It has been fun to see the first black person be elected President of the United States. On many levels, Obama’s skin color has no relevance on whether or not he will make a good President, however, there is one level that I think it matters profoundly. The election of a black President will heal deep wounds in the US, and I am sure that has already started.
Black people who still live with the raw and exposed wounds of injustice can now look to the President of the United States and see skin color is not a limitation. Obama is there because he has inspired his nation. He is inspirational because he is intelligent, he is a gifted communicator, he has earned the trust and the vote to lead. He was not voted in because he is black. He was voted in because people have the faith that he is the right person for the job.
The ripple effect of this within the nation will be profound and everlasting for any member of a minority who holds the limiting belief that they cannot not succeed because of the color of their skin. That limiting attitude cannot survive now, thank goodness! I am excited to observe the human potential of American citizens flourish in the absence of “I can’t because I am black”. I wait for the day when the attitude is ” I can because I am me and I will make it happen”.
There is another level of healing that will start to take place and that is the healing among white people. Yes, whites. White people are ashamed of the racists among us. White people feel humiliated that they blend in with us and can hide among us, tarnishing us with their poison of ignorance, fear and hatred.
Now that America has elected a black person to serve as President, I hope that forgiveness will begin to emerge and those who believe that all whites, or most whites, or even many , are racists who should be eternally condemned for the crimes of those who came before us, will see thawhitest this is just not true.
Does Obama have a magic wand or secret insight to repair the political, economic and social crisis in the US? No more so than any other politician on the planet. He and his team will work hard, do their best, make mistakes and move forward just as Presidents before him and Presidents to come. What makes him a ‘unique first’ is the impact his presence will have on those who had no faith in themselves or humanity because of their skin color.
I dont normally wade into the topic of race issues because I believe we should all be passed that by now, however I wanted to express my thoughts on the new leadership, forgiveness and healing era that we have just entered . Let this is the new focus for humanity.
