Saturday, November 08, 2008

President-elect Obama: "A new dawn of American leadership is at hand."


"Barack Obama is our next president." Typing that statement still overwhelms me with emotion. I've watched his speech three or four times and have the same feeling.

I am a very passionate and emotional person, but I don't shed tears often. On Tuesday, as the screen flashed the statement above in big, bold letters, I could feel the emotion welling up from my chest. As I stood in the middle of 6000 African-American people crying, dancing, praying, and some in complete shock, I wondered if I had the right to be so overcome with emotion. After all, I'm not Black...I haven't endured what they have to get to this day.

I held back the tears until I started receiving multiple phone calls and text messages, most of which were from the young adults that we have dubbed the apathetic generation...all of whom were Black and Hispanic. The emotion came faster than I could hold it back. My tears were for them.

For the 23-year old young man who text'd me after he voted, explaining:


"Obama's my idol! He just became one of the reasons I want to make sure I pursue my degree and perfect my speaking skills. He presents himself in a way that I wish I could at interviews and important outings."
For the 25-year old African-American teacher who explained to me that she thought she had high expectations for all of her students, but after Obama became president, she realized she had never thought it would be realistic for her African-American students to say, "I want to be President."

For the 23-year old young man who has worked hard to get past neighborhood influences of drug dealing, friends who are in prison for murder, and friends who have been killed...but who called two days after the election saying, "You've got to help me find a newspaper from yesterday! I want to frame it!"

For the White grandmother who called me in tears Tuesday night because, though she is a democrat and an Obama supporter, this election has a whole new impact on her because of her 3-year old bi-racial grandchild.

My tears came because of the African-American children I have known for years...and how I know this election impacted them.

But my tears also came because I know this election was for ALL of us. As Barack Obama said in his speech on Tuesday night,


"...our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand."
We are all connected.

My hope...and the reason I voted for Barack Obama...is because I believe he will help us understand that we ALL have a shared destiny. I believe he will help us see that people of all cultures, ethnicities, skin colors, and places of the world need each other and can benefit from the relationships that develop.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Believe me, I have wanted a black man to be a president for a long time!!!!!!!!!

Now I can tell my children the ignorance of society won't hold you back.

BUT, I wish the first black president was someone who could truly be a role model to my child.

I wish he was someone who felt that babies / fetus have the same rights as us.

I wish he wasn't someone who has pledged to overturn the defense of marriage act, and "force every state without a constitutional amendment or specific state law protecting traditional marriage to recognize same-sex marriages." (quote from www.citizenlink.com)

I wish he hadn't vowed to sign the hate crimes and Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) which will "badly damage" MY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

I wish he hadn't said, "“The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.” meaning my 11 year old daughter could undergo an abortion without my knowledge.

I wish he didn't attend a church for 20 years, that had an attitude similar to the KKK. (Would you have voted for a white president whose church held these beliefs:

1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community .
5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the White Value System

I WOULD HOPE NOT. Well reverse the world white with black and you have the tenets of Obama's former church of 20 years.

5% of African Americans made the choice to not vote for Obama. 5% wanted there values, beliefs, and the word of God to be their choice over a man of color. 5% are grieving that our nation will not be the same Christian nation for our children. 5% are confused as to why any Christian would vote for a man that goes against everything Christians believe.............