Mama, Martin Luther King Jr's Dream is Alive

Barack Obama, the First African-American President

Mama, tonight my prayer's a little different as I share my day's happenings. First I miss you terribly, love you even more and always will. Tonight I have to tell you thrilling news though I'm terribly sad you're not here to experience this moment. I want to believe you're already aware of this news, and in your heavenly home you're dancing and singing halleluiah on streets of gold, as choirs of angels sing glory to this historical day. Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. has to be dancing in the streets alongside you hearing this news.

Mama, America's elected our first African-American President. He's really biracial, but you've always told me, "One drop of black blood and you're considered to be black." Who made that law up? Anyway you should see all the excitement going on down here, it's totally indescribable. It's historic, earth shattering, mind altering! People are dancing, singing in the streets, blowing car horns as if it's New Year's Eve. We're celebrating change and the last chain of restriction being shattered for a black man in our country. A black man can achieve greatness if he has the desire and will. Citizens are willing to support a black man without questioning his race but believing in his ideas.

This never happened in your lifetime, but my children and my grandchildren will be able to believe anything's possible if you have a dream and a will to achieve it. Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. is dancing in the streets alongside you, along with President John Kennedy, and President Abraham Lincoln. What an exquisite vision.

I remember all the stories you shared about your hard life, ones that truly hit home this incredible moment. You told me how African-Americans didn't even have the right to vote. You told me how you worked long hours cleaning up white people's homes, leaving bone tired hoping you would find an available seat in the back of the bus or you would have to take a long trek home. You told me it didn't matter if there were seats in the front of the bus because they were allocated for white people only. You told me about colored bathrooms, colored water fountains, not being allowed in stores, and even having to walk in the back entrance of homes you worked at. Black people were considered to be second class citizens.

You sat me in front of a black and white television to watch the civil rights movement with the freedom marches. You told me how people unselfishly sacrificed their lives so their families and their future generations could have freedoms and privileges they're not allowed. They laid their lives on the line believing in equality for all men.

Mama, our country has come so far but there are still bridges to cross. To be alive and witness this incredible voyage is an awesome gift. To view people's faces, black and white standing together, revealing their unabashed emotions as they shed tears of joy and hope for the future while listening to their new president, is exhilaration. They're all hoping for a change to the drastic situation our country's in right now with their newly voted in leader. People are pulling together Mama, even though there are some disappointed citizens who hold to different political views. Hopefully they can put aside their differences and work together to rebuild this country again.

Today anything is possible Mama, because Barack Obama has been voted into office by our country. He will certainly have a long challenge ahead of him because he'll have to prove himself more than any past president in history, show he's capable of handling the responsibility people elected him to do.

Mama, I pray he'll hold true to himself and not fold under the burden of the political office. I hope his wife as first lady, and his family, handle the responsibilities and challenges they'll face as the first African-American family. And as always may God bless America.

The End