Most of us, I’m sure, witnessed Barack Obama’s ode to colorblindness back during the Democratic National Convention when he proclaimed: “There’s not a black America, and white America, and Latino America, and Asian America — there is the United States of America.”

And afterwards we rallied to support the man. We bought Obama signs, learned Obama trivia and started liking the idea of voting again. Obama’s uplifting rhetoric — some call it the “I Have a Dream” of our generation — has brought together blacks and whites and even some conservatives in uniting behind his candidacy.

Finally, it seemed, we all agreed that a black man was truly the better candidate. And once we all got used to Alan Keyes, the slick black Republican contender, race was muted out of our political consciousness.

Now with the general election around the corner, Obama will waltz into his new position having gotten his wish: a senate race centered more on his character than the color of his skin.

But it’s a shame Obama gained much of his support from those who had racially neutered him, those who saw his charm as an anamoly of the stereotypical black man.

And though I applaud Obama for his universal appeal, I don’t agree with flocks of his supporters who say his color doesn’t play in a role in this election. Indeed, for black leaders such as Obama, the very absence of a “typically” black personality is the reason for such appeal.

For white supporters in particular, Obama is a refreshing departure from the radical black personalities that have been given the title of “black leader.” With their flare and pomp, political divas such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are easy media targets, and easily reinforce people’s preconceptions of blackness.

It seems that it’s easier to view these individuals first by their skin color, because they easily fall into our most deeply held stereotypes about blackness.

They are bombastic preachers and often evoke rhyming couplets and shocking phraseology to appeal to our fighting instincts.

And in the long term, it’s not that fewer whites agree with Jackson and Sharpton, but rather many don’t see a reflection of themselves in these black leaders. And by extension, many consider these leaders black first — and almost always forget their message.

Luckily, people are hearing Obama’s message. But sadly, he’s leaving behind a generation of black leaders whose racial awareness never gained them mainstream support, but did reconcile an American reality: colorblindness is never a good road to ending racism.

Although it’s important for postmodern black leaders to avoid rhetoric that prevents them from garnering mainstream support, it’s not acceptable for these leaders to promote a colorblind society. Why? Because the civil rights movement goes on, even though the sun is setting on the old guard. And a candidate like Obama, who pushes race aside in the name of consensus, cannot tackle the real racial problems our country still faces.

For people of color, colorblindness is social suicide. My identity as an American has always been shaped by my identity as a black American. And while Obama aims to make this difference less pronounced, you don’t achieve racial equality by simply not talking about race.

Obama’s talents do open up the possibility of drawing in new faces to our ongoing racial dialogue — just how many, we’ll know in six years.

Malena Amusa is a Medill junior. She can be reached at [email protected].