Three Sticks — Moses on Life

I just finished watching Barack Obama’s acceptance speech.  I still can’t believe it.  I know that some will consider this an over statement, but his election as the first African-American President of the United States is one of the most important events in the history of the United States.  It represents a bookend of history — the successful conclusion of the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement.  Before I lose you, consider that at the heart of both those struggles was the definition of freedom and what was possible once freedom was attained.  The freed slaves assumed that once they were free from slavery that they would enjoy the right to work hard and participate as full citizens in America.  Sadly after the Reconstruction Era this proved not to be the case.  Even the Civil Rights Movement failed to erase all of the glass ceilings faced by African Americans.

Today however we enter a new period.  Today an African American has become the President of the United States which some consider the most important, most powerful man in the world.  More importantly, he has become the leader of all Americans, chosen freely and in a commanding way by Americans.  This doesn’t mean that racism is dead, but it does mean that the conversation about race changes fundamentally. It’s hard to argue that the glass ceiling is real when there are black CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies and a black President.

I know that for me it changes my whole life, as I am sure it will for many other African Americans.  I’m young, only 32, but I grew up in a time when racism went underground becoming a shifty and subtle piece of work that was hard to identify and navigate.  I’ve dealt with friend’s whose white parents didn’t want me playing with their kid’s because I was black, white teachers who didn’t want me to take advanced classes despite my having all of the prerequisites including the correct academic standing and peers who couldn’t understand a clean cut, black kid who did well in school and listened to U2 and Public Enemy.  Along the way, I learned to keep my guard up, I never knew who to trust completely who would look beyond my skin color to see me.  As you can imagine, I developed a chip on my shoulder that never quite went away, until today.

My experiences taught me that I would have to be better than others in order to have similar opportunities.  It taught me that there was such a thing as white privilege and that it would limit how far I could go.  Despite my faith, I still held on to that believe deep inside in that dark place that I don’t like to admit exists.  I didn’t believe that Obama would become President. I didn’t think a black person, man or woman could become President of the United States in my lifetime.  Thankfully, I have been proven wrong.

His election means that all the doors are open. Although crossing their thresholds may prove perilous, what was once cloudy and uncertain is clear and available to those willing to put in the effort.  It also means that as black people it is time for us to let go of the past, not to forget, but to make room for a future that is full of possibility. Isn’t that the promised land. A place where one is able to succeed or fail based on one’s efforts.  I am not suggesting that the playing field is level or that their are not systemic problems that need to be overcome. What I am suggesting is that we can free our spirits and let them soar. No longer to we have to limit our ambitions because of our skin color.  No longer are entertainment and sports the only ways to achieve success  Success comes in many flavors and today has proven that the doors are open.

I know that for many people, especially White American’s this may appear to be overkill, but it is hard to convey the importance of last nights events.  Jackie Robinson is a historic figure, but Obama’s election dwarf’s even his mighty accomplishments.  His election represents a future where anything and everything is possible.

Trackback URL for this post.