Quite a Victory

I've got to say, no matter what your political beliefs are, or how you voted, November 4th 2008 was a great day for the American people. I cannot stop thinking about the powerful impact that having a black president will have on our society.

Rob and I got into bed early on Tuesday night (Bennett has been waking up at the crack of dawn, so we were tired), when we heard yelling in the streets, horns honking, and even some fireworks. I probably should have prefaced that statement by saying that we live in a very diverse neighborhood. It was clear that the people shouting "Obama!!" outside our windows were Black. The next morning Bennett and I were walking down the street; we passed by some people who appeared to be strangers, and one man, a black man, reached out his hand and shook the other man's hand and said, "well, black man, we now have a black president. Did you ever think you would see this day?" He had giant, proud grin on his face as he said hello to Bennett and I.

I have seen various interviews over the past couple of days of incredibly accomplished black authors, professors, politicians, etc., that say, just like the man on the street did, that they thought they would not live to see this day. A very heavy statement, especially from such forward-thinking people. I can’t help but be moved by the fact that this day came within our generation. I am amazed by how much change has happened in just four generations. Without even realizing it (at least until a certain age) Bennett will look at black people in a completely different light than my grandparents, my parents, or I did-all because of this president.

One more story: When I worked for FCNI, I had a 6-year old client, a boy, whose skin was very dark. He was actually part Mexican, part black (this is one reason I take issue with the term African American-though he may have looked it, he did not consider himself African at all). He often struggled with the color of his skin, because there were no other students at his school that were as dark as him. This little guy lived with his grandparents, who were white, and this was also confusing for him. Anyway, one day, the boy, his grandma and I were talking about what he would grow up to be. He thought there were not many things he could do, because he had so much trouble in his life (sad logic for a six year old, I know). The little boy’s grandma started to list the many things that he could one day accomplish, and I was ready to jump right on board-until I listened to her list. The Grandma said, “You could be a basketball star, or a rapper, or a football player…” I could not believe my ears. I agreed with her that he may grow up and do one of these things, and told him he could do anything else he worked at, like becoming a teacher, or a doctor, or whatever he chose. I like to hope that as of election day, in 2008, this young boy has added one more career possibility to his list-President of the United States.