| Summary: | In 2008, a nearly 200 year U.S. historical precedent was overturned when Barack Obama
was named the “first Black president.” Although Obama is of mixed heritage, he adopted an
almost singularly Black identity and has long been characterized by the media as Black. This
study is concerned with the role that society and Obama’s acceptance of the title play in
identifying and portraying him as the “first Black president.” This study compares Barack
Obama’s self-portrayal in his book, Dreams from my Father, to mainstream and Black media
portrayals of his race. Results track Obama’s self portrayal as Black, mainstream media’s sensemaking
of his classification as the “first Black president” and Black media’s unquestioned
acceptance of the classification. === Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, The Elliott School of Communication.
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