That's what this guy said Tuesday morning.
I was out on assignment for work, standing in the cold, listening to people talk about what "President Barack Obama" meant to them. That's when this guy broke out that memorable, and increasingly familiar line:
Change Don' Came
It's a cool way to talk about today.
Change is everywhere in our country and much of it is not good. Everyday I get up and hear more bad news about the economic state of this country and I wonder if the dire predictions of my web friend KIT are going to come true. Are we on the verge of a total collapse of civilization? Will my children and grandchildren be doomed to a standard of life much worse than my own?
At times it seems like the answer is a terrifying yes, but then I think about Obama.
His election means that in at least one way, life will be incredibly better for the generations to come.
Times still will be hard, and people still will suffer, but this election means that there is a good shot that future generations will have to expand their idea of what black people can achieve. Obama, if he heals America's ills, has a great chance to become the most celebrated and appreciated president of all time. And that would be huge for black people.
But, enough of worrying about the future, today was about celebrating the now. The crowds gathered in D.C. and the even larger crowds gathered around television sets across the country, reminded us all of how big this thing is. The smiling, upturned faces of children, the beaming smiles of our elders, this was a day to remember. It was a time of joy, of hope, of happiness.
Tomorrow will hold many dark moments and troubling sacrifices, but today did not. Today was not marred by those future fears even as Obama spoke about them honestly and directly.
Change is here.
Long live change.
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7 comments:
So now you can stop bitching about racism.
Dear Lord, I hope that was a joke and not an ignorant, clueless troll...
Welcome Anonymous.
I hope you stick around long enough to give yourself a name.
Have a great day.
Allen......until cats like that get informed....shit will stay the same. Keep speaking the truth.
Nah, it ain't going to stay the same. Today is the living proof that we are on an unbelievable journey. True story.
The troll is just lingering swill, kind of like scum left in the tub. Proof that there was dirt and dead skin that had to be scrubbed off.
I know, we have a lot more bathing before we get all shiny and sweet but hey, let's get to scrubbing!
Sorry for the foolishness, I'm just giddy with relief and jubilation and disbelief and wonder and awe and weariness and humility at all that is still left to do.
Yes, it's a new day. Yes, things done changed. The older generation gets it, but, because the change is so profound, they have difficulty describing it. Same with writers.
Big Man, writers, including me, are having a hard time describing what this means to older black people who denied the vote, who went through the daily abuse of their humanity, the daily indignities, to witness inauguration of one of their own as the president of the land. It's too overwhelming.
I think that, unless we revisit not only the economic profit but the hurt and pain it infused within the souls of some of its citizens, we'll never fully understand what this means to some black Americans.
Good point MacDaddy. I was watching NBATV last night and they had an interview with John Thompson that touched on how ingrained that pain and disillusionment is in older people.
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