Keeper of the Dream

Maya Angelou said it best when she noted that we are "phenomenal" and indeed "the dream and the hope of the slave." Today is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and I have never been more proud to not only be female, but a young, African American. Today is also the day before we inaugurate the first African-American man as president in American history. As I watched the presidential campaign, I was amazed at the dilligence, eloquence, and not to mention the history that was embodied in the entire process of the campaign. There have been African-Americans and women to run for president before, but this was the first time in history that an African-American and a woman ran for the presidency and was taken seriously. It is truly a blessing to have lived to see both of these extrodinary events take place.

One thing that I found interesting, however was the tenacity, eloquence, and integrity of Barack Obama. I am inspired by the way that he handled things. I have often struggled with being the type of person that I am. It can be difficult to hold on to your integrity in a world that seeks to often steal, kill, and destroy, but I am impressed at the way that he handles things, particularly when adversaries spoke blatant lies about him. He is living proof that taking "the high road" can yeild many benefits. It is an honor to know that I will have a leader that embodies what so many people, including myself, seek to have and achieve. He is living proof that you can indeed be intelligent and be "real" all at the same time. Being smart isn't a bad thing that only "white" people seek to be or are born with, intelligence is something that comes with work and the desire to aquire knowledge. It is also interesting to me that people who once labeled him as "not black enough" also look up to him as such a iconic figure and respect the huge undertaking that he is about to undergo.

As a teacher, I have the task of not only educating our young people, but also to counsel and uplift them. I have found it almost appauling that my students don't understand the magnitude of this election and why race matters in America. When I speak about how excited I am about this historic event and how proud I am as a black woman, the students have the audacity to get upset and say "why is it always about race, Ms. Brown? Why do we have to talk about this?" My response is, when you think about the fact that slaves built the White House and a black man designed the city of Washington, D.C., it is impressive that we now have a African-American president. It is also interesting that black people were not even allowed to go into the White House unless it was through the back door. I read the other day that there were fewer than 10 black Americans in history (before Obama) to go into the White House to dine or counsel with a U.S. president. Among of them were Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Mary McCloud- Bethune, Colin Powell, and Condelezza Rice. In 2009, I am almost embarrassed that this is a reality today in America. When I think about all the people who have died, have been jailed, enslaved, or abused in any fashion all because of their race, I know in my heart that race indeed matters and it is important to tell young people the meaning and magnitude of this. When I think about voting rights for women and African-Americans, racial profiling, newer hidden forms of racism I would be wrong if I didn't speak about how great this is. It is a priviledge to be a teacher at this point in my career and in history. Silence, in my case is not golden, it is indeed dangerous.

I'm not sure if I have given myself the opportunity of soaking all of this in, but I do know that I am more socially concious and racially proud. I agree with Michelle Obama when she said that for the first time I am proud of my country. There have been times that I have not felt African or American and I was okay with being called simply, black or even use the word "nigger" from time to time, but now I have a different kind of awareness. I see that there is a place somewhere in America for me too. It is important that we encourage ourselves to take personal responsibility and to hope that things will indeed be better than they are currently. I know that President Obama isn't God and that change isn't something that comes overnight, but I do know that he has given people something to be hopeful for. If I've never known that all things are possible--I know now. Although the struggle continues, "I am the dream."