History

I sat among a group of people today, glued to the television screen while Barack Obama addressed the country of my birth. I clenched my hands in pride and anxiety as the minutes ticked on til his oath. Tears stood in my eyes as an ensemble of some of the world's elite musicians played an arrangement of America's signature song: "Simple Gifts."

And I wondered: will the world change tomorrow because of today? Will prejudice, ill-will, and ignorance soon be minimized in our world? How much can one man change the world? And how much of this change will America embrace?

I've heard the debates, both public and private. I've read white chicks' blogs where they rant about the incompetent black people they work with, and judge Obama by that standard. I've listened as my own family members showed their ignorance by expressing their fear that Obama's religion of choice is Islam (what would be wrong with that, anyway?), and others call him a retarded monkey. I've listened in on conversations where people throw their vote on the side of Obama, based solely on the color of his skin.

I've seen the documentaries on the White House, emphasizing the fact that it was built with the help of slave labour. I've watched as the media emphasized the race of this man as the reason for his election into office.

Why are we so fixated?

Last spring, I read Long Road to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela. His victory in politics was inspiring, but it wasn't because he was black. It was because he rose above the question of color and pointed us in the direction of equality, and blindness to race, language, and gender. His life was a beacon to those who choose to see people as having intrinsic value, and all the properties which they hold as part of their identity are just diverse expressions of that value.

Will Barack Obama be allowed by the American people to follow in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela? Will our nation truly become a leader and friend to the world once more?

May God grant it.