Hope.
It’s a feeling that what is wanted will happen. It also means a person or thing on which one may base some hope. Hope is indicative of trust, reliance.
Last Wednesday I saw the ultimate display of hope as I watched a young Black boy who must have been about 8 years old. This little boy was excitedly cheering, waving his hands and smiling as he watched in admiration Sen. Barack Obama speak at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Never in my life have I witnessed a more moving sight.
This child, who by all accounts appeared to be as normal as any other 8-year-old that I’ve encountered was awestruck by Barack Obama. I can’t recall ever seeing a child that young enthusiastically cheering for a man who wasn’t a professional athlete, who didn’t have a muti-platnium CD out, or who wasn’t rocking the latest gear.
The boy was only one of more than 10,000 people who attended the rally. While his cheers weren’t any louder than the next person and while Obama probably couldn’t even see him, that little boy continued to rejoice in what he saw. As my eyes began to tear up a bit from witnessing such a serene moment during a rather fervent event, I realized what an awesome gift Obama is, just for making it this far in the election.
Anyone who has the ability to unite people of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds in a positive, non-offensive way certainly gets my respect. While I watched the young boy excitedly cheering, my mind wondered to the current perception that African-American men seem to be subjected to on a regular basis.
I thought of how people tend to look down on Blacks in general, but poor Black men in particular. I thought of how because of Barack Obama, the world now has a different image to equate us to&hellip:that image is one of power, intelligence, charisma, and conviction. It makes me immensely proud to see people (not just Blacks) so energized about Obama. The unity that I saw last week, which is the same unity that’s been a mainstay of Obama’s campaign, gives me hope for a better tomorrow. The unity allows me to be more optimistic about the future of our children, because the ones who don’t have effective role models in their lives now have someone of substance and quality to be inspired by. Now, when little Black kids tell their families, teachers, and friends that they want to be president of the U.S. — that possibility is more likely than it has ever been, because maybe&hellip:just maybe our country can move beyond race and actually focus on one’s skill set and qualifications to lead this country.
As I watched that little boy in the light blue polo shirt, I realized what hope is all about. I realized even more so how important it is for us to aspire to achieve great things, and then actually do them. I also realized what profound pressure Obama has to feel during his candidacy. Literally, the troubles of the country and this world are on his shoulders.
As Election Day nears, we have to lift all of the candidates up in prayer, because the work they’re doing on the campaign trail isn’t miniscule in the least. We also have to hold fast to our dreams because as Langston Hughes says “for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that can not fly.”
