After years of racial division, the United States of America has exhaled the sins of yonder and replaced it with the hard-fought breath of unity. With this new breath, we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory – a racially united America.
On my way to work this morning I noticed two elderly women embrace and exclaim “Isn’t it wonderful!”
One block over, a middle-aged man gave his friend a high-five and said, “Man, I still can’t believe it!” And right outside my office a young lady staring at a newspaper headline declaring “Obama makes history” placed a hand over her heart and grinned from ear to ear as her companion whispered “It’s true. It’s really true!”
In each instance the person expressing joy and amazement was black and the person joining them in support was white. Suddenly it hit me; when it comes to race, we can move on.
If the job of a President is to rally his people around a unified flag, then President-elect Obama has lived up to his hype. However, it will be his ability to govern and resolve the economic, security, and environmental issues of our nation that will determine the extent to which this historic accomplishment can be maintained.
I’m not living in a pipe dream. Life is not all lollipops and bubble gum, but let’s call this as it is: Whether you’re black or white, a Democrat or a Republican, today is a good day for America (and the world).
Tomorrow brings with it the difficulties of answering the most challenging questions of our time, but today is a day to feel good about the promise of a nation where anything is possible.
Don’t worry. There will be plenty of time for bickering later.
