Circling the Same Mountain
Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” -Genesis 18:32
Since the election, Democratic leaders who hold to left-leaning socialist ideologies have been busy licking their wounds, while Democrats begin vying for the presidency. There’s a huge problem, though—one that is painfully obvious. No Democrat, Green Party member, or left-leaning populist looks remotely capable of taking that chair. I’m right-leaning myself, but I still want to see a candidate rise who embodies true American democracy and the moral courage needed to change our course.
“We will never bend our backs in the face of adversity; we will stand firm until our peoples are truly emancipated. With you, we are certain that victory over the forces of evil is at hand.”
Our only real hope was Wes Moore. A former Army captain and the current Governor of Maryland, Moore has a compelling story and a deep connection to both the immigrant and Black American experience. But his recent rejection of a reparations study bill may have sealed his political fate.
I hope I’m wrong about Wes Moore. Maybe his veto of the reparations study wasn’t a dismissal, but a strategic pause. Perhaps he believes the time for studies has passed and that action is overdue. It’s possible he’s buying time to craft a more impactful approach. I want to believe he can still emerge as the leader we need.
Wes Moore has the unique ability to speak to the wounds of colonization, the legacy of slavery, and the lived experience of being a Black man in America. His story threads together the immigrant narrative and the ADOS struggle, giving him both a wide lens and a deep well to draw from. But even with all that, he would still need to win. And winning in America—as a Black man with a message rooted in truth, resistance, and reparative justice—has never been easy.
If we want a Black American leader to rise to the presidency, we need someone to come up from the concrete, like Ibrahim Traoré.
Traoré, the young leader of Burkina Faso, took power through a coup, following in the footsteps of similar shifts in Mali, Niger, and Chad. These countries—now often referred to as the “Coup Belt”—have rejected Western control and influence. Traoré did not ask for permission. He seized power. Since then, he has become a messianic figure to many across the African continent.
What makes Traoré so compelling is not just how he took power, but how he governs. He is militant but principled. He expelled France, refused Western aid, and has prioritized using Burkina Faso’s own resources to serve its people. Under his leadership, the country has begun building electric cars named after its cities, invested in food independence, and taken serious steps to control its own wealth—especially its gold reserves. He is the embodiment of self-determination.
And we have no equivalent here.
Traoré is everything the ADOS community wants and needs. We are thirsty for a strong Black man to represent our community. We’re constantly looking back—invoking the strength and sacrifice of Malcolm, Martin, Fred, and Medgar. That’s because when someone rises from the bottom, there’s something about that rise that marks them. It manifests in how they speak, how they walk, how they carry the weight of their people.
But in America, there’s no one who can relate. Even our poorest don’t know the kind of poverty that defines places like Sudan, South Africa, or Burkina Faso. Even at our lowest, we can find water to drink, a food pantry, a dollar here or there on the hustle. The American floor is not the global floor. And so, the hunger, the urgency, the grit—it shows up differently. Or sometimes, not at all.
Of course, America is not Burkina Faso. We are not calling for a coup—but for the kind of courage and independence Traoré displays. The kind of unapologetic truth-telling that won’t bow to political donors or corporate handlers.
Wes Moore came close. His background, leadership, and clarity on issues affecting Black Americans gave many of us hope. But aside from him, there is no one else. No one has emerged with that kind of boldness, clarity, and unwavering commitment to the people.
I often think about Abraham’s plea to the LORD to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if just one righteous man could be found. That’s how it feels. The odds are heavy. The pathway is narrow. But the possibility of one man rising from obscurity still lives in my imagination.
As I watch CNN and MSNBC and listen to podcasts like Matt Walsh and Charlie Kirk, I see just how difficult it will be for a Black man to rise from obscurity. One man. One story. One voice loud enough to challenge the noise.
Africa was devastated by colonization. America devastated us through slavery. And both continue to be impacted by modern forms of exploitation and control. For America, if the goal is to bridge the widening gap between the West and Africa, there is only one real path forward: elect a Black American Descendant of Slavery as president. A man who can speak both to Africa and to America. Someone who can restore a moral voice to a nation losing its grip on truth.
It cannot be someone like Obama—brilliant, yes, but disconnected from the full ADOS experience. Obama’s rise was shaped by compromise and polish. His story wasn’t forged in the same fire. We need someone born from the pain, the promise, and the perseverance of our people. A man who understands the weight of corporate racism, of being overlooked and undermined despite talent and achievement. Someone like so many of us who have been told we’re not good enough while watching others, less experienced, take the seats we’ve earned.
This is what’s missing. And until we find him—until he rises—we’ll keep circling the same mountain.
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© 2025 Jacqueline Session Ausby. All rights reserved. This post and all original content published under DahTruth are the intellectual property of Jacqueline Session Ausby. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author.
