5 Generations from Slavery

Last night was magical!

I don't think it has fully hit me yet what this country has accomplished.

Barack Obama was elected as our 44th President....A Black Man!!!

How do I feel?

Well last night I was obviously caught up in the emotion of the moment. I woke up Imani so that she would have her own memories of this time to reflect on as she progresses on her journey of history in the making.

I'm not really a writer so it's hard for me to put into words what I am feeling.

I am thinking of my ancestors!

Abraham/Abe was born in South Carolina as a slave. I know he would have never even formulated the assumption to birth a thought that last night could have been possible.

What about his son, Dennis? Born abt 1851, he was born a slave too but was a preteen when word of emancipation hit Texas. Was the possibility of last night something he contemplated as the reality of freedom danced in his dreams. Was it truly a reality for him or was it an empty promise, something said and hoped for but never actually realized. As a laborer who couldn't read or write, did he even hope or was he sobered by his reality too afraid to believe? As ptomaine killed him slowly from eating his daily lunch from a tin can did he ever have a moment of "what if?"

His son John Alexander may have, as one of the first born into emancipation. He may have entertained the thought but it was never, ever spoken aloud. His generation learned as past ones, that such things were not something to study for too long. The tragedy of this generation was that they were given false hope. Their parents knew their station in life and didn't allow hope to taint their reality. John's generation hoped and were probably brutilized far worse than those of previous generations.

John's son, Roscoe, 2nd generation from slavery was in pretty much the same boat as his father, but this generation started venturing out a bit, but not far because ultimately, they too knew their place in society. Not as a cultural mandate, but their place was indoctrinated into them as a survival tactic. Lynchings, beatings and other unadulterated atrosities were everyday common place.

Roscoe's son, Reginald grew up knowing these things, but for the first time, 3 generations from slavery, his reality and future was far different than his father's. He was a child of segregation who was a trailblazer in the fight for intergration. He busted the doors wide open as one of the 1st black student athletes at Pecos High School in Pecos, TX. Intergration robbed him of being Valedictorian at the all black school, but true to his personality, that did not stop him from being named Salutatorian of his all white class at Pecos High.

He and 2 of his 3 siblings were the first in the lineage of our family to attend and gradate from college (Huston-Tillotson College...now University). He and his brother Charles even went farther to obtain professional degrees. Reginald a Doctorate in Dental Science (DDS) and Charles a Medical degree (MD).

Reginald's children, Tisha & John, 4 generations from slavery are part of the 1st generation of those who were not told "No!" as their parents were. This generation did not encounter "White Only" signs. Their experience has been more covert. Gone, somewhat, are the white hoods, from open view & display. This generation experiences the struggle in the boardrooms of corp america. But this generation has seen success unlike any their parents could have ever dreamed...but the cost has been too high.

And Now!!!

5 generations later, Abraham's GGGG Granddaughter, Imani has witnessed the dawn of a new era. She has opportunities ahead of her that are yet to be realized. The way has been paved with blood, sweat, tears, pain, heartache, disbelief, grief, disappointment and every other negative connotation you can come up with. But today dawns a new paradigm shift, colossial like an earth quake!

An African American President!!! Our President!

Do we take ownership of him because he is black or is it because he had the audacity to hope for all of us even when we couldn't see that hope for ourselves.

I am reminded of my blog post on the Obama campaign website after his More Perfect Union speech....

Keep the faith & be encouraged
By TLC InTX - Mar 20th, 2008 at 2:41 pm EDT

Keep the faith and be encouraged all who work towards the perfection of our
union.Although we do not know specifically what he did and the name isn't
spelled exactly the same (Barak), in Hebrews Chapter 11 several men were
mentioned who exhibited a great faith.

v. 32-34 "And what more shall I say? I do not have the time to tell about
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through
FAITH conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised;
who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames and escaped the
edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became
powerful in battle and routed foreign armies."

v. 39-40 "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them
received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only TOGETHER with us would they be made perfect."

I am encouraged & inspired by Senator Obama's speech because finally
someone has acknowledged the white elephant in the room, aired our dirty laundry and spoke with eloquence about the actions & events that have stained the Stars & Stripes for far too long.

God bless all of you.
God bless America.

I am on my tip-toes filled with unbridled anticipation for what is in store for our family and our country!

YES WE CAN!!!