African-American identity and political aspirations in the 21st century: Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice

This thesis examines two African American figures---Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. After a distinguished military career, Powell occupied very important appointed positions with different American presidents: Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Advisor, and Secretary of State. Rice, a professor at Stanford University, also held several important positions in the George W. Bush administrations. Through the study of these two personalities, I aim to profile two versions of African American political identity in the United States. Historically race was the cornerstone of black identity. However, Powell and Rice shifted the emphasis on race in identity to personal qualities. The quandary of race and identity is at the heart of this work. I come from Mauritania. The Harateen group to whom I belong has similar history (slavery, lost of language and identity) to the African Americans. I draw some similarities between the two groups in both countries and point to some differences as well.