What Else is There to Say?

November 4, 2008 was a historic day in America. It was a day that we will all remember for the rest of our lives. Forty-five years after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, the United States of America has elected Barack Obama, our first African American president. This is a major accomplishment and one for which I feel extreme pride.

We also have many other things to celebrate today. A huge number of new voters came out yesterday. People who previously couldn’t care less about politics were bursting with pride and passion for this candidate and becoming involved in the political process. Countries around the world are looking at America once again as a place where anyone can rise to the top.

President-Elect Barack Obama’s acceptance speech last night was absolutely amazing. He spoke with much honor, thankfulness and hope. One of the most powerful moments came when he told the story of the 106-year-old Ann Nixon Cooper who voted yesterday. He talked of all that America has accomplished in the last 100 years and all that we hope to accomplish in the next century.

But Obama also spoke with a bit of a somber tone. He said, “This victory alone is not the change we seek, it is only the chance for us to make that change.” There is so much work to be done and now we have the opportunity simply to begin that work, with Obama leading us in the right direction.

It is time for all of us to relinquish our prejudices and our red or blue tags and join together to create the change that we so desperately want and need.

This is a proud day for America.

Yes we can.