We’re back. And there’s never been a better time to start clean…. as America is embarking on a new day.
It will take a minute to fully grasp the magnitude of such a meaningful moment in history. A process that, over 21 months, has ignited young voters, forced older generations to consider change, challenged and brought down racial barriers, continues to side-step religious divides, but has bridged countless gaps across the board and has shown how vast the landscape in America is…. and yet, how connected Americans are in your vision for a different future. What you may not have seen is how much the rest of the world is paying attention. Over the past 8 years, the respect that the world had for America has dwindled. Our confidence in American values and ideals, and in America’s willingness to consider the needs of anyone beyond its own borders had diminished to the point of a collective frustration and anger towards the perception of increased American arrogance. To be straight- you cannot buy, exploit or bomb your way into earning respect in the world. The entire world recognized that a change was needed.
Please understand the potential for a momentous, historic shift towards a new America. I emphasize the word “potential”.
Bush was the head of a deadly snake. But exploitation, greed, the collapse of the economy, the war in Iraq, the continued abuse of power….. could not manifest itself so greatly without structures of power maintaining a culture of corruption.
With great expectations comes a great burden and President-Elect Obama was the first to make that clear last night. No matter how transformational a figure he is, if the American people do not hold Washington accountable, Barack Obama’s agenda for change will not be realized.
Real change will come with the revitalization of social movements, and new organizing that holds the administration, corporate heavyweights, big pharma, etc. accountable for their actions. It was will come when you are as engaged and involved in policy making as you were in this election process. And I truly believe that President-Elect Obama will do everything in his power to facilitate your involvement. Just an hour after it was clear he would be elected president, he personally sent an email to millions of his supporters assuring them that there was a lot to be done and that he would email them soon to lay out how they- how YOU can get involved in re-building your country. That is an unprecedented move towards a new way of governing. One that recognizes a technological shift and one that recognizes and values the voices of the people. I cannot remember a time that any world leader so blatantly spoke to the entire country as said, “I will listen to you…. especially when we disagree. I need your help”.
So please……. soak in this special moment in history. Understand the importance of this election and what it means for every generation that came before us. For those who lived through or died during the slave trade, for those who lived in a racially segregated America, who had grandparents or parents that experienced voter suppression, who remember the Civil Rights Movement, who marched from Selma to Montgomery, who remember the Feminist movement, who remember the anti- Vietnam war movement, who remember what it was like to revolt.
Appreciate how far we’ve come. It’s an emotional, epic moment in time….. but understand that we have a long way to go.
History has taught us that change does not come to us. We move towards change. The enthusiasm surrounding this election and the high turnout rates proved that in order to realize the potential of a different future, each individual needed to do their part for the betterment of a collective movement. I’ve heard countless people say that this was the first time they felt like their voice made a difference. Recognize that you, not only watched history play out, but if you voted, you had a unique and pivotal role in MAKING HISTORY. You saw and felt that moment right before it happened. You felt the unease of past disappointments and the slim chance that maybe…. maybe this moment would be taken away as well. But you also felt the moment when in became reality. And it started with a movement that you cannot afford to stop now.
As the great Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “The thing that we are challenged to do is to keep this movement moving…. in spite of the difficulties, and we’re going to have a few more difficulties. Keep climbing. Keep moving. If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But whatever you do, keep moving”
Nas - The World Is Yours: