The Obama Creed in Retrospect: Communicative Frames and Representations from an Afrocentric Perspective

Abstract

This article takes a reflective turn by investigating Afrocentric representations in selected speeches of former US President Barack Obama through the framing analytic lens. While past research has yielded knowledge on the role of race in American politics and Obama’s identity construction, there is limited work on such representations within an Afrocentric perspective. It focuses on how Obama used his ethnic African heritage to frame his identity and politics. To be specific the study examined the presence of Afrocentric frames and predominant narratives present in selected Obama speeches. Most of Barack Obama’s communication can be viewed as a project of identity construction and dissemination. Four Afrocentric frames were unearthed. These include: (a) exceptionalism and African origins, (b) heritage and memories of a father, (c) communalism and (d) Africa and democracy. The current study contributes to research applications of the framing theory, identity construction and political image-making within the Afrocentric paradigm.