What an exciting, historical day Monday was! We, as a nation, witnessed something monumental. Regardless of your political affiliation, whether black, white, male, female, Catholic or Buddhist, seeing an African-American being sworn in as our president on a day set aside to remember and acknowledge the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Now that was one for the history books.
Four years ago, we as a nation saw the country’s first African-American President become inaugurated. We saw a minority group represented. That in itself was an amazing moment in our history. Gone were (and yes, I know not by all) the differences between two races. The election of an African-American man showed the world we had progressed. It showed the world we had moved on, that we were finally entering the modern world where ideas and vision spoke volumes. It showed the world that we were ready for minorities to make their way to the forefront of our society. For many minority youngsters, a world of opportunity was within their reach by one simple image of Barack Obama being sworn in to office. The traditional rules of the game had been changed, and now anyone – regardless of color or creed or religion or sex could grow up and become anything he or she wanted to be. Hell, they could become President of the United States of America if they wanted.
Move forward to present day. Four years later, that same man, a role model to so many of our countries youth, was again taking that same oath. To those same children who four years ago felt such hope, there was now tangible proof. Everything Dr. King has worked so tirelessly for; everything he had died for was a reality. On Monday it was there, ripe for the taking, for the entire world to see. We were all one nation, under God. At that moment, those immortal words of Dr. King came true: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin…”.
As Barack Obama stood in front of crowds in Washington D.C., our nation’s capitol, and was sworn in on a day that already is of such significance and importance to not only our African-American community members, but also women and minorities everywhere, I felt an overwhelming calm. Regardless of whether people wanted him to win, or whether people believe him to be the right man for the job, for one simple, single moment, it didn’t matter. What mattered was the importance of the moment. How can anyone as an American not feel pride in watching that take place? An African-American taking the highest oath of political office in this country on a day set aside for us to remember the deeds and the life of a genuinely great African-American man? It made me proud. It made me proud to be a part of that history.
Personally, I needed that moment of feeling proud. I’ve been disgusted and saddened lately by what my generation will be remembered for in the future. What will the history books say? Well, probably a whole lot of that text will talk about the following: wars that lasted too long, mass shootings at an alarming rate, a downward shift in how people treat each other, an America turned lazy, a society looking out for themselves, a country with increasing suicide rates, a nation of abusers whether food or drugs or drink or people. Essentially, the history books will, at least in my opinion, not show us in the most glowing of lights. But, there is now one thing we’ll be known for. We’ll be highlighted and commended and honored for being a generation who saw the first minority President. We’ll be praised for beginning a change in our viewpoint, where men, women, black, or white, we were deserving of a bright future.
I know we’ll never have the racial harmony some of us so desperately long for. I know people who are different won’t always be accepted. I’m not naïve, and I know that some things will always be in existence, regardless of how much I wish they weren’t. Racism, sexism, hatred, abuse…I could go on and on and we’d be here all day.
But what Monday did, at least in my eyes is this. It gave me hope. It gave me the hope that although bias and judgment will always exist, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light lets me see clearly that it will get to point where that judgment and bias is unacceptable. It lets me see that one day, ANYONE can and will achieve great things. We’ve already seem a glimmer of that light. I just hope that I’m right and that no one turns it off.
Charlotte Guedry is Editor-in-Chief of The Creole – Ascension Parish Online Newspaper. She is happy to receive comments and can be reached by emailing charlotte@thecreole.com.
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Everything you have written is true – but, you left out one thing. BO is not a GOOD president. He has made many things worse! (my opinion, which – for now – I am still entitled to).
How did this idiot liberal get on my page !!?!!?!??!
Things started getting worse when George Bush got in office,(my opinion for now-I am entitled to).
VERY WELL SAID! THANKING GOD FOR CHANGE! AND WE ARE MOVING FOWARD! GOD BE GLORIFIED!
wonderfully written! I love the enthusiasm with which you wrote about such an amazing moment in history! I think the main take-away from this article is that it is completely irrelevant who you voted for or who you would like to see in office when something as momentous as this occurs! It definitely makes a powerful statement to see our first African American President inaugurated on such an already famous day in history! Excellent job on emphasizing this major piece of history to all of us!
The fact is that almost 100% of black people voted for Obama simply BECAUSE HE IS BLACK! This is the purest form of racism. As one who has lost job opportunities to those of color far less qualified or experienced than me for years now, I resent your representation of our generation. I am not, and never have been, racist. The average white man, in this country, has been discriminated against more than any other demographic.
I find it ironic that while writing your piece, which was essentially how we've come so far to have "moved on" from racism, you've mentioned the phrase "African-American" six times when labeling Obama. If we've come so far, why is it necessary to constantly point out one's race. If we've come so far to all being equal, why is there still the Black Caucasses, the NCCPA, all-black universities, etc etc etc. Every minority screams (and understandably so being the minority, in numbers, of the population) for equality, yet at every turn differentiates itself by the very thing they are trying to "overcome" in society. Will you be saddened and disgusted by the OVERWHELMING number of blacks who voted for Obama? To use my local municipality (East Baton Rouge Parish), over 95% of blacks voted for Obama. How is this not a disgusting figure for you?
