We Have Arrived.....

What can I say about today?  I don't know if I have the words to describe the thoughts racing around in my head.  Today I saw the world change.  I bore witness to the dawn of a new era.  I saw a person of color reach the highest office of the nation.

I saw a man, who not too long ago in history would have been told to get to the back of the bus, become president of the United States of America.  A man who came from humble beginings.  A man who was raised by a single mother.  A man who was the son of an immigrant.  He became President of the United States of America.

I know my daughter is only 7 years old and doesn't really quite grasp why this is such a momentus moment.  She's young and fortunate because she has not experienced some of that hate the world has to offer.

A few months ago, before the election, I talked to her about why I was voting for Obama.  I told her that he worked really hard and got into a really good school.  He worked really hard and got a law degree from one of the most prestegious universities in the world.  And I told her that instead of getting a cushy job with a fat cat salary, he used his degree to help people.  My daughter says "Well, then he should be president!"

And now he is.

And now I can turn to my daughter and say "If you work hard and never give up, you can be anything you want to be!"  And this time, I won't be lying.  And my daughter will grow up different than I did.  She won't see the limitations I did because of my race.  She will not grow up thinking that a person of color reaching the highest office in the land  as an impossibility.  I still can't believe it.

When the elections results were in on November 4th, and Barack Obama was declared the next President of the United States, I called my mom to share the news and celebrate.  She was so happy and she she said "You know what this means!  Now one of us can be next!"  I didn't give my mother's hope of seeing a Latino president much thought, I think I was too caught up in the moment.

I watched the inauguration at work.  We have a huge auditorium and it was filled beyond capacity today as about 250 of us watched the inauguration.  We cheered and many times we cried.  And we prayed that God would protect our new leader and give him all the strength, wisdom and support he could ever need to guide us into this new era.

What I will never forget was the benediction at the end which was delivered by Rev. Joseph Lower.  I was sitting with a co-worker who is Korean.  And we listened as he delivered his words. 

And he said, "Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen"

I couldn't believe it, I whispered to my friend "He's talking about us!  He's referring to us!"
I looked for some some other co-workers who were also Latino.  They were just as stunned as I was.  "He's talking about us!"

I had never heard us mentioned before.  During Barack Obama's Inauguration, we were mentioned.  We were talked about.  WE BECAME PART OF THE AMERICAN FABRIC FOR THE FIRST TIME!!  We are no longer "other" people who just happen to live in this country. And now my mother's idea of a Latino president became a definite possibility because we are now players in the game!  Barack Obama has opened the door and shown that Americans come in all colors!  Like Rev. Lower said, we're black, we're brown, we're yellow, we're white and we're red.  We're here!

AND WE HAVE AT LONG LAST ARRIVED!