Flying in history!

Last night history was made! The 44th president of the United States will be Barack Obama! He is the first African American to be elected to that office. Last night among friends watching the returns I almost wept. I thought about my ancestors on the Middle Passage whose names I will never know. I thought about the Freedom fighters whose blood was shed senselessly in an effort to gain the civil rights promised to them as Americans. I thought about the lynchings, the poll taxes and other intimidation tactics that did not deter those who came before me. I thought about Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr. , Ida B. Wells, and Eleanor Roosevelt. I thought about the several others both African American and White who were foot soldiers and did not seek or receive fame for their endeavors. I thought about Donna Brazile voting just four blocks from the former house of Frederick Douglass. It is almost too overwhelming.

Then I thought about not coming to work and running in the streets screaming WE HAVE OVERCOME AND IT IS ABOUT DAMN TIME! Then the realization set in. Yes, we have come a long way and it has taken a mighty long time. Yes, we are now officially at the table and not through the servant's entrance. However, this is not a time to get complacent. There is still much work to be done. There are more mountains to climb and beasts to slay. Buckle up, baby because the best and the worse is yet to come. I, for one, am excited about the possibilities.