Not to be confused with resistance to unity!!!!

I have recently caught flack expressing pride in our recent president elect.... i have been told that it is assisnine to be proud of black people as Obama is not just a voice for black people but a voice for american people.... some how my pride in my heritage has been mistaken for something very wrong..... Yes Obama is the voice for all american people.... yes this is a time to unite and yes this a true sign of progression in so many more facits than just the color barrier that hasshadowed this country for so long.... i am so impressed, amazed and proud of the many white, hispanic and vast other americans that stepped up and made the 2008 elections something to trully be remembered..... we crossed color, sex and age boundaries to have only been image.....

however that does not take away from the many revolutionary's before us who gave their lives for blacks to be free, to be able to vote, to be allowed to dine and sit in the same areas as whites..... this does not take away from the fight that has been fought for the last hundred plus years to debunk the efforts made to dehumanize a race of people.... so please do not confuse my pride in being black with anything more or less than this..... it has warmed my heart to see that truly the color lines are being blurred.... but even with the blending of these lines we cannot forget were it all began..... and so i rejoice with pride in my heritage as a black american but equally, if not more so i feel a true sense of acceptance and am proud to be an american.....

so please do not confuse my happiness right now with resistance to unity but simply a feeling of official acceptance in a country who's colorful past has not always been so accepting!!!!

I live in a city with a very large black population and I have noticed that the Obama stickers, yard signs, etc. are mostly displayed by whites. This morning I went to the gas station and the young black man at the cash register brought up the election but then made a point of telling me that he "voted, but wasn't all that interested in the election." It seems like a lot of people are sensitive to the notion that people might assume that anyone who is black would vote for Obama JUST because he's black. The fact that people DO think that way shows that racial tensions are not totally gone.

Still, if I were black and even if I didn't care at all for politics, heck even if I was a black conservative and voted for John McCain, there is still an element to this election that is so powerful. Actually it has significant power and meaning for all of us. NOW, when we tell kids that they can be anything they want to be, it doesn't come with conditions on their race. Obama's election doesn't signify that racism is gone in this country, but it is a huge step towards erasing it. Because it is hard to look down on your classmates or neighbors for their skin color and simultaneously look up to who I believe will be a great leader, whose skin color is the same as theirs. This is a huge step for this country.

 

I think November 4, 2008 should be, and likely will be, a tremendously important date in black culture. (I'm caucasion, living in Houston, TX for what it's worth) I see no problem at all with people recognizing that aspect of what happened. I, too, was moved by it. I watched the coverage of locations across the US, I saw Jesse Jackson crying, and I was in awe at the peaceful celebration outside the gates of our White House. It was like a movie.

I was on board with Obama through his campaign, but once he hit the 270 electoral votes last night my mind just zoned in. I was thinking of the past, hundred of years of slavery and, more recently, Jim Crow segregation. With this stuff running through my mind I was in awe that in 2008 we elected a black man president.

On the other hand, we elected a great man president, in my opinion. He could be striped like a zebra for all it matters. I have faith that in the next 4 to 8 years he will show his true abilities as a chief executive, and hopefully the divisions within and without of America will start to heal themselves.

 

I'm proud to have Barak Obama for our next president as I was walking around town yesterday I kept hearing everyones stories, how they felt they belonged to America again, they were ready to work for a brighter future.

 My boyfriend is African American, he keeps saying he just didn't think this would happen in his lifetime. He also owes me big time because I won the bet :-) he said Obama would never make it.

Grace, a friend of mine who turns 101 this month, a white woman from Vermont who was born in a time when Woman couldn't vote,stayed up until 1:00 in the morning to watch the results of the election, she said " I kept wondering why I've lived so long, and I realized while I was watching the results, it was so I could vote for him".

This is the first time I've can remember casting a vote for a person that I actually wanted to be president, someone I truly believe in. As for as his race it's more significant to me that he's by-racial. He is the coming together of everyone and he is all of us

Nice point.  The race card has been used too long for good and for evil, don't you think?  He's black, you're black, you're proud.  That's not racist to me. 

I see nothing wrong with being proud for both reasons!  It's a huge milestone!  I wish Martin Luther King was here to see this!  :)

Everyone should have pride in their heritage.  In this case, everyone who worked hard for civil rights has a special reason to be proud.  Back when I sat and listened to Dr. King in 1963, and when I joined in a march to city hall to support voting rights, and when Lyndon Johnson signed the voting right bill, I felt a lot of pride.  Now, we're seeing the result of all that work.  Of course we're proud! 

