Editorial

‘Hope is tangible’ with new President-elect Obama

Brady Carey
Instructor of Speech (Guest Column)

It was past nine when I received the news. A moment rarely experienced, a moment that comes maybe once in a lifetime. I look upon the TV and suddenly feel my body go numb. I don’t deny it. It’s a feeling I have been waiting for over two years (actually for most of my life). I thought we have finally reached the ideas for what this country represents. Well, maybe the ideals have been realized and now they are within reach. This moment is so important, so huge, that I’m sure it will take years to fully realize. Yes, Barack Obama has been elected president!

Reading the screen, my eyes begin to well. And within a second, I have transcended all the meanings of this event. Barack Obama hasn’t just been elected the next president it’s much more than that. This victory doesn’t just belong to him, but all of us. It belongs to my Father who fought in World War II to destroy racism. It’s for my Mother who battled her way through corporate sexism. It’s for my brother who raises his family with a blind eye and struggles to pay bills. It’s for my best friend (a proud black-American) who can now say that “yes” anything is possible in light of obvious conflict. It’s for my students whoever had a shadow of a doubt that their voice can make a difference. It’s for all my fellow instructors who deny failure and embrace the honor to teach the next generation. It’s for all of us who has ever been discriminated against (it’s a long time coming). And last but not least, it’s for all of us who stood up against the machine and fought for what is right.

As I watched my fellow Chicagoans gaze upon President-elect Obama giving his speech in Grant Park, I realized hope is something tangible, something that can be shared, and most importantly, necessary for the chance to make change. I think about the struggles that this country has endured and how far we need to go to heal. Now with our new captain at the helm, I believe the journey will be the next great American experience. We will stand united as a country living up, everyday, to the ideals for which it stands. Yes, we can! Thanks Barack for this moment and the ones to come!