...And the Best is Yet to Come

I don't know why...but last night when I initially heard the news about President Obama- though I was happy, I wasn't overcome with as much emotion as I thought I would have. I must say that this morning, that has all changed.

I woke up this morning with a ball of emotion in my chest. I remember the first lesson I ever received on Civil Rights. It was some time in the early 90's at St. Mark's Episcopal Church Day School in Crown Heights Brooklyn. My teacher was at the front of the class talking about Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and the many others who dedicated their lives to making sure I could live a life that was equal to that of my white counterparts. It all seemed so distant from me at that time and as I grew older, though I began to understand the movement more and identify with its principles, as I looked around at my surroundings I assumed that where black people were currently would be as good as it gets.

As I sit here this morning with tears in my eyes, I must say that I am so happy to have been wrong.

Today- November 5, 2008 is a day I will never forget. Barack Obama is the FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT in the United States of America. There will be a black first lady, a black first family. My younger cousins can look at Sasha and Malia and think- "they look like me" . I can finally identify with Washington DC and see myself represented in government.

Only time will tell what President Obama will accomplish within his presidency, but no matter what - he has already led a historic movement in U.S. history. I am confident that the best is yet to come and I am ecstatic to be around to witness it. There is so much work to be done now but I know that Barack is up to the challenge. We are living through HISTORY right now and I am loving every minute of it. The lesson learned for me is that YES, I CAN do anything! (and so can YOU)

As you go throughout your day today, rest comfortably in the fact that anything is possible. The 44th president of the same country that stole a group of people from their home land, threw them on a ship, and enslaved them is a black man. A black hero. Barack Obama.

God Bless America!