Historic Event

On Tuesday, November 4, 2008, our country elected a black man as President for the first time in history. There are many citizens who support Barack Obama and expect him to make changes for the better in our country. However, others are not that fond of Obama and do not see his being elected as a good thing for our country.

When Obama was campaigning, he experienced some animosity and racist comments. If you search the internet, you'll find numerous sites with racist cartoons and statements. Obama did not let these people bring him down though.

"You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise."

This stanza from the poem "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou reminds me a lot of Obama and his campaign. Quite a few citizens were not fond of him and were not afraid to express their thoughts. He did not let their opinion stop him from continuing his campaign. No matter how much support he may have had, it must have been extremely tough to brush off all the negative comments and actions.

His being elected as President is quite a turning point in our history. We have never had a President who was not a caucasian male. After the results of the election were announced, the television network showed many African Americans crying with joy. The news reporters interviewed and many responded that their children will now truly feel that they can do anything in the world.