The same "America that has turned lazy" as you've stated is the same populace that widely voted for Obama because they rely on Liberal's far-overstepping social welfare programs. As long as people are being provided everything and anything by the government, and feel that they deserve such, then you are absolutely correct that they will become more and more lazy. The lazy you speak of are all of the millions who abuse the system and live off of taxpayers. Why? Because they can.
I judge my presidential candidates based on who they are and what their fundamental beliefs and policies are. I do not look at the color of their skin, yet when I express these concrete disagreements, I am the one who is called racist. I am glad you have gained some hope from Monday's extravaganza, but, in my opinion, you are blinded. Either you do not see or have chosen not to see exactly how divisive this president has been, starting socio-economical wars between the largest taxpayers in the nation against those that pay absolutely nothing. He, the left, and the media have constantly been labeling anyone that disagrees as racists, despite the policy arguments and objections made. I was more hopeful growing up in the '90s of the racial harmony that our nation was moving towards; however, that growth was put in reverse by the very president who preaches about one nation under God, yet actively divides the American people in every way he can.
In your writing, there is a undertone that points to a certain group of Americans who you feel are still at arms with having a black president with the main reason for these feeling stemming from the color of his skin. This is the continued argument of many in the country, and while I am quite certain there were some who did not vote for him because he was black, he could not have won without a statistically advantaged vote from white Americans. The fact is that there is a MUCH larger disparity with Black Americans who voted for Obama. So if racism is going to be pointed out, in the spirit of fairness and equality, it really should be pointed out fully on both sides. If we all are going to work together to make this nation great, the "racist card" really needs to stop being thrown out when someone disagrees with the president's policies and makes arguments against those policies. As long as the racist card flies out, an honest debate cannot be had over how to move forward as a country of Americans, without any attachment of color to who we are.
Tl:dr. Lol
I absolutely agree Ro, but Bret totally stole your thunder.
Beautiful article! Jared Granier's blood is mixed with more DNA from other races than white/caucasian. Yet he portrays himself as 100% all american caucasian and has the jest of a racist-obviously. I went to school with Jared and trust me when I say introverted… people who hate themselves or their lives always seek out to attack others. If Jared went back 2 generations he would find INDIAN and AFRICAN AMERICAN DNA in his bloodline. I feel sad for Jared because his hatred will continue to keep him separated from God. His views of negativity and his participation in racism will continue to keep him low class and at the bottom of the totem pole within society. It is a shame when people create their own inferiority out of their own internal self-loathing.
@Sonia, you have no idea of who I am nor of my bloodline. You do not know anything of my heritage. While you may have gone to school with me, you certainly do not truly know who I am so please don't pretend that just because we shared classes that you know me and with what my heart is filled. Just because I was introverted does not mean I hated myself or my life. You hardly were apart of anything in my life outside of classes so don't act like you knew who I was or what I stood for outside of school. Many more of those with whom we were in school know me much better and know the person you are trying to paint above could not be further from the truth of who I was and who I am. You may continue to present me as a hateful, racist person but just because you think so does not make that the case. People like you will of course throw the racist card because it's the only argument you can make. You may continue to think what you want about me, but trust me when I say that you didn't know me well enough to know me back in school and you certainly do not know the person I am today. What I loathe is not myself, but people like you who hide behind the race card. You can feel whatever you want for me because your opinion of me is of no concern to me.
And of course, you chose to make personal attacks rather than address/debate my arguments in my previous post. For someone to have God in her life, seems unchristian to me to make personal attacks like you have. At least I'm not that hypocritical.
Oh, one last thing then I'll ignore your ignorance… I have EXTENSIVE knowledge of my family genealogy, going back more than 225 years, so forgive me but I'll go ahead say I know generationally where I come from and who I am far greater than a virtual stranger I remember nearly nothing about back in my introverted days.
@Joey Lambert for the record 100% did not vote for Obama,,, I DID NOT. However that does not mean that I am not proud that a man of color was given a chance at becoming POTUS…. it was just the wrong man.
@Sonia Percle: You misquoted me. I said ALMOST 100% of blacks voted for Obama BECAUSE HE IS BLACK! But, of course, instead of reading what I SHOUTED, you choose to argue about 3 or 4%. As a black woman, this stat should embarrass you. Why didn’t you address my statement about losing jobs to lesser candidates? Do you think that’s right?
Now, as far as your personal attack on Mr. Granier, that is a common tactic of someone who is losing an argument. And it is LOW CLASS! I think I know a bit more about his heritage & character than you, because he is my nephew. Since when is being introverted a necessarily bad trait? Well, I suppose he has found his voice now! I guess we’re both just tired of watching American society go to hell in a
handbasket. We are a good, large, strong Catholic family, and I agree with him that you have no idea what is in his heart. Or mine.