20 January 2009 was a historic day for the African Americans. It was the day President Barak Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44 th President of the United States of America. The swearing in of each US President from the first, George Washington, is a historic occasion by its own right because of what USA is – a giant among nations. But the swearing in of the 44th was extra special; Obama is not just another American; he is an African American from the slave class.
At the time of George Washington, Obama’s kind were slaves- the lowest of the low; they owned nothing instead they were the white man’s property.
At the birth of the new nation, the United States of America, in 1774 the founding fathers gave birth to a system of government that has saved America well to this day. A “noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness,” as President Obama said. These noble ideals were extended to all except the slaves they continued to suffer and die in damn anguish.
It was to take nearly another hundred years before the institution of slavery was finally abolished. America was divided over slavery, the Union was broken and there was a bitter civil war. The same individual who a generation earlier had risk all to seek freedom and liberty were now ready to shed innocent blood and risk their own lives in a war to deny another human being the same freedom and liberty. They were all God –fearing and all subscribed to “Love thou neighbour and you love yourself!” But such is the freckle nature of mankind.
At the end of the Civil War those fighting to retain slavery were defeated. It is strange that the nation saw it fit and proper to compensate the slave owners for the loss of the slaves but not those who had endured the hardships and toil of slavery. This was warning to the freed black slaves of the torturous days ahead; the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the American Constitution were guaranteed for the white folks but not the blacks- they had to fight for them
The road that blacks have had to travel has been hard and hardships of the discrimination and abuse have been many. Many whites considered themselves a superior race to blacks and therefore considered it a personal affront that they should be treated as equals with blacks. Their avowed position was to humiliate and belittle blacks whenever possible and to deny blacks all the basic rights including the right to life. Many blacks were lynched for no other reason other than the colour of their skin was black. To this day there are still KKK hoods stored away whose owners hope they will a chance to wear them again. Many blacks still have the mental and physical scars of white discrimination.
Generations of blacks have had to fight racism head on and have done much to end it.
There is still white racism, of course. In the present economic melt down; blacks will be the first to lose their jobs and they will be the last to be employed after the ression. Still, on this historic day the black Americans did put all this aside so that they can celebrate this significant milestone in their history.
“In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned,” President Obama told his audience – a sea of mainly black faces. The blacks knew exactly what he was talking about; they came a long, long way from being a slave to becoming the President.
Even if President Obama should turn out to be no better or no worse than some of the other men who have held this illustrious Office that will be immaterial. However that he has already shown the qualities of a great leader are a bonus.
Within the first week in Office President Obama has already taken steps to close Guantanamo Bay and banned the use of torture to obtain confession- corner stones in former President George Bush’s “War on terror”. The practices were in direct violation of rule of international law and the values America claimed to champion.
“As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals,” asserted President Obama in his inaugural speech. America was “ready to lead once more” he promised. President Obama has four years in office; it is hard to say with any certainty what kind of leader he will be after only a few weeks in Office. Still he has had a great start; already he has left his mark. Sometimes it is enough to know a lion has passed just from the paw print!
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