I never suffered what African Americans did, but I felt it and did what I could to fix it.  I felt more joy when I saw all those people standing shoulder to shoulder in Chicago, all races happy together.  It's what I always wanted and I'm grateful I lived to see it.

I'm very glad we have a true leader who will be the president of everybody.  He has all the qualities needed, regardless of race. 

So what I'm saying is that we picked the right man for the job, but nobody can expect black people not to be especially proud and happy.  It's been a long, hard road and this is a milestone.

I heart you, claire... seriously, I do :)

I thought you all might enjoy this, from the Huffington Post

Why all Americans Should be Proud

 

I felt more joy when I saw all those people standing shoulder to shoulder in Chicago, all races happy together.  It's what I always wanted and I'm grateful I lived to see it.

When I saw the diverse crowd at the Obama rally I began to weep. I am a white woman of 48 and I thought American might finally elect a black man when I was near 100 or after I died. I see too much racism in my caucasian co-workers, relatives and acquaintances. To think we finally did it and we did it with such a hugely diverse following makes me extremely proud.

Yella, you and all people with any African ancestors deserve to be especially proud. I can only imagine how you must feel. I celebrate with you.

If you hear any white folk complaining, gently remind them that they take pride in their ancestors and heritage and that you are no different. Don't let them bring you down. Catholics celebrated when JFK was elected, and rightly so.

I got into a huge arguement with my boyfriend (who's white and a staunch Republican) because he didn't understand why I was so choked up when Obama won.  I had to actually explain it to him.  I think this is a huge day for all Americans.  A big milestone has finally come down. 

I agree with you yellagirljay. You have every right to be proud. Yes I voted for Obama for his stances on the issues rahter than the color of his skin. But I'm still perfectly aware that this is a country with an ugly history of racism--slavery, lynchings, segregation. So yes this IS a significant milestone for African Americans, and it would be silly to pretend otherwise.

Last night I found myself remembering that Rosa Parks died in 2005, and wishing she had lasted a few years longer to see this day.

Yella, I agree with what most posters before me said, you indeed have every right to be proud of this moment in time.

I live in this awfully German town in Texas (no need to tell what they voted mostly, sadly enough) and they have this German heritage festival going on right now. So they would be allowed to be proud of their heritage and you would not??? (on top of that they are the ones wearing silly clothing ;-) NO WAY, this is such a wonderfull change, especially seeing the history of your country, be proud, be very proud!!!!

I do not have the right to vote here in the USA, I only live here since 3 years, ever since me and my now husband started dating and he would visit me, we would have to explain that NO not everybody in TX is for Bush (or a republican), especially my husband had a hard time sometimes, he had to go through near insults and mockery for being Texan (sometimes said as a 'joke' but still very biting). No need to say I am so very very happy about the turnout of these elections, I visited back in my old country just a couple weeks ago and there was good hope from most of them, but several people kept saying that they never believed it would happen, I kept telling them, believe me Obama IS going to be our next president, I am so proud and have to keep myself from sending them "told-you-so"-emails, hahahahahaaaaaa. (I received many emails already congratulating us btw, they know how much I was anticipating this)

thanks all for your responses.... as badly as i wanted and believed in Obama throughout this campaign something in the back of my head kept saying.... "there are too many white folks who are scared and wont let this happen...." when he actually won i was so pleased to find i was WRONG!!! so i am celebrating just as happily for that reason along, that my own misconceived notions of racism have been debunked..... but i too am celebrating because black people have been fighting for this for so long.... i feel like an Official member.... no longer just an american citizen because of the misfortune of my ancestors.... but a citizen in my own right as an american.... i cant express it in words any better.... because i am not sure people understand the daunting feeling i am trying to describe..... and now that feeling is gone..

*starts to tear up a bit*

you have every right to be proud. there is nothing wrong with being proud as long as no one else is trampled on. i myself am black, white, some hispanic so i always feel like i belong to all 3 & none. im usually considered black but in europe everyone thinks im brazilian. and i used to have to say *under my breath* that im american but now i certainly feel like i could yell it out. i was some what unfortunate one time when i was travelling as we had just went into iraq, but anyhoo that's another story. dl hughley had a very insightful conversation with al sharpton just before the election d.l. hugley & al sharpton "he's as black as he is white"

Original Post by yellagirljay:

thanks all for your responses.... as badly as i wanted and believed in Obama throughout this campaign something in the back of my head kept saying.... "there are too many white folks who are scared and wont let this happen...." when he actually won i was so pleased to find i was WRONG!!! 

Obama got like 70% of the young, white vote. I think that says a lot. There are obviously a lot of young people who don't use race as a standard for how to vote. 

