl's hair
up in front of the whole class.

I was a little white child who was also ridiculed by a teacher in
front of the class, though for a different reason -- my clothes were
poor hand-me-downs, and she thought it appropriate to humiliate
me on that account.

So the story of my friends little classmate and being ridiculed for
her hair has always felt very personal. And when I saw this picture
of the little boy who wanted to know if the president has hair like his --
it made me cry, and I hope that little girl is still alive and has seen
this picture.

[Booster]

6. I hope you don't mind, but I posted your answer to this post on Facebook because it touched me so.

I was raised in Colombia, SA, and when we came back to the States for a little while, a teacher told the class about my story and then asked me to come up to the front and point out on a map where we had lived. Hell, I'd never even seen a map before so I just put my finger on the 1st place I saw (it was Argentina - thank God I hit SA). The teacher then proceeded to berate & ridicule me for not even coming close to Colombia. I'm 69 & I still remember that like it was yesterday.

[Voice for Peace]

7. bad teachers can do a lot of damage

I was in my forties when I began wondering why it was that
anyone in authority -- even when they were much younger and
less educated than I -- scared me.

When logically there was nothing scary about the person -- but
nevertheless, in the presence of authority a switch in my brain
would flip and I would feel like a terrified, awkward, mute little
child. It was confusing to say the least.

Once I made the connection to stuff that happened to me in
school, it all began to make sense, and it became possible to
reprogram the auto-response in my brain.

[Booster]

8. That's true. But I also had a lot more really good teachers who encouraged and helped me every day

because they knew that my background was that our "school" was 1 room with all 12 grades. I was the only 1 in the 6th & 7th grades and all of us mostly colored - it was basically just a day-care center. We did learn to read but had very little math. When we came back to the States, my class had had algebra the previous year and I didn't have a clue what we were doing. Somehow, I made it through but only with the help of some very dedicated teachers who helped me along the way.