A Dawn of a New Era

Yesterday I watched history in the making. I watched Barack Obama become The first African American/Black President of the United Stated of America. Although, the results were in back on that beautiful day in November, it wasn't a reality to me until yesterday at 12noon.

I guess part of me was thinking that it was all a dream, or the other part of America was going to create some type of conspiracy, but as of yesterday it was "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." I spent roughly about 8hours watching the whole inauguration and the festivities. That was the first time I ever watched the inauguration ceremony.

Truthfully it never mattered that much to me. In my mind, in the past, they were just more carbon copies getting the right to dictate how the U.S. should be looked after. Honestly, I lost a lot of faith in the U.S. government after the 2000 elections. But I am so anxious to see how things pan out of the years.

I guess in many ways I am like a lot of the other people in the world that thought that they would never see this day happen in their lifetime. Growing up as a minority, I was always told that I could be anything that I wanted to be; by my parents, teachers, and any authority figure that had the opportunity to spend a day with me. Even back then in my mind, there was that monkey on my back whispering in my ear "Anything but, the President of the United States". My young, brainwashed mentality told me that, Presidents were white, Presidents were men, two things that I am not. I'm not complaining one bit.

Now I can feel comfortable telling this new generation of minorities that they can be whatever they want. I can say it with confidence, and no reluctance.

I was watching the news this morning, and a lot of the nation still seems to be in shock, which to me doesn't seem surprising. What was really heart warming and touching were the interviews that they were conducting with children from all over the nation. The #1 thing that these children were saying was that now " they feel like they can be anything they want to be when they grow up." These were children of many different races and ethnic backgrounds. They were all observant in the fact that no previous President had been minority.

Today, after the dust has settled, I drink. I drink to the Dawn of a New Era. A better tomorrow. Better opportunities. Unity of a nation. The first African American President of the United States.