Martin Luther King and Others

Yesterday would not have been possible without the legend of Martin Luther King. There were many, many African-American men and women who but cracks in that particular glass ceiling that Obama shattered.

Yesterday's election was a monumental moment in American history -- far too large for a concise little blog post. It was an event that may transcend words. I couldn't find it, but if you can find a still shot of Jesse Jackson's face during Obama's victory speech, it said everything. The man stood in Grant Park and bawled like a little boy.

It was an emotional night. I knew it was over when they called Ohio for Obama. As is our tradition, I was on the phone with my mother as the results came in. She literally started to cry.

I could not be prouder that it is my generation that has produced Obama.

As I watched Michelle Obama join her husband after the speech, I found myself praying. He has a monumental job in front of him. I did not get a sense of joy or victory. Rather I saw two people who were ready to get to work. Who had accepted the enormity of the task they had just been saddled with. And I was grateful that I had such confidence in my president. That is a forgotten feeling.

And I have to admit that I was scared. I was very aware that Obama was on that stage behind bullet-proof panels. I believe that there will be very unfriendly forces working against him and I have no doubt that there are people who would wish him dead.

When I woke up this morning, I truly had a sense that a new day had dawned. I had the hope that Obama promised.