-my dear friend, Dakarai Aarons
* * *
Hoops and hollers. Hands raised to the ceiling and above. A jubilant scene at Boston's J.A. Stats at 11:39 a.m. this morning testified that Barack Obama has indeed accomplished something significant in his first moments as U.S. President. In 38 words, uttered previously by 42* white men, President Obama signaled to an America within this great nation that the color of your skin is no longer an insurmountable obstacle to reaching any height. The spectacle I witnessed this morning was mainly created by my African-American coworkers whose collective story can only be read (not sensed, tasted, or smelled) in history books. I don't question their tears of joy, nor do I envy them. I simply intend to live in a nation where everyone feels empowered and encouraged to Do more. I sincerely hope that President Obama has inspired more Americans to Do just that today, and continues to in the months ahead.
That said, I usually roll my eyes when someone "the first ___ to ever be ___." And I'm glad Obama never leaned on his own race during his campaign up through today's inauguration speech. But I believe that if today's event has any positive and lasting effects on the psyche and morale of our nation's traditionally disenfranchised populations, Obama's race would undoubtedly have played a role. That said, I also believe Obama's performance as President and Commander-in-Chief will help dictate how "lasting" any effects may be.
I'd like to share one comment I received on November 5th, from my friend John in El Paso:
"[A friend of mine] once told me that she spoke at a local middle school [in El Paso, TX]. She went around and asked kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. The vast majority had no aspirations to anything else than getting some kind of a job. This doesn't seem to be a big deal to most, they shrug it off as a minority laziness issue. It's not. It is being socially institutionalized. These kids see their family and can't expect anything better for themselves, they have given up before they start. They don't know that they can dream and make it a reality. Whites can not see this from the outside, and minorities don't see it from the inside."
-John T.
If today's events help perpetuate positive change in that department... we'll all be better for it.
One final note... was I the only one who thought Rev. Rick Warren announced Obama's daughters like he was the MC of a sexy dance competition? No? Okay, just checking...
Let's put 100 days on the clock... Obamas ready? America ready?...
*Grover Cleveland was President #22 and #24. Fun fact.
4 comments:
Glad to see your back in the blog world.
it is momentous bc he is awesome.
that he's black is the icing on top.
as a people, i hope we understand that we vote for quality - not skin....that would be racist
-sheri
I don't know if it was actually 38 words, because he had to re-swear in because the stupid guy giving him his oath messed it up, but either way, still pretty cool. I cried when he took the oath of office. Admittedly, those were partially tears of joy that I no longer had to deal with Bush, but I was just so simultaneously terrified and exhilarated for the future of our nation.
-Too vibrant for a name
P.S. You write like you talk, which is, by the way, extremely eloquently, so don't even worry about it.
You write beautifully. I join you in your hope that we live in a nation of people who once again feel empowered and are ready to take an active role in their destinies.
The moment has been unreal since Nov. 4 and in some ways still feels that way. But when President Obama stood up next to Chief Justice Roberts and began to speak, a chill went through me and I thought, "this is really happening!"
Being the cynical journalist I am, I'm waiting to see what he actually does as president before he can be evaluated, but I do know that there is no scale that can measure the impact he already has in fulfilling the hopes and dreams of so many.
And in one important respect, I already give him much credit: his elevation to our nation's highest office has raised the aspiration levels of poor children and children of color with such force and such broad impact in a way that none of us who labor toward this goal could even fathom.
When I hear 5-year-old black boys say they want to be the president some day like Obama, it nearly steals my breath.
--D.A.
Post a Comment