Election Day

I'D like to say something about how proud I am of our country right now. President Obama captivated my attention and the attention of many others from the beginning. The night he spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention was it for me. I knew there was something special about this young African American senator from Illinois. When he announced his campaign for presidency I was ecstatic. When he garnered enough support to win the primaries I was even more ecstatic. I knew it would be a lot of hard work but that we could get this man to be our next president. We needed to. Flash forward a few months later and I'm in Berlin at a part hosted by the US Embassy watching our first ever African American president be elected. It was a completely surreal experience watching the events of my home country unfrold from thousands of miles away.

I think there's a lot to be said of President Obama's election. Clearly our country has come a long way since the days of slavery and the civil rights movement. It's weird to think that my mother, who really isn't that old at all watched the riots and police brutality on TV as well as the election of Obama in the same lifetime. That's not to say that we don't have a long way to go but I know this election gives hope to many many people of all races, genders, and sexual orientations. When I was younger my mom told me that when I grew up I could be anything I wanted. After seeing Denzel and Halle win the Academy Award the same year and now Obama become president it's something I look forward wholeheartedly to telling my kids as well. Ok. I can step down from the soap box now.