When I reflect on Barack Obama's electoral victory, I am just speechless. I can not find the words to adequately describe the emotions I am feeling. As a student of history/political science, I am overwhelmed with the realistic and symbolic significance of this election for our country. And, I am not the least bit ashamed to say I cried, no I wept.
The saga of African-American history in this country is embedded in our country's DNA. The original American sin - slavery - that attempted to remove the humanity from our ancestors' beings has come full circle.
From Sojourner Truth to Nat Turner to Harriet Tubman to Frederick Douglas; from Booker T Washington to Maggie Walker; from the Elijah Muhammad/Malcolm X to Martin Luther King/Dorothy Heights and to the millions and millions of invisible heroes and she-roes - black, white, yellow, brown; from Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus - the hopes and prayers of our ancestors have been redeemed and renewed.
From so many dreams deferred and dried up like raisins in the sun, as sister Lorraine Hansberry described, to stars finding their natural place among the firmaments in the heavens; this election represented the continued restoration of balance among the human family.
It's as if the United States of America has taken a quantum leap forward in our self-identification by electing the best qualified candidate for president; one who happened to be African-American.
President Elect Barack Obama may be the man of the hour; but, I say very respectfully (as he often states), this election is much much bigger than Obama. This election is about us reclaiming our cities, suburbs, economy, and country from the those that place their narrow minded self-interest, fears and greed above the good of the people.
In summary, Obama can not do it alone. We must continue to roll up our sleeves and toil in the field until the crops begin to harvest. Godspeed.
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