Obama win a milestone, not an end

By PAMELA HALE-BURNS | PRESS TELEGRAM

PUBLISHED: February 21, 2009 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: September 1, 2017 at 7:31 a.m.

Never, since Black History Month became an official observance, has its significance been more profound than now with the election of America’s first African-American president.

“I think having an African-American as president makes Black History Month exciting this year,” said Melissa Morgan, human dignity officer for the city of Long Beach. “It makes it a celebratory month. It’s all about bridging the community together.”

And although the month is set aside to honor African-Americans, the month is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of everyone who fought for justice and equality.

“Black History Month is not just about African-Americans, but how all people contributed to the struggle,” Morgan said. “It’s important for people to take the time to know the history of how people came to where we are.”

Centuries of fighting for equality and justice now seem worth the sacrifices.

“The struggle is not easy – it will never be easy, but it was worth it,” said Dee Andrews, the 6th District councilman. “This is what we all struggled and fought for and I don’t think it could be anything better than that.”

To many the future of America looks promising.

“I think this election should be encouraging for all people in the country, of our change and the message of hope,” Morgan said. “It’s an example that there is hope in our community and that we can achieve the goals we set.”

For some, Obama’s accomplishments, even prior to the White House, have put in him a category with great men.

“This is a president who is a global president. He’s such a humanitarian, like Martin Luther King. This is what the dream was all about,” Andrews said. “It means more than hope or a prayer, the fruition has come to pass.”

“President Barack Obama, the first person of color elected as president of the United States, adds to history,” said Naomi Rainey, president of the NAACP Long Beach Chapter.

“The history of blacks in America is inextricably interwoven with the history of America. The massive wealth of our country is rooted in the labor, sweat and blood of many black souls,” she said. “Fighting in all the wars from the Revolutionary War, continuously through the current war on terror, blacks have paid a high price with almost no recognition.”

The pride of the election will be passed on from generation to generation, said Andrews.

“Me, as a black man, can now tell my kids and my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren, they can,” he said. “This happened in their lifetime. It’s in my lifetime! Whether or not we ever have another black president I was able to see this.”

But there is still work to do, said Andrews.

“We are really going to have to work harder now than ever,” Andrews said. “This gives you more of an incentive to live.”

That work must be done together.

“It’s about the struggles African-Americans have gone through and how we can work together as allies and what we can do to make this community better,” Morgan said.

“I am extremely proud of the progress that is being made and of the election of President Barack Obama. However, we must not become complacent. We must continue working,” Rainey said.

“We must continue working so that President Barack Obama, being elected the first president; Colin Powell, the first African-American secretary of state; Thurgood Marshall, first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court; Doris Topsy-Elvord, first African-American woman in Long Beach to serve on the Harbor Commission; Rosa Parks, civil rights, are common-day occurrences that will be celebrated throughout the year.”

Communication is key to understanding one another, Morgan said.

“This is a time for people to sit down and talk about how they feel about race and what their differences are and (about) their challenges,” she said. “We should continue to celebrate these types of months and continue to have dialogue about race and racism.”

Original source: https://www.presstelegram.com/2009/02/21/obama-win-a-milestone-not-an-end/