Yes We Did!

We Are the Ones Song by will.i.am



Keith Olberman made a point tonight to say “This is our generation’s ‘Man on the Moon’ moment.”
I sat in my chair and tried to think about what is my generation’s moment before this. When men got to the Moon, a new generation of exploration and technology was born. Our generation was given 9-11. Not just the day, but we were given a generation of fear, mutual hatred, and religious persecution.
Not Anymore!
America was reborn tonight. 51 million (and counting) pushed a monitor and selected Barrack Obama. I did it. But watching the election results unfold, it finally hit me what I had done.
The reasons I chose this person were because I was tired of the era I was given. I was tired of that fear, that hatred, and that persecution. I was tired of hearing thousand upon thousands of Americans were losing their retirements, their homes, their very lives to corporate greed. I was tired of the politics that came from Reagan, to Karl Rove, to Swift Boats.
Yet, as the results unfolded, stories emerged that I never thought of. Minority Americans voted in record numbers as Black Americans started dancing in the streets. Then it hit me what this moment also brings as history makes past moments seem ancient when it was 144 years ago when Black males were given a right to vote. However, they were still restricted until the Civil Rights over 40 years ago. Twelve elections later, we just voted in the first Black President.
Yes We Did!
Obama spoke in his acceptance speech about the boycotts in Alabama, the hoses in Birmingham, and the Preacher from Atlanta. Now just 4 decades later, we just might have turned a corner.
Yes We Did!
We were practically told to hate this man. “Palling Around With Terrorists”, “Rev. Wright”, and “Socialist”. How can he possibly make it through when weaker opponents would have been dismantled? Can his message play like a torch in a dark cavern and pass the political jargon.
Yes We Did!
The wounds are still there. McCain consented to his crowd of thousands that Barrack Obama “is his President”. The crowd booed. Obama graciously paid tribute, in front of 160,000 plus revelers, to McCain’s sacrifice and how we needed John McCain in government. The crowd followed and paid the same tribute. For the majority – I like to believe the hate is gone.
Yes We Did!
President-Elect Barrack Obama did not pump his arms to the heavens, hold a newspaper headline, or grab the first baby to kiss. He was solemn, dignified, and cautious. For there‘s work to be done to repair Main Street. Then Wall Street. Fixing the alliances with our allies that have been stretched to the battles of our enemies. New generations don’t come without their obstacles.
And for that – Yes We Can!