The Shreveport Sun
President-elect Barack Obama's historic election is one of those rare events that ties in the past with the future. Aside from the country being in dire need of a new type of leadership, Tuesday night symbolized true and significant change in America.
Before this election started, almost two years ago, and maybe up until the results were announced, many African-Americans did not believe that America would ever elect a black as the Head of State. Not because the race does not offer a plethora of sound, valuable leadership but because so many were forced to drink from separate water fountains and dealt with other indecencies under Jim Crow.
Tears of joy, vindication and validation were shed this election night because not so long ago, blacks were not allowed to vote in this country. Not so long ago, blacks were not considered human beings. Not that long ago, slaves built the White House that a President Obama will call home.
On November 4, 2008, generations of Americans were able to witness the fruit of their labor. The World War II veterans who fought valiantly for a country that refused to respect them as citizens; the men, women and children who boycotted the buses that forced them to sit in the back; those who participated in sit-ins and marches, the children who bravely were the first to desegregate schools, the freedom riders, those who suffered beatings or were murdered because they believed blacks deserved the right to vote and those who have demanded equal rights for all were able to see sound proof that what they fought for was attainable in America.
That is reason to celebrate. It is a great time to be an American, many people across this nation will truly feel they are full citizens for the first time in their lives. Children will have more reasons to believe that – if they work hard – it is possible for them to accomplish so many great things. This is a time to reflect on how much has been accomplished in such a short period. But eventually, the reflecting and celebrating must end, then it becomes a time for us to work even harder.
The results of this election represented a significant change in American history, but it also gives us reason to pause and feel a sense of unrest because - despite the fact that major accomplishments were made – there is much work to be done. If we don't protect our children and give them proper healthcare and a good education, what good is it to tell them to dream big? How can we celebrate civil rights milestones when some many people have been stripped of the right to benefit as other taxpaying citizens? Let us keep in mind that while we elected our Nation's first black president, people across this country banned Affirmative Action and people's legal right to marry.
We should all be proud of this great accomplishment; but we must now work together – even harder – to continue to push equal treatment for all. We must demand more of our communities, our leaders, our children and ourselves. Together we can create an America that truly represents liberty and justice for all.
