So by now I’m sure you’ve all seen it or at least heard about it : Senator Barack Obama and wife, Michelle walking out, hand in hand on stage last Tuesday, to announce that he was the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. But before that announcement, the Illinois Senator hugged his wife, looked her in the eyes and raised his fist to knock knuckles with her already raised fist. Bump! Michelle had given her husband some "dap"  aka a “pound”. What?! The pundits came out…speculation everywhere. Critics called it a "terrorist fist jab". The brothas and sistas called it showing love. Young folks said it was giving props. Some privately said it was a “black thang”. And so the pundits were confused.

Well, my friends…giving “dap” is NOT just a “black thang”. It’s a love thing. A respect thing. And from the look in the couple’s eyes that night, a meaningful thing.

It’s a gesture that’s become popular through many generations…black, white, brown, yellow, red, what have you. The “dap” aka  "pound" dates back to the 1960s when African-American soldiers during the Vietnam War used it as a form of greeting. Whether it was bumping knuckles, slapping five or snapping fingers, giving “dap” meant something amongst friends.  Like many trends, the “dap” popularized and spread as a form of communication. So while it originated amongst African-Americans, now everyone’s doing it. From the brothas on the courts to the white kids on the soccer fields to even  Howie Mandel   on  Deal or No Deal…it’s all love.

This isn’t the first time that Senator Obama has done something that confused the media and it probably won't be the last.  On April 17, 2008, Senator Obama made  pop culture history while discussing Senator Hilary Clinton’s attacks on his campaign. Following rapper, CEO and entrepreneur Jay-Z’s lead, Senator Obama lifted his hands and did the brush “Dirt off Your Shoulder”   move from the rapper’s hit song. Critics of the gesture suggested that this was another example of the Senator being elitist, using gestures that the mainstream couldn’t understand. But young people, all around the world, knew exactly what he meant therefore forging another bond, that they could identify with the popular Senator.

It probably won’t be the last time that there’s confusion or miscommunication concerning either the Republican or Democratic candidates for president. My hope is that we don’t get to caught up in the minutia of campaign messages when indeed there are significant issues that this country needs to address like housing, gas, war, higher education, healthcare…the list goes on and on and on and on. So next time the presumptive next President of the United States of America offers you his fist, nudge his knuckles and give him some “dap”.