There’s something I’ve been wondering about for a while and I thought I would throw it out there to the black blogosphere for discussion. I’ve been thinking about black leaders and leadership, not least because of Obama, but also due to other things.

The more I look around today, the more I feel that the men (and it is always men) being presented to us as black leaders or that the media claims are black leaders do not really qualify as such. Jesse Jackson is a fine man, but who really ‘follows’ him? If he told you to boycott something, would you? Al Sharpton is becoming less of a joke, but I still don’t take him completely seriously. Obama is ‘clean’ and ‘articulate’, sure, and I wouldn’t call him an Uncle Tom or anything, but he is not a black leader. In fact, he’s more of a leader leader, which is probably good for someone who wants to be president. I have nothing against that.

So here’s my question: What would a real black leader of the 21st century be like? And, if there is some person out there who fits your qualifications, who is that and why?