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Impressions of Black leadership as informed by the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama: A case study

Donnette Jone Noble, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to provide insights regarding the ebb and flow of hope and anxiety within the Black community during the historic presidential campaign and election of 2008, and the impact of those phenomena on the Black community’s internal leadership. There is a great deal of information about the Black struggle in the United States and the various movements that have given voice to the Black cause, but the personal views of Black leaders at the local level and how the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama and his subsequent election have impacted them, their sense of responsibility, their personal growth, and the manner in which he has perhaps characterized and personified their leadership challenges was virtually unchronicaled. To that end, seven Black participants (four men and three women ranging in age from 30 to 89) were interviewed both prior and subsequent to the 4 November 2008 presidential election. The interview transcripts were then analyzed and collapsed into six themes and 11 sub-themes. The resulting themes were supplemented by additional data collected from a variety of sources to assess the past, present, and future of Black leadership in the United States. The findings of this study demonstrate that President Barack Obama’s presidency is indeed significant in terms of providing the Black community with a stronger sense of unity, positive role modeling, and social identity.

Subject Area

American studies|Black studies

Recommended Citation

Noble, Donnette Jone, "Impressions of Black leadership as informed by the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama: A case study" (2009). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3354712.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3354712

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