Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took to the t.v. yesterday to celebrate Barack Obama's electoral victory.

Promising a smooth transition on behalf of the State Department, an emotional Rice went on to say she's "exceptionally proud" of Obama's place as our nation's first black President.

One of the great things about representing this country is that it continues to surprise. It continues to renew itself. It continues to beat all odds and expectations.
…
As an African-American, I'm especially proud, because this is a country that's been through a long journey, in terms of overcoming wounds… That work is not done, but yesterday was obviously an extraordinary step forward.

This election must be exceptionally astounding for Condi, who grew up in then-segregated Birmingham, Alabama.

[Laughing Squid via MG]

[Gawker via MG]

Social conservatives looking to overturn California's gay marriages are misappropriating Barack Obama's image to woo black voters.

The backers of a move to ban same-sex marriage in California are inaccurately suggesting they have Barack Obama's and Joe Biden's support in a mailing that appears targeted at black voters.

The mailer is from ProtectMarriage.com, whose backers it says include the Knights of Columbus and Focus on the Family. It quotes Obama, Biden, and four African-American religious leaders who appear actually to support Proposition Eight, which is the subject of an expensive, hard-fought campaign in the state. The words from the religious leaders warn of "mandatory indoctrination" of school children and say it's "insulting that radical gay activists try to equate" the civil rights movement to the push for same-sex marriage.

The mailing quotes Obama and Biden — accurately — saying they oppose same-sex marriage. However, they also explicitly oppose Proposition Eight.

Many pundits claim black voters will play a key role in a possible Proposition 8 passage, although we seriously doubt many African-Americans are going to be fooled into taking away people's rights.

[via Politico]

Journo John Ridley today took on people's claims that Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama because they're both black. In debunking those arguments, Ridley points out that Powell has never endorsed previous - and less famous - black candidates in the past.

The commentator then provides this run down:

…A person of color has run for the White House in every presidential election over the last 24 years: Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988. Gov. Douglas Wilder of Virginia in 1992. Former ambassador and conservative activist Alan Keyes of Maryland in 1996 and 2000. Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois and the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York in 2004.

Ridley's argument reminded us of something - there is another black man in this race: Keyes, who must be feeling pretty low right now. Because, you know, if Powell endorsed Obama because he's black, Keyes got the shaft.

(Also, don't forget Cynthia McKinney, the black Congresswoman who's currently running on the Green Party ticket.)

It's not just the presidential candidates who are getting nasty this nearly-there election season.

Right-wing activists supporting California's Proposition 8, which will re-ban gay marriage, have invoked Barack Obama in their fight, saying the Senator's race lends them an inadvertent helping hand…

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Many of you may think we lead exceedingly glamorous lives and party hop all night long. We don't.

For example, rather than going out on the town last night, we stayed in and relived the magic of Paul Mooney's 2006 show, Jesus Is Black. Mooney, of course, made his name as Richard Pryor's side kick back in the day.

Pryor may be gone, but Mooney's carrying the comedic torch.

Since it's Friday and everyone needs a laugh in the morning hours, here are two clips from Mooney's show. The language ain't safe for work. Also, if you're offended by race talk, you may want to just look away.

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Contrary to what some believe, all black opinion is not informed by what is discussed in houses of worship and barber shops.

However, it would be foolish to deny that black churches, especially in the south, yield a lot of political and social power.

That power could be used to help fight HIV and AIDS in the black community, but, by many accounts, the church is not doing its job in that arena.

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Conventional wisdom says that blacks will turn out in droves in California — and in every other state — to support Barack Obama come November 4th. Conventional wisdom also says that blacks are a generally homophobic lot who will vote for the anti-gay marriage resolution that will be on the ballot in the Golden State. So we can conclude that on election day, blacks will greatly contribute to the end of gay marriage in California. Right?

Wrong, says Timothy Stewart-Winter in the LA Times. Sure, we all know that blacks will be voting in record numbers this election, but do we really know that blacks are more against gay marriage than anyone else?

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