AMERICA'S 44TH PRESIDENT

I have to say that I feel so privileged to live in a time where America has come together in unity for change and created something so magnificent as electing the first African American president; Barack Obama.
I voted November 4, 2008 and helped to elect the first African American president because I felt he was bar none the best candidate, I felt he represented issues very important to me and I felt that I had a unique opportunity to participate in history. When I think about the history of this country which includes the shadow of slavery, oppression that lasted 400 long years and still has devastating effects on the culture of African Americans today it is hard to devote your heart completely to a flawed and often indignant country. Despite the opportunities offered here. However, when you see the change that has come and the progress that has been made from the abolition of slavery to Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement to now it is undeniably and overwhelmingly magnificent to finally be able to ’put down your suitcase’ and embrace the country you always wanted to but weren’t quite sure if you could and have it embrace you back. I feel so completely American today. Not African American, but American. I feel sweet down to the marrow of my bones. I feel whole, powerful, hopeful and probably most of all thankful. Thankful to God for truly blessing America to allow something of this magnitude to happen. To live to see it and to be able to see the readiness in America’s spirit to let this come to pass at this moment in history. A crevice has been made in the fabric of America’s history that will remain eternally. And I am thrilled to be in that crevice. I am thrilled to be able to raise my two African American sons in a time when they don’t even know why this moment is historical. They will grow up always knowing that an African American could have always been president because Barack Obama was. It will never be a question if they could be president because there was a president, Barack Obama. That fact gives me chills in to the depths of my soul and I say with enthusiasm, reverence and abiding gratitude I am proud to be an American-God bless this great country of the United States of America.