Racism Ended on 11/4/2008 at 11 p.m. EST!!!!

Of course it hasn't ended. I was kidding. It will end on 12/2/9845.

When I think about Tuesday night in Alexandria, VA, at a sports bar/grill with two coworkers and 80% of the patrons and staff being Obama voters, it made my heart proud to know that people believed in a message of change and rejected fear, choosing faith, belief, and hope instead. Over 63 million people chose this. Some of the others chose that too but felt McCain could offer the changes they sought. Some votes on both sides were cast based solely on race, without ever looking at issues, researching them, and making a decision that way, which is ignorant and wrong.

All day long I had been nervous. I casted my ballot that morning and thought, "If nothing else, I never thought I would be able to vote for a viable black candidate for the U.S. presidency in my lifetime. Thank God for at least that much." (I know he's not fully black or the we-shall-overcome-Black American (as I am) because he's half American white, and half direct East African, raised in white and Indonesian cultures, but as we all know in this country, he's black.) I was nervous that this thing wouldn't come through. I honestly thought that America, being mostly white, wasn't honestly ready for a change like this racially. I thought that blacks wouldn't come out to vote (again). I thought that the more racist McCain supporters would vote just to keep Obama away. But when VA was projected for Obama with 94% of precincts reporting (go Northern, Tidewater, and Buckingham County, VA!), I said "That's it! He needed VA or IN or NC to go over the top. " A few minutes later, California closed their polls, and if all held constant as expected, he won. CNN later confirmed it. The restaurant cheered. I cried. I never, ever thought this would happen in my lifetime. I called my segregation-era parents and aunt (in NC). My mom was on the verge of tears. My dad was actually crying. My aunt could hardly speak on the phone. A random guy saw the televisions from outside the restaurant and ran in and yelled "Yeah!" I only regret that we hadn't watched the results in DC to walk over to the White House.

Some of my friends who aren't minorities were questioning why I was shocked. "All the projections showed it." I guess I can't explain it. I just personally felt that the country might not be "there" yet. It's like Whoopi Goldberg said, (paraphrase), "All my life I've felt that America was the place to become anything you wanted to be. Out of anywhere else in the world, for me to "make it," it would be in the U.S. But after Tuesday, I finally feel like I can put down my suitcase." For elections, America made me prouder than they did in 2000 (when Florida pissed me off), and in 2004 when Kerry was chosen as the nominee (who I felt was chosen just to have someone who wasn't Bush running). What was meant by that last sentence was the I was NOT proud then.

I see this as a new beginning for many people, not just black people. Not just some black men who hopefully will start taking more pride in themselves and being men, and not hypermasculine stereotypes who aren't in touch with themselves. I see a new beginning for anyone who's ever been downtrodden, that they too can achieve greatness. Great is what you're meant to be, if you didn't already know. On NPR they were interviewing a Nigerian journalist who said that the world was watching the election. Specifically in Africa, they are proud. Not just because he's part African, but because African politicians are often arrogant and self-serving (well, moreso than American politicians). For them to see someone who is a minority in our country (with its shameful history on race relations) achieve success with a majority of the people behind it says a lot to anyone who may be underfoot of someone who doesn't care about them as a leader. You can be heard. You WILL be heard. And there is hope, even for Africans under dictatorships. There's hope for anti-communists in China to keep fighting. There's hope for Myanmar. There's hope everywhere. It CAN be done.

