Election is renewal of American promise

You couldn't miss the sights and sounds from Tuesday night. There was the Rev. Jesse Jackson the first credible black nominee for the presidency with tears streaming down his face. There was the crowd that assembled on Franklin Street and spontaneously sang the Star Spangled Banner. There was the young man with a boom box broadcasting Obama's speech to a hushed audience.

It was surreal.

Once CNN and MSNBC had called Ohio for Obama the thought started to sink in that the Illinois Senator could be declared the 44th President once polls closed in the Pacific Coast at 11pm.

Then it hit everyone. The unthinkable became reality.

A man with a middle name of Hussein who was born to a Kansan mother and Kenyan father became our President elect.

It was a watershed moment in American politics. It was a particularly poignant event for an entire generation who never thought they would see a black man occupy the White House.

For senior Kristin Hill's grandfather who served in the Vietnam War having the option to vote for an intelligent person of color was incredibly emotional.

Imagine growing up in an era when Fannie Lou Hamer had the courage to challenge Mississippi's all-white delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1964.

Just imagine.

Last night Barack Obama introduced the world to Ann Nixon Cooper a 106-year-old woman from Atlanta who lived through the Great Depression and the Civil Rights movement. Cooper was the face to an African-American community that was energized and mobilized as never before. From churches to local radio stations people registered and voted in unprecedented numbers.

Between October 2000 and November 2008 about 360000 African-American voters were added to the rolls a gain of more than 37 percent. According to absentee data for this year's election 52 percent of all registered African-American voters cast ballots.

We can sit here and talk about e pluribus unum but the reality is that this is a historic day for Americans and for the black community.

For those who grew up under a world of Jim Crow and segregation this election was more than just an election. It was the renewal of the American promise. It was a simple promise that was etched by our Declaration of Independence carried through in the words of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr." and continues to shine in the flame of Lady Liberty. It was in the words of Dr. King the renewal of that ""promissory note.""

It was the validation that a democracy that elected George W. Bush could undergo a non-violent election and find the courage to dramatically redefine the image of America around the world.

It was the realization that political pundits who thought young people didn't vote in high enough numbers were dead wrong. According to estimates by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University" young voters turned out in levels not seen since 1972.

So when the camera zoomed in and an elder Jesse Jackson was crying you couldn't help but realize that we are now one step closer to Dr. King's dream.