Obama Wins
Tonnette Lyles
December 2, 2008
Filed under Uncategorized
For the first time in its tumultuous 400-year history, America has elected an African- American man as president. I, along with many millions around the world, witnessed and became a part of history.
The feat wasn’t easy, and the road was long. But with a cool temperament and a steady hand, and while chaos surrounded him, President-lect Obama pulled off one of the biggest coups in world history.
Echoing the words of Martin Luther King Jr., Obama walked what King talked. King promised we will get to the Promised Land, saying so eloquently, “I have a dream that one day, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”
Obama’s election gave hope to children of all races that one day they could be president of the United States. Kings words again appealed to this ideal, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
King couldn’t have known at the time that he was paving the way for Barack Obama.
Obama gave a moving and emotional acceptance speech for the presidency in his home city of Chicago among hundreds of thousands of supporters of all races andages.
“Change has come to America,” said President-elect Obama while supporters cheered.
Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech 45 years ago, but the message remains relevant today. “It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled-Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States. We are, and always will be, the United States of America,” said Obama.
President-elect Obama has a daunting job ahead of him and is facing one of the most difficult crises in American history. With two wars and a failed economy, Obama acknowledged this wasn’t going to be easy. “The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America-I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you-we as a people will get there,” said Obama to rousing cheers.
Although Obama won the popular and electoral vote by a sizeable margin that included more than 133,000,000 voters nationwide, he took into account that some did not vote for him. “And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices,” he said. “I need your help, and I will be your president too.”
Racism in America is far from over, and although I believe we have a long way to go, I agree with, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a speech she gave the morning after the election. “As an African-American, I’m especially proud,” said Rice, her eyes glistening with emotion, “because this is a country that’s been through a long journey, in terms of overcoming wounds and making race less of a factor in life,.That work is not done, but yesterday was obviously an extraordinary step forward.”
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