The Fulfillment

Today we affirmed our belief and confidence in a man to do a job only ever entrusted to 42 other Americans in the history of this country. That's a big deal. Even more importantly, though, we entrusted the position for the first time to a man of color. Surely I'm not telling you anything you didn't already know when I say that the inauguration of President Obama is a major milestone in the history of this country. And when I say "major," I mean phenomenally huge. This is an event that countless people wrote off as improbable or impossible; certainly something they never thought they'd see during their time here. This is a step forward that I encouraged and hoped for. It's a step towards righting some of the most prominent wrongs in our history and I would never want to say anything to take away from the significance of the 35 word oath and following 18 minute speech that President Obama delivered today.

As I was watching the network coverage of the inauguration today, I kept hearing reporters asking questions to black pundits and inaugural revelers for comments on their emotions about this historic event. Given that we celebrated MLK day less than 24 hours ago, I wasn't surprised to hear many of these commentators comment on the "fulfillment" of MLK's "dream." It seems that there are a good number of people in this country who consider this event to be a signal that America has overcome its racist history and has moved to a place of full inclusion and equal participation for all citizens. Again, I don't have any disparaging comments about the fact that today's events mark an absolute watershed in the movement for civil rights in this country. I do, however, respectfully disagree with anyone who would call the appointment of President Obama to signify that we've somehow reached the goal of the civil rights movement. President Obama is an epic, tangible sign that we're still making huge gains towards the formation of a society which will "rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'"

But the sun will not rise tomorrow on a nation of fairness and equality. The sun will rise and for the first time a black man will awake to face the task of running the country. But he will be assuming responsibility for a country where women still only earn three-quarters of the wage a man earns; where black children in inner-city public schools will have to share their textbooks with one another in crumbling, poorly insulated classrooms; where an elderly woman will have to choose between having medication of food; where a gay or lesbian couple cannot legally affirm their relationship; and where a single mother will be forced to move out of her home because she cannot afford to pay for her mortgage.

Obama is a step forward, but he's not the fulfillment of the dream. He is proof that we hope for a more positive future, but he's not the answer.

The dream won't be fulfilled until we each take personal responsibility for its fulfillment. Don't peg your hopes on Obama to make changes in your own life and in your community. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. I'm confident that both Obama and MLK would tell you something similar.

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."
- President Barack Obama

Be Gold. Stay Gold.

MMK