Black power and Black Nationalism really created a tone and atmosphere for the election of the first black president in 2008. When white people began to become hesitant to support the civil rights movement for African Americans. Blacks began to look for their own solutions to the problems they faced. They began to shift their reliance on themselves rather than on white people. In around 1970 the Lowndes County freedom Organization (LCFO) was founded (Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). This was the first political organization in the civil rights movement to adapt the Black Panther symbol. Blacks became increasingly agitated by the complicity that whites had towards racism. There increasing numbers of Blacks and diverse black religious leaders who were dismayed by great political and economic disparities between themselves and white Americans became catalysts for an increasingly radical turn in the civil rights movement.

Between the years 1967 and 1975 there are a large amount and very intense political and cultural discussions in terms of the history of the black freedom struggle (Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). There is a period of Black consciousness at this time is also very much alive. Black power stimulated discussion and debate about the future role of black politics and the role they will play post-civil rights. The discussion of black cultural and identity and the relationship between art and the political movement of the black community known as the Black Arts Movements played a role in building more awareness and consciousness that contributed to Obamas election into office(Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). The Black Arts and the Black Consciousness Movement opened up new avenues for the expression of black unity and positive black identity(Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). As can be seen, this time truly sparked discussion and questioning about how blacks will participate in politics. My imposing positivity in black identity it allowed for blacks to look forward to a better position in politics. If these movements were never initiated we may have never seen the first black president being elected not many years later in 2008. These movements truly set the stage for many black leaders to come including Barack Obama.

The rise of black elected officials was also significant by 1980 there were approximately 2500 elected black officials (Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). Although black people had been able to vote for many centuries it is in this time we actually see how their votes benefitted them. The Black Power and Voting Rights Act of 1965 led to people being more eager to engage in the electoral process (Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). The Voting Rights Act was very influential for Obama. This act was passed during the civil rights movement and eliminated literacy test to be able to vote. Without this act, it’s possible that many black votes would not have been heard when it came to the election of Barack Obama as president. Votes were definitely heard during this time and the first black major was elected Carl Stokes of Cleveland and Richard G. Hatcher an African American man also was elected mayor of Indiana (Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). The victories can be credited to a significant event in black political history which the Gary convention of 1972 which was planned with the help of political scientist Ronald Walters (Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). The Gary Convention shifted the focus of black community to electoral politics and away from protest and demonstration.

Even in the demise of the National Black Convention movement we see that African Americans make major gains in the electoral politics. Also, an additional amendment was made to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in 1975 which enabled minorities to challenge at-large voting practices that lessened bloc voting impacts (Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). Some decades later in 1995 Farrakhan reached out to African American men and called for the Million Man March (Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). There were as many as 400,000 in the crowd. This march was for the purpose of encouraging African American men to become more engaged in their community and to speak out against oppression. Farrakhan also can be noted for achieving the greatest fear in the history of black mobilization. It was a march such as women that really called for black men to stand up and be leaders of their communities. However, this transcended into Barrack Obama being a leader for his country Affirmative Action may be seen as an action that led to the election of Barrack Obama. Perhaps those who were in favor would feel more motivated to vote for a black candidate because they would believe in policies that opened doors of opportunity for black Americans for employment and education. My theory is that individuals in favor of affirmative action would surely be in favor of voting in a Black president. In the few years that preceded the election of Obama, we see that blacks have made major strides in politics. At the end of the twentieth century and being of the 21^st blacks began to gain success in winning high political offices. They also had important roles for two major political parties. Ron Brown was the first to lead a major U.S political party (Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). He served as duty chairman of Democratic National Committee (1989-1992) also as was Bill Clinton's secretary of commerce(Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day-to-day basis. In 2000 Al Gore made history as well he selected Donna Brazile a black woman to head a presidential campaign for him. Another African American man Michael Steele was lieutenant governor of Maryland and chairman of Republican National Committee(Harrold & Hine & Hine 2011). The Republican National Committee is the main organization that governs the Republican Party.

From these success of several African Americans you can see that they truly set a path for Barack Obama in his presidency. Honestly, Blacks are more than capable of carrying out political positions, however, many before Obama really secured the trust need for Americas which is obviously predominantly white to trust him with their vote.