I have to say I was a little surprised by my reaction to Barack Obama’s presidential victory speech on Nov. 4. Yes, I voted for him, and I do believe he is the best choice for president. However, the historical significance of the election didn’t hit home for me until I saw the reactions of my fellow Chicagoans at the rally. To me, Chicago epitomizes the meaning of the great American “melting pot.” Every color, race and religion that there is in this world resides in Chicago. All of them, at least it seemed to me, were present at Barack Obama’s rally.
Obama has truly transcended the differences between us and united us. The faces I saw on TV that night were the faces of ALL of America. In a way, I feel America has finally lived up to its promise “that all men are created equal.” You could see it in the emotions of our fellow citizens. Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics; Muslims, Christians, and Jews; gays and straights, all crying together with pride and joy. It made me cry with pride and joy, too. I admit it. Moreover, when I saw the tears running down Jesse Jackson’s face because a black man had actually won the presidency of the United States, the real historical meaning of this election hit me.
Even if Obama turns out to be a terrible president (which is hard to even ponder considering the act he is following), we Americans have done something truly special by electing him. We have elected a president based solely on the content of his character, without concern with the color of his skin. That it in itself is something all Americans can, and should, take pride in. My heart pounds when I think of how proud Dr. King would be of us right now. No, the problems of racism, sexism, homophobia and the rest aren’t fixed just because we’ve elected an African-American to the presidency. However, it would be hard to argue that a huge step in the right direction has not been taken. As the president elect told us that night, “[I]n this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people.” Perhaps for the first time om Nov. 4, the true greatness of our nation became more than just the aspiration of dreamers. I believe our motto of E Pluribus Unum, “out of many, we are one,” may have finally become an American reality.