I apologize for the lack of posts due to the extreme Fall busy-ness.  With the inspiring events of the election this week, I thought it was quite an appropriate time to begin resurrecting the You Movement.

Barack Obama.  To most Americans, that one name has so much power, honor, hope, and significance invested in it.  The persistence of ONE person has changed life as we know it today.  Today, some people may be celebrating with tears in their eyes as they recall the night when America chose an African American for the highest position in the country.  Today, a few may be frustrated or angry.  Today, others might feel apprehensive about the work there is to be done.  Today, we may feel hopeful.  Whatever we feel today is okay, because today we feel what we feel because of change.

The simple act of having our first African American president is an event marked by change. To see our nation consisting of people from all cultures vote for an African American president is evidence that America, as we have known it, is changing in some way.  This is fine with us because we are indeed craving change.  The point is for Americans to prepare themselves for change.  We’ve requested and demanded for change, but with change comes adjustment and acceptance.  There are mixed emotions with any change, and this is perfectly natural.

As I watched the election, there were many people gathered in various parts of the country. One such place was in Times Square, New York City.  The feeling I had in my gut gave me a New Years Eve, ball-about-to-drop sensation.  Rightfully so, we were a short distance away from a changing moment of our time.  What I have realized is that I was relating a presidential election to one of the biggest celebration nights of the year.  This made me think of how wonderful it is that people have caught the Obama-fever or perhaps the fever for change.  It is wonderful because we aren’t drinking and watching a ball drop.  We are advocating for our beliefs, fulfilling our duties of citizenship, and genuinely caring about the direction that America is heading.  Politics to many people now isnt an estranged and abstract topic and I believe that this is ever so important.

This is change; not in just through the face of Obama, but rather through what this BarACkTION means.  What do I mean?  I mean that our first graders and high school students are going to lay their bright eyes on the face of a man who persisted in making history and who fought the odds that were stacked against him.  They can lay their eyes on their own bright future and the “i wish”s could become “I can”s.  The I CAN can be put back in AmerICAN.  I also mean that perhaps racists will open their eyes.  They can realize that a man with a different skin tone can lead a country.  They can realize that a man with a different skin tone can be ELECTED by the American people to carry us in his hands.  In this election, for some, race had to be put aside.

Due to the history of our country, the ability for Americans to choose an African American president is in itself a milestone.  I don’t think many people can deny this.  Much was overcome to get here.  In my opinion, there is something ironic about the crave for change in America and the change that had to take place within Americans to take the step in making this milestone attainable.  If we can put aside race for the betterment of our country, then why can’t we do this all the time?  It speaks a lot to what we are capable of doing.  However, if we can take a moment to absorb what happened on November 4th, we will be amazed.  We saw formerly Republican states turn to be in favor of Obama.  There was change and this was the result of internal change in the American people.

This is what gives me hope.  There is hope that we can make a movement towards change in OURSELVES.  It can mean altering our own views and biases.  There is hope today in America that we can overcome the past.  There is hope today in the men and women who stand up for what they believe in.  There is hope today for those who are opening their eyes.  There is hope for a better world.

I remember driving on election day and looking around at the rest of the cars on the highway.  There were different state license plates and there were varying kinds of cars.  I thought, today we are all one in the same, we are all American. I thought how the differences shouldn’t mean as much since our main objective is to vote.  There is something quite unifying in voting and it involves putting America first.  This is what America was able to do despite the past and despite personal opinions on race.  This is the way it should be.

So, my readers, I encourage you to be inspired by Barack Obama and I encourage you to be inspired by your fellow American people.  He has made history, but so have we.  Now it is up to us as a nation to take this milestone and do something with it.  We can say, “yes we did,” but let us NOT FORGET we said we did.

Rosa sat, so Martin could walk…
Martin walked, so Obama could run…
Obama ran so our children can FLY!