..And so, the Majority has spoken, and the Majority did not whisper, they ROARED!

Wow! Since Tuesday 11:30PM EST I have been is such a state of euphoria that is really heard for me to articulate the emotions I am having. The last time I have been this overcome with emotion was the birth of my children!

Now, let me just say this, and after this I am going to put politics to the side for a moment. I never did, and still do not agree with all the policies of either McCain or Obama. However, under McCain we would continue polices built around the Bush administration. I think we can all agree that the Bush administration has made no great strides in improving our country. Then on the other hand the Obama camp has put forth some ideas that make me a little uneasy and, it makes me a tad nervous that the Democrats will have total control. But, these were my choices and I had to make the choice that felt right to me. I could no longer ignore the little voice in back of my mind resounding “What if we had our first black president…. What if?..What would that mean? The seduction of that alone was too good to pass up. So it was without hesitation on November 4th that my vote went to Obama.

And here we are ushering in a new era with President Barack Obama! Who, although identifies himself as a black man, is in truth biracial, (something that can be said about a lot of Americans whether they realize it or not) and if you think about it, someone with a mixed heritage is wonderful symbol of America!

Again politics to the side lets really drink this in! As a matter of fact let’s get drunk with it for a little while! This changes EVERYTHING! I mean I know he is not the Messiah that will end all racial issues, but I have always hoped and wanted to believe that the racial divide was getting smaller. Now I know that the chasm is even smaller than I could have imagined.

This is all so surreal for me. I, like many others never thought I would see the day that a black man would be president. I knew it would happen some day but not this soon. I did underestimate people’s willingness for change. I just wish my grandmother who died at the blessed age of 96 on September 29th of this year could be here. We rejoice this day for those before us like my grandmother who struggled, endured, and fought for us.

For me personally the color of someone’s skin has never been an issue. But, the heartbreaking truth is within my generation and my mother’s generation we have not escaped discrimination or categorization by skin color. Still here in the South, sad to say, skin color is sometimes an issue. All my life I found it hard to understand why it has been an issue for others? Why the hate? We all know the tragedies of or past, the horrors of history. Reality is, desegregation was only about forty four years ago. I understand our past well, but why are we still There? There is such a thing as forgiveness and redemption. We are all one people; our bodies are just the shells we were born in. The truth of a person is the part of them you can not see, but you can feel it. I look at this historical moment as a chance for all races to heal, so let’s embrace it and look forward.



And for my beloved People of Color this is huge deal for us. Obama has raised the bar for all of us. No longer can you use victimization as an excuse. Our children and our families now have a positive role model. It is with great pride and emotion to know that we can do anything and be anything despite what the past has dictated to us we ARE equal. Even though some of us realized this long ago, now, I feel like we can truly experience it. Furthermore if you think for a minute that Obama is going to give you anything, think again. If you are expecting your “40 acres and a mule” you will be waiting. Obama is no-nonsense, he is not giving you anything, and he expects you to earn your way. And let’s not forget it was not just our votes alone that made this happen, we are the minority, without the white vote this would not have been possible.

So, to my beloved white people out there who cast your vote for change THANK YOU! I wish I could hug you all! Obama should enact a national “Hug a White Person” Day! Your vote may have been motivated by a number of things but it is comforting to know many of you believe in UNITY, and that you are willing to place your faith in something new for the betterment of our country.

And for those of you who are still anti Obama, GET OVER IT! He is the Peoples President, Mr. President, Commander in Chief, Leader of the Free World. Yes, some of his ideas are a little whack, but let’s give the man a chance! After Bush and his crew I welcome anything new (hay that was a rhyme). I do not live my life in fear and I encourage everyone to do the same. Have faith and pray for him, so that he is guided to make the right decisions. All the eyes of the world are watching us. I think this is good thing, a new era, and I believe from good comes good.

I am going to end with the words spoken by Whoopi Goldberg (she is awesome), words that capture my feeling … and I do not know the exact phrase but it went something like:

“I have always known I was an American, but now I feel like I can put down my suitcase”


I love you all,
Peace, Nikki-J