Flashback: The First Black (Fictional) President

In 1964, my father, Irving Wallace, wrote a novel, The Man, about the first black president. For this, my father received both accolades and death threats. On the final page of The Man one of the characters, addressing his friend the president, Douglass Dilman, speaks words that I find still relevant 45 years later:

"The country's learned to live with you, Doug, so now, at last, it can live with itself. It has a better conscience today. It feels right....That's a huge step, the greatest this country's made since the Emancipation Proclamation. Mr. Lincoln had long legs. But now, for the first time, we've found countless men with legs as long, and they've made the next step, the giant one. As a result, the country is closer to becoming one nation than it ever has been before--and by the time it becomes one nation, it may be ready, and qualified, to help make our world one world....None of us will ever be the same again--not you--not me--not anyone, anywhere. Thank God."

www.allgov.com

Comments

[pamela18335]

Mr. Wallechinsky, I have been a great fan of your father for many years. The Word, The Miracle, The Chapman Report, The Prize, and The Man are favorites that I have read and reread with great pleasure. I well remember the first time I read The Man, and the sadness I felt believing that I would never live to see your father's vision become reality. I am thrilled today to witness the maturing of our nation. If only your father could have lived to see this day!

[ghenry]

Oh yes, I remember that book well. Sharp!

[EYEONU2]

I read the book years and years ago and thought about it often during the election and Ignaugaration.

Your dad was very prophetic and you must be so proud to see his work of fiction turn into real life.

[dontpanic1]

I'll have to find that book... and here it is, I thought David Palmer was the first black prez :). My husband and I have always said we wanted our first black president to be like David Palmer... Obama is not too far off the mark.

[ChicagoSuz]

I've thought about this book several times in the past few months. Now that we have a Black President, I wonder if we'll ever have a Jewish one... maybe you can write a book & call it "The Mensch"... ;-)

Maybe Rahm in '12... he'll be uniquely qualified for the job.

[brijit]

As long as it's not Joe Lieberman

[Tega Jessa]

my mom introduced me to that book It was life changing but I never thought I would see the promise book in my lifetime let alone seeing a popularly elected black president with the largest mandate in modern times. It is sad that your father was not alive to see his vision exceeded.

[teacheng]

In my science fiction class today we discussed the 1925 book by José Bento Monteiro Lobato, "The Black President," whose plot is obvious. Crazy sci-fi writers! Could never actually happen...

[westtexasboy]

I have Lobato's book and could hardly read it all the way through. It is not a simple book by any measure. To my knowledge a translation of it has never been published. He paints a brutal, horrific, sexist and racist portrait of a post-World War I America made mad by a cabal of white males who, in their desperation, utilize a combination of drugs and psychology to shut off any assault on their power. Sound familiar? Ironically, Lobato is best known in Brazil for some 20 volumes of children's literature. He was a lover of America who worked for decades to modernize Brazil, mostly without success.

[teacheng]

Thanks for the insight!

[MickDem]

David, thanks for the reminder. I was a great fan of your father's books as a youth and The Man effected me greatly, as far as attitudes toward perceptions and the reality of this melting pot of a nation. Loved the "Book of Lists" as well. A toast to your Dad today, for knowing that the future would be for the righteous and courageous.

[rmrd]

I was the movie version which starred James Earl Jones was available on DVD or by download.

[LHibbard]

I was going to say that I remember a movie called "The Man", about the first black president (but didn't know it was based on a book). I'm sure they'll release the movie on DVD and that the book will be reprinted if not in print.

The other day there was a program on TV Guide Channel about presidents in movies and television, and it didn't mention "The Man". Leave it to Hollywood to think of it first.

Hope to come upon the book soon.

[AwShucks]

I remember reading it when I was in high school. That poor man was subjected to everything imaginable that a president could encounter. Still it was a good read and very relevent for the times.

[SonofLiberty1]

David, I never read the entire book but I did record the movie which is a little different.

I expected that all the networks or at least some of them, would have played the movie.

No one did...

I wonder why?

James Earl Jones was fantastic as Douglass Dillman.

[Luigi53102]

Thanks for the memory, David, it is most appropriate on this historic day. I was a great fan of your dad's books. Perhaps I will have to re-read "The Man."

[overd0g1]

I thought Bill Clinton was the first black President.

[lovethehuff]

that's a stupid joke

[LiberTLover]

Apparently, so did he.

[robiform]

David, I read your dad's novel years ago, and I'm just sorry that he's not here to see the real thing! The quote from "The Man" was totally appropriate!

[Dukedraven]

It's so ironic, David, because I was thinking about the movie of the same title, which was based on the book. I saw the movie as a kid once and they never showed it again on TV. I'm going to rent it on Netflix. Thanks for the reminder.