As slow as it may be happening, the times are changing. And things will only continue to get better!

Yellagirljay, Thanks for your post that is giving so many the chance to stand up and say that they too realize all peoples on this earth are basically one. We all are locked together, each of us with the same basic needs and the same common dreams.

I feel we as a nation are greatly blessed to have as our president-elect a man who is so clearly one of us and for all of us. He can lead us far in solving our problems and in developing tolerance and understanding among many people if he is given the chance.

If each of us can treat all those we encounter with the same depth of patience, courtesy, empathy, and respect we have seen him demonstrate toward others, then we too can be an instrument for positive change in our troubled world.

Yellagirl:

There's nothing wrong with the way you feel or what you express.

My first reaction:  I cried, because now it seems we have an honorable man for a president, after so many years of hell...

My second reaction: I cried, because I remembered everyone I loved that has suffered oppression, and now our President-Elect has become a symbol of one less form of oppression. That America, finally, no longer sees African-Americans as second-class citizens. It is a major milestone, and for someone to deny it... maybe they did not live when there was segregation, but I did. From slaves to second-class citizens to representing our nation. It is amazing, and I am still walking on a cloud.

Now I have to concentrate on LGBT rights, and the rights of women.

"None of us is truly free while others remain enslaved.” Archbishop Tutu

I am soooo going to get hated on for saying this, but you know what...I don't really care.

I am proud to say that I voted for Obama, and was absolutely thrilled that he won the election...but...
I AM SICK OF HEARING ABOUT HIM BEING BLACK! I have been completely aware of this fact from day one. Isn't the dude just as much white as he is black anyways?

Seriously, I think it's awesome that America has voted for an African American man to be our president, but I didn't vote for him because he was black, and I really HOPE other people didn't just vote for him for that reason. Voting for someone just because of their race is just as bad as not voting for someone just because of their race.

I personally never saw African Americans as "second class citziens." Maybe that's my problem. I see why this whole thing is important, but I just think that what he stands for is more important than his race.

There's never been an Asian president. There's never been an Italian, Spanish, or woman president either! Who the eff cares? For a country that's so non-racist, we sure spend a lot of time talking about race. Lets focus on the issues people, the ISSUES!

Omg...tear me a new A.
No, seriously, tear me apart..I could give a ****......

Original Post by jblarghp:

Seriously, I think it's awesome that America has voted for an African American man to be our president, but I didn't vote for him because he was black, and I really HOPE other people didn't just vote for him for that reason. Voting for someone just because of their race is just as bad as not voting for someone just because of their race.

I personally never saw African Americans as "second class citziens." Maybe that's my problem. I see why this whole thing is important, but I just think that what he stands for is more important than his race.

In my lifetime, I saw people of color treated as second class citizens. You, obviously, are under 40 so you did not. There are still people in this country that regard them that way, but fortunately, some of these bigots are dying off and others are being marginalized. Just because you aren't prejudiced doesn't mean it doesn't exist, and that people who are insert characteristic aren't being subjected to horrible treatment.

It reminds me of rich people who say the economy is sound, while everyone else is suffering. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there.

I certainly didn't vote for Obama because he is black, or multi-racial, or whatever politically correct word you want. I voted for him because I believe he is the best man for the job.

The fact is, Obama winning means that race doesn't matter. And I think that's a great reason to celebrate. It shows that this country has come a long way. Segregation, Jim Crow, lynchings sound like a thousand years ago to you, but it wasn't that long ago to others.

Someday when you're older, and the LGBT community gains equality (hopefully sooner than later), and you say "Wow! That's fantastic! Finally, gay people are equal," there will be some young snot who didn't see their struggles, who didn't stand by them when they were suffering and say "So what if they're gay and they got rights? I don''t give a ****......"

Original Post by blackthorne:

Someday when you're older, and the LGBT community gains equality (hopefully sooner than later), and you say "Wow! That's fantastic! Finally, gay people are equal," there will be some young snot who didn't see their struggles, who didn't stand by them when they were suffering and say "So what if they're gay and they got rights? I don''t give a ****......"

 Good job at taking what I said completely out of context. I didn't say that I didn't give a "****..." about an African American man becoming our president. If you read what I said, you would have seen that I noted its importance. I said I don't give a "****..." if you tear me apart. That's completely different.

I stand by what I said, and I don't think it makes me a "young snot". I think it makes me someone sick of hearing about race. I didn't think that's what this whole thing was about. I was proven wrong.

I definitely understand why this is a major feat for Americans, and I didn't appreciate you taking my words out of context.
I just had to clear that up, you can continue.

I'm done.