This morning many of us awoke, with smiles on our faces and hope in our hearts; still on our Obama high, and rightfully so. We came together and made sure our voices were heard. We exercised our hard fought right to vote and re-elected a man that we believe will steer our country into the right direction, and yes, that man is black.
Ever since we first elected President Barack Obama, black people have been able to believe that we really can do anything if we put our minds to it, even become the President of the United States. But we mustn’t forget that our civic duties don’t end with the re-election of our black President. In fact, we must continue to fight for what is right in our communities even after President Obama has vacated The White House.
There were so many people that voted for the first time when President Obama ran in 2008, and it is imperative that we as a people continue to vote going forward. As was proved last night, our votes do count.
While it is inspiring to see a family we can relate to in The White House, that should NOT be the only motivator for black Americans to vote. It is my hope and the hope of many others that going forward our interests in politics remains heightened and that we, as a people continue to take an active interest into policies that ultimately affect our lives and the lives of our loved ones.
So, we’ve re-elected President Obama, now what? Now is the time to take the steps in our own personal lives to ensure a better America. Now is the time to work hard to achieve our dreams. And now is the time to come together as a country, help one another and always do what we can to make sure our voices our heard. FOUR MORE YEARS!