Oh, What a Night--Obama Beats Clinton

Tonight I can't stop singing that great Four Seasons hit, "Oh, What a Night." It is a great feeling, regardless of political ideology and party affiliation to see America's first non-white in the general presidential election. Thus, a hearty congratulations to Senator Obama in winning the Democrats Primary. But, in reality we should congratulate the great state of American democracy. In spite of signs of racism, bigotry, and general hostility to a minority candidate--Obama's win illustrated to us and the world that we have again elevated ourselves a notch higher than other western and industrial nations. It stated, regardless of our history of slavery, segregation and race riots--we will continue to fight against our negative urges for total inclusion in American society, regardless of race, sex, creed, religion, color or nationality. To illustrate the power of this event minority populations throughout the world will say in the morning--"let's copy the Americans, let's run a Jew in Russia, an Indian in England, a Nigerian in France, a Native American in Columbia, and an Afro-Brazilian in Brazil."

"Oh, what a night." Even Obama's Republican opponent, John McCain, congratulated the Illinois senator and welcomed him to the race. But the leaders that I am hearing who are rejoicing are as follows: Jefferson Franklin Long of Georgia, Black man elected from Georgia to the U.S. Congress in 1870; Henry McNeal Turner, an A.M.E. Bishop, state representative in Georgia during Reconstruction who got out the Black republican vote; Dr. Helen Edmonds of North Carolina, who became the first Black and women to second the nomination of a major candidate at the Party's National Convention when she supported Dwight Eisenhower in 1953; Jesse Jackson Democratic primary candidate, 1984 & 1988; Alan Keyes Republican primary candidate, 2004 & 2008; Al Sharpton who fought for the Democrats nod in 2004; and of course Martin Luther King, who prayed for a colorblind society where one would be judged by their character and not by the color of their skin. The point is that these people among others laid the political groundwork for Senator Obama.

The only negative about tonight's historical event is that Senator Hillary Clinton refuses to concede. But, as my mother always said, "one monkey is not going to stop the show!" Good job--Obama! Good Job--Democracy! Good job--America! Oh, what a night!