What a night the citizens of the world have all been blessed to witness this day!!!

And it happened in the United States of America.

Most of us never felt we could say our nation’s name and really mean it fully: The United States of America; not when we have a Constitution that never meant to include us, valuing us at 3/5ths of a man.

Tonight, we can all say our country’s name with a measure of pride because this nation just turned a milestone corner.

All Americans came together this day for the good of this country.

It took a failing economy, two wars, a financial crises now witnessed since the Great Depression, a demoralized nation, and a country divided before many woke up out of an eight year slumber and realized we could not go through another four years of the same. We just could not.

Step to the spotlight Barack Obama.

Of all of our choices this election, Obama was the perfect African American candidate for this time in history and for this day. He is a “citizen of the world.” He is as much a Black man as he is an Anglo man. He represents the best of both races. He had all the elements that made his a serious contender: intelligence, education, eloquence, graciousness, a sense of community, humility, and so much more.

And he is willing to take the baton passed on to him at a time where whoever steps into his job has got to be willing to do an astronomical clean up job, like many Black mayors, Black governors and other elected officials have attempted.

I was brought to tears this evening as I thought about all of our ancestors who paved the way for this very historical moment. At the top of the list is my mother, a woman with an eighth grade education from the deep South, the state of Mississippi, who never missed an election to cast her vote. I watched her each election as she religiously put on her bifocals and prepared her ballot to make her vote count. She knew firsthand the cost of fighting for the right to vote in the South and never took it for granted. 

And now we see another generation that has also come to understand the value of each vote.

I think about all our ancestors who were snatched against their will from Africa to build this nation. The atrocities African Americans endured since 1619, and even before, are far too numerous to count. I am reminded of the likes of Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner, Mary McLeod Bethune, Denmark Vesey, Fanny Lou Hamer and all the unsung heroes who gave their lives as they stood up for right and dared to fight for equality.

They had a calling and a place in history just as vital as Barack Obama has.

This was a day that most of us sat on pins and needles because we did not know what the outcome of this exciting and momentous election would be. We believed by all projections that Obama would win but the question was if the polls would allow each vote to be counted.

We know what happened the last two elections and knew what the Republican party was capable of, but this time they would have some explaining to do if they tried to rob this election.

And so justice prevailed. We witnessed a concession speech from John McCain that sincerely seemed to come from his heart. I applaud him for his humanity.

This day we can now hope and dream without measure. Little chocolate boys and girls, and indeed all children of color now know we can. At the same time, the world can look to us with fresh eyes, new possibilities and regained respect.

So here is to the Obama first family, here is to African Americans, here is to Americans and here is to all the citizens of the world.

We did it and yes, we still can and will!!!!

Cheers to all of us…

Walk in Balance,

Adilah