A growing number of African-Americans are publicly voicing their discontent over the lack of change, especially  in foreign policy, under the first black US president.

On Saturday November 7,2009, hundreds of African-Americans took to the streets in Washington D.C, to march on the White House. According to reports, they decried Barack Obama as "white power in black face," slammed his policies, and demanded that he bring US troops back home.

The AFP reported that over 200 people gathered for the first public protest by African Americans against President Obama since his unprecedented inauguration just over nine months ago. 

The crowd hammered the Obama administration for what they described as a continuation of Washington's "imperialist" agenda around the world. 

 

"We recognize that Barack Hussein Obama is white power in black face," civil rights activist Omali Yeshitela, chairman of the Black is Back coalition which arranged the protest, called into a megaphone as the group marched outside the mansion's gates.

"He is a tool of our imperialist enemies and we demand our freedom. And we demand that Obama withdraw all the troops from Afghanistan right now."

They also called on the administration to end the war in Iraq, and scrap the contreversial Africom -- the infant U.S Africa Command.

Ney York city councilman Charles Baron, a former member of the Black Panthers, attacked Obama for "turning a cold shoulder to the plight of African-Americans."

"We're not satisfied with him, and... this hope and change rap has not been a reality for black people," he told AFP.

"We are glad that Barack Obama broke up the white male monopoly on the White House, but we were not looking for a change in the occupant of the White House from white to black, we were looking for change in foreign policies and domestic policies,"  added Baron.

"To have a black person exploiting me just like a white person, that's no easier pain."

These are not the first African-Americans to speak out against the president, contrary to Neoliberal opinions that anyone who speaks against Obama is a racist. Many hip-hop artists have also spoken publicly, with many suggesting Obama works for the same people as Bush did;

Other hip-hop artists include "Immortal Technique", producer and Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons.

The growing number of African-Americans who have courageously spoken out, flies in the face of accusations that the majority of dissent against the president is based on his race.