Words can't express the way I (my peers and my elders) feel at this moment. This overwhelming feeling of appreciation, I'm so grateful for those who came before us and sacrificed themselves so that we may have this day.

Last Night November 4th 2008 Americans, particularly young Americans came out in record numbers and casted their votes in the U.S. Presidential Election, many like myself for the very first time. Around 11pm that night it was announced on every television, and radio news program that Barack Obama was the winner and the FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT of The United States of America.

Pure shock and astonishment swept the nation, a euphoric atmosphere of joviality spread throughout the streets of New York. In a single night America under went one of many transformations left to come, my hope is restored in my country, President Obama has allowed me to believe we can change and that it can start with ONE individual even though it takes many to complete the task.

Even thinking about it still make me want to shed tears, slavery ended 1865 thats approximately 143 years ago, our ancestors were first brought here approx. in 1619. I know 143 years sounds like a long time but consider this, my Great Grandfather is still alive he's 98 years old, he was born in 1910 there's a good chance one of his Grandparents could have been a slave and that maybe a circumstance for many of you if you take the time to observe your family history. We've come a long way since then.

We've had transformational figures like Obama before that have challenged us to take a look at ourselves as Americans as Afro-Americans and we couldn't have made it this far without them. Icons like W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Langston Hughes, Claude Mckay, James Baldwin, MLK, Malcom X, Madame CJ Walker. Not all were perfect but neither are we, they may not have always had it figured out, but our people grew with them, saw them achieve goals, listened to their philosophies and questioned them, if one discovered they weren't right about everything they re-evaluated their thinking and continued on towards progress together.

Which is exactly what we need to do as black people, and collectively as a nation. We need to have more dialogue followed by action. We need to save, and ensure our future. The late James Baldwin a famous award winning author once said, "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." It's time to lead by example, a black man now holds the highest political office in arguably the most influential country on the globe. There is NO more excuses, you can be whatever you want to be if you work hard for it, no we are not yet a perfect country and as a person of color you will have to work harder than those who aren't but nonetheless you CAN achieve your goals if you work hard despite whatever situation you find yourself in.

I'm not certain if Obama will be a great or even a good President, I think and hope he will because I voted for him, however whether he is or isn't, what he has done is made history and we not only witnessed it but many of us took part in it and that is something to cherish, this day is Black History, it's American History and a piece of history that cannot be taken from us.