“Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
I once remember a time in grade school, talking about what we want to be when we grow up. Being the ambitious over achiever that I am I responded "The first female African American President of the United States!" my teacher looked at me solomely and responded something to the effects of, "That will never happen your lifetime, let alone my own." Harsh words for a young woman, but why? Why can't I wish big and dream of being president? Years later I'd be able to figure that out. My History book, ever history book I ever came across would certainly be able to shed some light on my shot down dream.
Since the colonization of this nation it would be the same thing, Caucasion male. But this year, perhaps my history books, if they could speak, would be shocked, and amazed at what a nation witnessed just four days ago. The mold was finally broken and America saw something since it's birth had never witnessed, Barack Obama, an African American president. This in itself is an event that my history book always led me to believe would never happen, but in a bigger light, and a larger spectrum, the entire 2008 campaign trail is just something that I was taught,and allowed myself to believe was nearly impossible.
Perhaps if you asked my grandparents as adults in their twenties to imagine this: A primary with an African American male, A Caucasion male, and A Caucasion female. They would probably scoff at two of the three. Then further more if I just asked them to imagine an African American President, they might have said, "yeah, that would be nice...but simply unrealistic".
How shameful is that? We've all allowed our history books to embed us with the notion that things will always be the same. In what world does change not eventually happen? Yes, it may take time, maybe weeks, months, years, decades, or even centuries. But the point is, it happens, and our proof is the election.
It takes but one nation, one generation, one school, neighborhood, or individual to make a difference. And a difference is always possible. So, though my history books never taught me such a thing could happen, now I know. And one day when my child is sitting in school with a history book open, no one will ever be able to tell them that becoming president, or anything else, because of the color of their skin, or because of their gender, is out of reach.
-Martin Luther King Jr.
I once remember a time in grade school, talking about what we want to be when we grow up. Being the ambitious over achiever that I am I responded "The first female African American President of the United States!" my teacher looked at me solomely and responded something to the effects of, "That will never happen your lifetime, let alone my own." Harsh words for a young woman, but why? Why can't I wish big and dream of being president? Years later I'd be able to figure that out. My History book, ever history book I ever came across would certainly be able to shed some light on my shot down dream.
Since the colonization of this nation it would be the same thing, Caucasion male. But this year, perhaps my history books, if they could speak, would be shocked, and amazed at what a nation witnessed just four days ago. The mold was finally broken and America saw something since it's birth had never witnessed, Barack Obama, an African American president. This in itself is an event that my history book always led me to believe would never happen, but in a bigger light, and a larger spectrum, the entire 2008 campaign trail is just something that I was taught,and allowed myself to believe was nearly impossible.
Perhaps if you asked my grandparents as adults in their twenties to imagine this: A primary with an African American male, A Caucasion male, and A Caucasion female. They would probably scoff at two of the three. Then further more if I just asked them to imagine an African American President, they might have said, "yeah, that would be nice...but simply unrealistic".
How shameful is that? We've all allowed our history books to embed us with the notion that things will always be the same. In what world does change not eventually happen? Yes, it may take time, maybe weeks, months, years, decades, or even centuries. But the point is, it happens, and our proof is the election.
It takes but one nation, one generation, one school, neighborhood, or individual to make a difference. And a difference is always possible. So, though my history books never taught me such a thing could happen, now I know. And one day when my child is sitting in school with a history book open, no one will ever be able to tell them that becoming president, or anything else, because of the color of their skin, or because of their gender, is out of reach.
1 comment:
I completely agree, like Obama said "Change has come to America". I'm completely grateful for this post
Post a Comment