(November 6, 2008) - During the 116 years of the publication of this newspaper, practically every edition of the AFRO has in some form or fashion focused on the incessant quest to achieve the “all men are created equal” status promised by the Declaration of Independence, a foundation of American government.
During the course of this 116-year period, many notable benchmarks were reached which inevitably “made right” some basic wrongs African Americans were required to endure simply on the basis of their skin color. From the battles to allow Black teachers the right to teach Black students in segregated public school systems to the many battles to get Black students admitted to White colleges and universities, to the battles to achieve the right to vote or the right to simply be served in a public facility -- each step to get America to extend opportunities equal to those taken for granted by White citizens was met with resistance and sometimes violence. But each step represented by these battles increasingly opened wider the door barring African Americans from realizing true equality.
On Tuesday, November 4, 2008, at approximately 11:00 P.M., the majority of the citizens of this country elected an African-American man, Senator Barack Obama, to be the 44th President of the United States. At the moment his election was projected across TV screens around the world, African Americans around the country instantly came to the realization that the majority of the American voters had finally evolved to be able to judge African Americans on ability and not skin color.
Words cannot accurately capture the emotional impact African Americans are currently feeling. After many years, we have finally achieved a recognizable level of respect which many never imagined would ever be achieved. After being part of this country since its inception, we can finally count one of our own as now being the leader of all the United States.
This election of Senator Obama is an achievement all African Americans will be boasting about for generations. His election will open doors to future generations of African Americans to project their skills with the clear expectation that they, too, will be judged on the content of their abilities and not their color. This country has, indeed, evolved greatly!
God Bless America