{"id":1766,"date":"2017-01-10T19:36:57","date_gmt":"2017-01-10T19:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/socamom.com\/w\/10-caribbean-american-things-that-barack-obama-must-do-before-he-leaves-washington-d-c\/"},"modified":"2023-09-04T22:21:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T04:21:51","slug":"10-caribbean-american-things-that-barack-obama-must-do-before-he-leaves-washington-d-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socamom.com\/w\/10-caribbean-american-things-that-barack-obama-must-do-before-he-leaves-washington-d-c\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Caribbean American Things President Barack Obama Must Do Before Leaving Washington, D.C."},"content":{"rendered":"

Far be it from me, a regular old American, to tell the first African American President of the United States what he \u201cmust\u201d do, but we are a nation in crisis here.<\/strong> With all of the firsts that came with having Obama in the White House for eight years, there are so many lasts that are scaring the living daylights out of us regular old Americans.\u00a0 There is panic everywhere that the White House has no chance of ever being this cool again, and some things just didn\u2019t get checked off of the list in the last near decade. Even with days left in his presidency, I am hopeful that we still have time.<\/p>\n

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President George Bush issued the first proclamation of June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in 2006, and in the ten years following that first proclamation, President Obama\u2019s White House has issued eight of them.\u00a0 Eight.\u00a0 He can\u2019t leave D.C. without experiencing Caribbean D.C., right? I mean, he can, because he is Barack Obama and can do whatever he pleases, but still\u2026 I have suggestions… and here they are.<\/p>\n

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The legendary Brian Lara shows Obama how to swing the cricket bat. Photo by Pete Souza\/The White House<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Dear President Obama,<\/em><\/p>\n

I know you can\u2019t wait to get back to Chicago, because let\u2019s face it, nobody is exactly clamoring to be a resident of Trump\u2019s D.C. after the coolest president since Clinton drops the mic and leaves the building. But since you\u2019re waiting for your youngest to finish high school, you have a little time to chill and soak up some Caribbean vibes in (what\u2019s left of) Chocolate City.<\/em><\/p>\n

1. Eat the best roti on the planet.<\/strong> Lawd knows I wish I was the one who knew how to make roti worthy of the presidential palette, but I\u2019m not. That person is my cousin. She is, hands down, the best creator of dhal pourie and buss up shut that you will ever taste. Hands. Down. So call me, Mr. President, send an email.\u00a0 I\u2019ll make sure she hooks you up.\u00a0 No need for that poorly photoshopped pic of you eating doubles to be circulating on the internet \u2013 let her make you ah doubles and have Pete Souza get an iconic photo of that\u2026<\/p>\n

2. Eat the best jerk chicken in the city.<\/strong> You may have had someone order it for you before and sneak it in the White House, or maybe not, but in any event, the best jerk chicken used to come from Sweet Mango\u2019s.\u00a0 We have been on the hunt for that chicken ever since they closed, but I am sure if you ask nicely, they will come out of hiding for you.\u00a0 Make one last use of the nation\u2019s intelligence agencies available to you. Trust me, it will be worth it.<\/p>\n

3. Get one of everything from Crown Bakery on Georgia Avenue.<\/strong> ONE. OF. EVERYTHING. They may just give it to you\u2026 I\u2019m pretty sure that the last time I was there I saw your picture on the wall \u2013 so there\u2019s that. They\u2019re probably expecting you at some point.<\/p>\n

4. Play Mas on Georgia Avenue.<\/strong> Ever since you got out of the car during your first parade (and all of America screamed at the television for you to GET BACK IN THE CAR), I knew that you could appreciate a good road march.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t had REAL DC Carnival on Georgia Avenue in going on six years because of some money issues with the city or something like that (so I\u2019ve heard). Maybe if you could work out something amidst all these last minute pardons and such, we\u2019d still have time to get both you and Michelle into a band, and get you on the road chipping to soca by mid June.<\/p>\n

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Obama playing soccer with local kids in Brazil. Photo by Pete Souza\/The White House.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

5. Jump in on a pick up football (soccer) game.<\/strong> I know basketball is more your thing, but hear what.\u00a0 You\u2019ll enjoy this. I have seen your skills. \u00a0Michelle’s got game too, so maybe they’ll let her be on your team. The trash talk? Hilarious. You like trash talk. I\u2019ve seen you trash talk.\u00a0 You\u2019re pretty good at it.\u00a0 This will require you to make Caribbean friends, understand patois, some French, and maybe speak a little Spanish.\u00a0 You are a friend to all, I\u2019ve seen you speak patois in Jamaica, and that went well, so this won\u2019t be hard.\u00a0 Locations, times, players, who brings the ball \u2013 none of this is set, so you\u2019ll have to be a real macco and listen closely to get the details. Also, bring Stag, Carib, Red Stripe\u2026 at least malta\u2026 something to get them to invite you back – just in case being YOU just isn’t enough.<\/p>\n