"We Ain't Ready to See a Black President..."

..Said the late, great Tupac. His words rang in my ears back in 1998, reminding me that as black people we are born with limitations. We can only accomplish so much. Everything we do, everything we achieve is tag lined with, "..that's really good... for a black person." Doing your best will only make you good enough. Right?

Enter Barack Obama. Now, I've never been into politics. Voting was more of a statement then an actual interest of mine. So when Obama announced he was running for president, I politely questioned..."The president of what?.." Then came the doubts. "Oh Lord, they gon' shoot that poor skinny black man...that's a damn shame.." But his endurance, and persistence along with the support of his amazing partner and wife Michelle (who I like to believe is the next Jackie O), has proven his efforts to be more than just a shot at the big Oval Office. As if he knew all along that he would win. Like he knew it was time.

So now here we are at the brink of a new era, and it appears, at least to me as if we've finally ran out of excuses. We can no longer complain about the social injustices of living in America. To that percentage of black men and women (or children for that matter) who thoroughly believe that we are second class citizens whether by birth or default; take a look around you. The excuses have all dried up and blown away. The second slavery (of the mind) is over. There is finally another role model for our children to look up to other than 50 cent and the latest NBA recruit. Someone who doesn't just flaunt unreachable financial status. Someone who is not exploiting their celebrity. Someone who is fighting for a real cause, and wants to make a real difference. I know this all sounds like some kind of rally speech to vote for Obama, but regardless of who you vote for, just be thankful that we have come to a place where the opportunity is there. Let it be a constant reminder, that there is no mold for our lives, and no restrictions to the things we can accomplish.


Photo: "Abraham Obama" by Ron English, http://www.popaganda.com/