VERNON BRYANT/DMNBarack Obama – accompanied by daughters Malia, 10, Sasha, 7, and wife Michelle –
greets the crowd at his Election Night party at Chicago's Grant Park.
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This was the headline and picture on the front page of our newspaper this morning. I showed it to Isaac and he pointed to Sasha and said "Look, Mom! She is African American like me!" and I said "that whole family is. Their Dad is the first black president our country has ever had." He smiled. I told him I was going to put the paper in his memory box and he told me to make sure I don't lose it!
Later, on the morning news, they were showing the many black churches that celebrated last night. I asked Isaac why all those people were jumping up and down and he said because they were happy. I asked why are they happy and he said, "because they are proud of the United States!"
Wow. It is amazing to me that this moment is not even lost on the youngest of our citizens.
I had mixed emotions last night, as it is hard for me to be fully excited about a Democrat in office. But I will admit as I watched the tears stream down the brown faces of so many who thought this day would never come, I cried too. I sobbed while listening to Obama's acceptance speech.
This morning, my son woke up in a country where the whole idea of our family could have never existed 60 years ago. This is a country that used to say that he would not even be able to be in a movie theater with me. This country never let those who looked like him vote, hold any position of power, and were seen as "second class citizens". There was a time in this country where it would have been dangerous for him to make eye contact with a white person. We, as Caucasian Americans, can never fully understand what this was like, and what it has been like to live in the shadow of this.
Yes, I wish our president was a Christian, but he is not (I've read his interviews). I will say though, that I am so very proud that our 44th president is African American. I also know that God is still in control and always will be, regardless of policies and laws.
This morning, my son woke up in a country where change is possible. There is nothing he can't do, with God's leading. It has been common practice to hear amongst African American families that this country would never vote a black man for president. I said it myself a year ago when I heard about Barack Obama. But yesterday, our country overwhelmingly voted for an African American man to be our next president. I do not idolize Obama, just like I don't idolize any other leaders. My allegiance is and will forever be to my Lord and Savior. This victory is for every child in the United States that is told they cannot be what they dream to be, whether they are held back because of poverty or lack of an education, or skin color. Today, change has come.
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