Can I say how important it is to me the number of times that I have seen the President and Vice-President crying in the last couple of weeks? As they prepare to say goodbye to some of the most important work they’ve ever done, as they talk about things that fill them with pride and joy and sadness and all kinds of strong emotions, both of them have teared up, repeatedly.
These two brilliant, powerful men have been expressing emotion openly and honestly, with tears and laughter and anger and concern and empathy, and it is just so refreshing to see them be this kind of role-model, to be overwhelmed with emotion and express healthily and still go on with the work.
I hope every young man who sees them cry takes on-board the lesson that it is not only normal and okay to emote like that, but that they see the Obamas and the Bidens and their friends encouraging and supporting the healthy, open display of real emotion and they seek out family and friends who support them having an honest and open emotional life.
I want to tack on that it is just as important to note that Barack Obama is a Black man who openly wept when praising his wife and daughters for their enduring support. This is all the more important because it was the only time that he wept during the speech and it was occasioned by the mere mention of the support of his wife.
I use this example in particular because it not only shows a Black man publicly expressing emotion in a way that Black men are often told they cannot; but because it shows a Black man expressing emotion over his wife, a Black woman, in ways that Black men are often told that they should not.
In fact, it is extremely important to me as a Black man and a mentor to other Black men, that we have someone like Barack Obama who shows that Black men can be emotional in a variety of ways, and who displays his love for his wife, a Black woman, openly and without violence. It is also worth noting that Barack Obama is constant in his celebration of his wife’s achievements without centering himself.
So yeah, I hope every young Black man who sees Barack Obama can see in him an example of how a Black man, who was once leader of the free world, openly expressed a variety of emotions, including an overabundance of love for his wife, a Black woman, without reducing her, without violence, and without regard for who was watching.
Signal boosting this important addition.
Published
Fibromyangela 