I saw a Dream Come True on November 4th 2008

History was made November 4th 2008. History that was over 40 years in the making. It was an amazing day for me, and for many people in this country. I really can't express the sense of joy and pride I felt when I saw Barack Obama our 44th president elect stroll out across the stage and stand behind that microphone. It was like I was sleep, like I was dreaming a beautiful dream. I actually questioned if I was awake while I was watching this, because it seemed unreal. I kept thinking this is a dream and I'm going to wake up, but I never did and I am so happy this is not a dream but is reality. As I watched Obama speak my sister cried uncontrollably with joy. All of the struggles my people have faced. Slavery the bondage of our people. Emancipation the freedom of our people into a country as hostile toward us as a wolf den to a rabbit. The terrorism enacted against us by whites, angry that we wanted to live with dignity. Jim Crow laws that kept blacks, and any minorities away from the polls. The segregation of whites and minorities or colored people. The lynching of Emmitt Till, and the lynching and deaths of untold blacks in the south. The civil rights movement that saw my people beaten down and trampled upon, while they fought to be seen as humans with rights. The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, and the death of hope for so many, and the loss of one of our greatest leaders. Finally, the desegregation of America, allowing blacks to enjoy the same amenities as whites. Many people thought things couldn't get any better than this. They thought that being civil was all us blacks and minorities could ever ask for and expect. However, on November 4th all of that changed. On November 4th black people got a new hope, and a new stance, a stance of equality. Don't get me wrong we still have a long way to go, but the election of a African American to the office of president, in a country built on slavery, hate , and oppression is nothing short of miraculous. The emotion on me was so strong I could hardly sit still. Finally vindication for our people. Finally proof that we are no longer niggers, boys, gals, darkies, coons, spear chuckers, spades, Negros, or even niggas. We are now men and women with a bright future that can truly be anything we make of it. With hard work, determination, and ingenuity the world is our oyster. Black people as whole are going to have to rise to the occasion, and actually work for our dreams. I've hear some people say racial excuses will no longer be tolerated, and I say that's bullshit. One black president doesn't automatically erase 400 years of racism and oppression. What people need to realize is that people will exploit this to mask their racism. They will try to brush aside the truth by saying well the president is black, so there must some other reason your not making it. People need to realize that we are still going to have to work four times as hard to make it and to accomplish our dreams. That's the struggle of any minority in this country, be they black, Latino, or Asian. A black president doesn't give us the right to slack off. We need to get it together, because if you use Barack as an example you can get anywhere you want to be with hard work. Look how hard that man worked, and look at where he is. That's should be enough to inspire anyone, black white, Latino, and Asian to get off their ass and make their dreams come true. It's inspired me to work even harder in everything I do, because I know that now I can truly make a difference, and that I can truly achieve anything I set my mind to. I feel anything less would be a disservice to the struggles of my ancestors, and Barack Obama. This comes from a man who's Grandmother was an integral part of fighting for desegregation in Kansas. A man who when he was 8 years old was told I couldn't visit his grandparents because some local racists had sprayed my grandmothers house with racial slurs. November 4th was truly a grand day for me and the vindication I feel on behalf of my ancestors, and pretty much all the people of color who died to put me in the position I am in today. I can truly say that I live in a great country, and almost as important as being able to say it, I can also truly mean it.