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I am an unabashed supporter of Barack Obama and have been, like many, spellbound by his unlikely, meteoric trajectory towards becoming the first African-American president of the United States.

Yes, I've got the T-shirts and bumper stickers to prove it, and I have been riveted to CNN for months. And like his other supporters who are also a jittery bundle of nerves in these final days before the U.S. election, my greatest fear is that despite the encouraging polls, things are perhaps going too smoothly, and that "they" will find a way of snatching Obama's victory from the world. A defeat for Obama would indeed be a loss for the world - perhaps felt most poignantly for people of African descent across the globe.

Given that local admiration for Obama is rampant, I know I am not the only Bermudian who feels this way. When black Bermudians talk about Obama, there is the remarkable sense that he "belongs to us" in a way that transcends nationality. He is an American, yes - but he is also more than that.

In one of his major speeches to the nation, Obama has described America as the "last, best hope" for the planet Earth - and this phrase has resonated as a description of the man himself as an agent of change and hope. He represents so much to so many that descriptions border on hyperbole: he is the dark knight we in the Americas have been waiting for; he is the catalyst and medium for the best parts of ourselves that we have wanted to bring forth. Who he is and what he represents is the antidote to our cynicism.

Minority mindframe

Many have posed the question about whether an Obama presidency would shift race relations in the U.S. Undoubtedly this would be the case - having a black president would certainly assist in changing the "minority mindframe" that many African-Americans experience, and it would be equally important for white Americans to be in the position of acknowledging a black man as the country's spokesperson and commander-in-chief.

Would an Obama presidency shift race relations in other parts of the world? The effect on places like Bermuda is less certain. We have our own history of racism and intolerance that is both similar and different from what has evolved in the U.S. However, given the political, cultural, and economic importance of the U.S., I suspect that one cannot underestimate the global effect of such a significant appointment. An Obama presidency would offer the tantalizing dream that survivors of racism have always wished for - the ability to transcend the limitations that racism imposes while simultaneously celebrating the best of what our cultures and our personal experiences have given us.

Of course, the degree to which Obama's legacy will remain true to his vision is dependent upon several things - not the least of which is his ability to stay alive long enough to realize his ideals. The fear that Obama might be assassinated bloomed amongst his supporters from the moment he announced his intention to run for president. We were reminded that these fears are justified as recently as Monday, when a plot by white supremacists to assassinate Obama was uncovered. No one I've spoken to is surprised, but we are all praying for him.

Obama exists as an almost messianic figure for many, and the sheer promise exhibited by this spectacularly intelligent, eloquent, morally upright black man paired with the global power of a American presidency is something that brings goosebumps to my flesh and tears to my eyes. It is this level of inspiration that projects his message of hope beyond the boundaries of the country that he so passionately wishes to govern - because really, if an African-American can become the president of the United States, isn't it proof that change - that anything - is possible?

Dr. Kim Dismont Robinson is a scholar of literature and cultural studies.

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