representation, descriptive representation. their ability to speak up and out is importance of having representatives who share their cultural and emotional ties to black communities. and on that score, president obama has shown as much commitment to african-americans as most members of that caucus. remember when hillary clinton held a significant lead among black voters during the primary and media outlets regularly questioned if obama was black enough to earn african-american electoral support? remember when reverend jeremiah wright dominated the news circle and the question persisted if president obama was too black to garner white votes, and later he was charged to be a non-citizen, a muslim, and a terrorist, but no matter what the media cycle said about him, president obama always identifies as a black american. president obama's self-identification, his public recognition of the role of black people in american history, his