Sixty years does not quite reach the average lifespan…. and as such, there are still plenty of folks around who remember Rosa Parks, and Brown vs the Board of Education, and their children remember the aftermath and lived through those times of change. They remember when things were supposedly “separate but equal”… things that folks in my generation and younger think of as SO far away… but in the relative nature of time, and lifetimes, really are still so close and fresh. And here WE are, roughly 45 years from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech… forty-five years… a scant drop in the bucket, hardly even middle age these days… about to inaugarate our nation’s FIRST (publicly notable) black President! And yet, “race” was not really even the main factor in his bid for the White House! And for those in the “over 70” age bracket – they have seen it all!!!!
As a person of ethnic minority heritage myself, I feel vulnerable and scared that we really are so very close to those days when true freedom was not available to everyone. And yet, in less than a lifetime, here we are…. enjoying the life of liberty hard fought and hard won by those who navigated the harsh and forbidding oceans. How incredible a country, a Nation, do we live in…. How truly awesome a time do we have to raise our children with dreams of more…. And how can we best thank and honor the forefathers of us all; the forefathers of our freedom? …. by ensuring and endeavoring and enduring in faith, that the oceans of oppression are overcome and roads towards liberty are open for us all…. and remembering with hope and spirit that those changes can happen, with hard work and devotion to service, in less than a lifetime….
Less than a lifetime – truly an incredible change. Great post, Emi!
Thank you!
Great post! It was truly inspirational to be down on the mall over the weekend. Regardless of politics, it was a momentous day.
Hi Emi,
Thank you for your blog. Your words were so eloquently spoken. Yes, indeed here we are and it is hard to believe. I was just telling another co-worker that today. It still seems surreal! I’m so glad for America and Black America! We have all come a long way and it feels right and good! America wanted change and we got it! We have to all strive to make this world a better place and what better place to start than with Government!
Cheers to President Barack Obama! May all our dreams come true!
P.S. good job on your first blog. (I too have never done one)
Thank you (both)!
Emi,
Truley eloquent. My only concern is that we think we are finished. To me, ensuring that the roads to liberty “are open to us all” means we will see a woman, a Native American, an Asian, any group who has been marginalized – become president, . I’m glad you included the words endeavor and endure.
Aw Thank You! I don’t know that we human beings will ever be finished. There may well always be some kind of “ism”… and indeed, seeing a person become President, irrespective of their ethnic origin, gender, or orientation, has got to be one of the grand goals of liberty. And onwards we pursue…. Nice to meet you!