There's hope for Civil Rights. In the 20th century, it may have started with women getting the vote. It was taken over by the struggles of blacks from way back in Reconstruction onward to the 15th Amendment, onward to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The fight isn't over. Civil Rights, to me, was more than about blacks. Granted, it's greatly helped me and helped me define who I am in this country and should never be belittled, forgotten, or squandered. It's just that Tuesday night seemed to signal a further progression with it for me. Obama seems to inspire so many to want more out of their country....and life. I felt awakened by listening to what he had to say. I realized that there can still be hope for change. There can be real change. And it's not up to the leader to produce it - it's up to us. Like Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." There's work to be done. There's more to this than race. His victory is our victory. It's America's victory. We got to a point with Susan B. Anthony. We got to a point with King. We got to a point on Tuesday. We move forward from here. Civil Rights has expanded now just like it expanded before. Who will be the next group to achieve equality? Well, from 1919/1920 to 1964 we have about 44 years. From 1964-2008 we have 44 years. However, in both cases, fights for equality were occurring while their successes were achieved. So....it seems like from 1969-2013 is 44 years. Gays, maybe 2013 is a good year? :-)

I know that will anger some of my fellow Christian readers, but face it guys, legally denying rights to someone based on who they have sex with (and some aren't even having sex, but just are someone who they didn't choose to be) is all kinds of wrong. Spiritual/Religious counterpoints aside, it's not fair. You're telling me that if you were to come out as gay 30 years ago, and your family disowned you because of it 30 years ago, that it's right that they can come and take what you've built up over the last 30 years with your lover of 20 years while he/she is left with nothing after you die just because they're family? You were dying in the hospital and your lover wasn't allowed into the room because he/she isn't family, but the family who disowned you chooses to not acknowledge your existence until it's time to collect on what you've left after your death. That's right? No, it isn't. Marriage is another blog and this one is long enough already, but I'll just ask why or what entitles benefits to favor marriage versus not being married? Legally, what if people choose to not get married but want to be committed but want the same entitlements?

Finally, can we end partisan politics? I gave up on partisan politics in 2004 when I dropped out of the Democratic Party. No one party is better than the other. Our country is in peril and we need to work TOGETHER to rebuild it. You won't agree with everyone all the time. You won't like everyone all the time, but we all live here and need to make it better as God allows. I understand that people want to have a political identity, but after seeing what people can do to political parties, I think it's time we take a step back, work, and reevaluate where we are and where we want to go. A truly viable third party (or more) may come out of this, which takes us back to partisan politics. Sigh. Anyway, it started on Tuesday. It may take years, decades, or even scores to get us to the next "point of change" but we will continue to evolve. Not all change is good. And every change is met with opposition. I just hope and pray that we got this one right this time, and that his failures (he will fail on some things, and succeed on others) will be outweighed and outshone by his successes.

This will not be easy. It will be a long road ahead, but we have to remember this night. Remember how we felt in that moment. It starts here. Don't give up. Keep trying. Keep moving ahead. Don't drop out of the race. Like Condoleeza Rice said, Americans will always go for that "more perfect union" status. We probably won't get there as we are fallible humans, but darn it we'll keep trying.

For those who would see us fail, I'll pray for you. You can't stop progress. Sure, you can stifle it some, but it will come! For those who said "I don't think America will elect another black president after Obama's done in 4 years' time, because the nation will be worse off" please reread your words. If he's proven nothing else this time around, being black has nothing to do with his failures or, arguably, his successes. People should be judged on their merits and actions. You can argue that the best indicator of what someone will do is by looking at what they've already done. That holds true in some cases. But what about people changing/evolving? You're telling me that people can't be convinced of the better choice as they continue living and (hopefully) growing? If you were judged on all your past decisions and that was used as a barometer for someone to ultimately count you out, would you like it? Wouldn't you say that things can change and people can too? I'll pray for you, too, because we have too much at stake to lose as a nation to remain isolated and divided. I'm not saying blindly follow. Object when you feel led to do so. Question what you don't understand or disagree with. I plan to do all of that. For those of you who laugh at those of us who chose hope and a campaign built around that message, I call you out on being a phony. You had to have hope that your candidate would win. You built up hope around that. You too have a hope for a better America. So do I.

Pray for Obama and his advisers. Pray for this nation. May God be with us. God bless America! Love wins at the end of the day. Grow from love.