Welcome To #OneObama: The Highs, The Lows, The First

Dear NewsOne Reader,

Between months of planning for the #OneObama project to today, a new president has been elected. Because of who was elected, the legacy of Barack Hussein Obama has taken on a deeper, a more meaningful, dare we say even bittersweet meaning for us here at NewsOne.

Despite the fear, heartbreak or even disgust that our first Black president—our POTUS—will be followed by someone who many feel is unworthy of the office; who experienced years of open disdain; who promised to dismantle many of the very actions that he legislated (all of which you can see in our first of five Timelines), we take heart in paraphrasing Larry Wilmore at the 2016 White House Correspondent’s dinner: “Yo, Barry, you did it!”

And boy did he ever. Nothing can erase the fact that for eight years, America was lead by an intelligent, thoughtful, funny, even-keeled, and thorough black man, who was flanked by his strong and beautiful brown wife, and two daughters.

#OneObama is our commemoration of the Obama presidency—looking back at the highs and the lows, reflecting on his impact as both cultural figure and political leader, what his policies meant to real people, as well as inviting our readers to share their thoughts on the end of this historic administration.

We are definitely looking to start conversations that are not well-tread and have recruited some of the best writers, academics, politicians and activists to parse out the administration’s highs and lows.

We have to acknowledge the fact that Black folks were not always 100 percent in love with all of Obama’s policies  and initiatives. From the complicated legacy of the My Brother’s Keeper  to his tone-deaf reaction to Black Lives Matter protests, we promise to take a holistic look at Obama’s legacy.

We kick the site off today with a treatise on Black Love as a political act and how President Obama was our very first “Sports president.” We break down the Obama years into five parts – “The Work,” “The Family,” “The FLOTUS,”“The Cool,” and “The Impact.”

#OneObama is a retrospective, an analysis, a celebration and a preparation for what is to come– that clock at the top of the page is ticking down, and in roughly 66 more days, President Obama and his family will leave the White House to begin their lives as civilians.

Here’s to the Obamas. Despite it all, we were lucky to have them. We thank the first family for their service; for their demeanor; for remaining scandal free; for representing us and the United States so well and for dealing with the obstructionist, racist abuse for eight years.

We welcome you to get lost in the nostalgia, to know what is possible, and yes, to know that Hope and Change are still audacious possibilities in America 2016.

Ever forward,

The #OneObama Team

Welcome To #OneObama: The Highs, The Lows, The First  was originally published on newsone.com