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The Inauguration: A Day of Pride
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I can’t say enough about yesterday’s inauguration. Ever since the election, I have felt proud to be white in America for the first time ever. I have been amazed and overjoyed at how many Americans who are white came out to support and elect President Obama. It’s as if white people in this country came to our senses.
When I went down to canvas for Obama in Philadelphia during the campaign, I was delighted to see that the majority of volunteers were white. In my mind, that was as it should be. It was our responsibility to make this historic event happen. It’s our continued responsibility to take action to move this country closer to realizing its stated values.
Thanks to President Obama, this country has undergone a significant sea change from the post-9/11 xenophobic, self-centered arrogance to a more inclusive compassionate humility. It’s been a long time coming but it’s nice to see it.
I am not naïve enough to believe that Obama’s election means that we are in a post-race era. We still have a not of work to do. But I know an awesome, magical series of events when I see them. Yesterday’s events were magical.
In terms of repairing the Quilt of Humanity, this election is a great beginning.
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17 Responses to “The Inauguration: A Day of Pride”
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Hello Deb, so good to hear from you again. I also stepped out on the trail for Obama in New Hampshire I was surprised to see all the supportive white’s knocking on doors. I am black and was turned away from many door steps, plus excited to know that there were many that were going to vote for Obama. This makes me so proud to be American and now this WOW. !!!!
It’s going to take time like he said but we will get this country turned around, if not this year hopefully a big dent by next.
Deb, have a wonderful New Year.
Sincerely, Sandy
Deb,
I believe that the Obama campaign and his ascendancy to the leader of the free world has unleashed and validated a long held belief and position of a majority of white people. Until now too many did not feel validated and had fears of fully embracing a America that had long ago became multi-cultural and was influence in all aspects of our culture by African-Americans.
Its okay now. Likewise as an African-American I feel validated in more ways than before.
Sandy,
How wonderful to hear from you! Happy New Year to you as well.
Peace and joy,
Deb
Tim,
Something good has certainly been unleashed. Only time will tell where it will take us.
Thanks.
Deb
Hi, Deb!
Yesterday was a fabulous day all right. I am proud to be an American, yes, prouder than I have been in a long time (at least 8 years). My 19 year-old son and I watched and listened to the inauguration partly on radio and partly on the computer. Our nation had a beautiful, transcendent and redeeming moment. From what I hear, today President Obama began making some of the changes we have all been anticipating.
I eagerly await information on what those of us who worked on the campaign can do now to further those changes and the rebuilding of America. Here’s a link to my blog on the inauguration. http://risingsun1226.blogspot.com/2009/01/inauguration-day.html.
Celeste
I am surrounded by this hope of inauguration but I cannot tell if it is responsible hope or drunkenness since I just feel empty. It is as if everyone is laughing and I cannot understand at what.
May Emptiness open, to be filled with Love.
May Hope open, to find reasons to Love.
And may we all have reasons for laughter sometime soon.
Celeste,
I love your description of transcendent and redeeming – that is what if felt like to me.
Deb
Adem,
When surrounded by so much pain and violence that still exists, it can be hard to feel hopeful. While Pres. Obama’s inauguration and service is not a panacea, it is certainly a huge step forward and that brings me great hope (and reason for laughter).
Sending you love and hope.
Deb
Once we see ourselves as only Americans, not black and white, we’ll all be better off. Thankfully, it didn’t take me until the inauguration to feel like a proud American. Just like I wiuld not have felt like a proud male to have elected a female president. I live my life as a person, not as a white. I try to be a good person first; then a loving husband, good father and a good grandfather. Maybe more importantly, I have tried to pass those traits onto my children and those I come into contact. We don’t need to point out the differencies in people, we need to idenify their strong points.
I didn’t vote for Obama, but I certainly want him to do well for this country. Like many opposing voters, I understand and accept that the people have spoken and we will now all stand behind our leader. There is nothing I want more than for Obama to be successful.
Obama is already under enormous and unfair pressure to do well because he is black. We all need to have reasonable expectations of him and stop expecting too much, too quickly. Let him make his decisions without the microscope. He’s a smart man and he’ll figure it out for himself.
The best way to support Obama is to give him some breathing room.
Dennis,
I wish we could see ourselves without reference to color. Unfortunately, as the nation exists today, when we strive to be “color blind” it makes us blind to the institutional and cultural stratification that continues to exist (despite President Obama’s election).
I wrote about just that topic in an earlier post about being “color blind” – you might want to take a look at it:
http://guidingchange.org/blog/?p=14
I agree that we need to give President Obama breathing room and we can still do that while holding high expectations of him – which I hold because of who he is, not because he is black.
Thanks,
Deb
Deb;
Thanks so much for sharing your insights and reflections. Thank you for also reminding us that even though we may not personally feel the need to identify with a color–the stigmatization of people of color exists and cannot be ignored. I am so hopeful for our country and for the opportunity for more conversation, dialogue, reflection and debate on the issues of institutional and cultural barriers which create racism. As a black person (my self-identity), I’m proud of America too!
Debra
Debra,
I share your hope that recent changes result in more dialogue and reflection. As a nation, we need that so much.
Thank you,
Deb
Deb:
I grew up in an Italian household where my mother’s side was from Naples and my father’s from Genoa. Since we were all Italians, you would not have thought that mattered until arguments at the holiday table pitted the “upper” class Neopolitans against the “lower” classes from Genoa. It was even worse when I married a Sicilian! Sicilians ranked last on the Italian food chain according to my parent’s sides. In addition, I was considered a “mixed-breed” by the Sicilian side! Both families needed paramedics when Lorraine and I announced our intent to marry!
Luckily that was 38 years ago and that thinking lost all it’s steam in my generation. The differencies in people should be enbraced, but much of our casual thinking processes immediately goes to race. I have a very low tolerance for people who see this world as them and us. I’m also pragmatic in that I understand that there is a difference between black and white; just like there was a difference in my family’s origins; although in a much less dramatic way.
Race is not to be ignored, but it doesn’t need to be held out before us as a line of demarcation. Of course, that might be easier for me to say because I’m white. Still, the point I was eluding to earlier is that there is a major difference between claiming to be “color blind” (impossible as we know) and being adverse to accepting color differencies as an initial judgement. I think that most white and black people are smart enough to admit that they see differencies in one another. I also think they realize that bias, prejudice and unfairness still exists and that no one should be excluded in our society from fair treatment.
I guess I’m not convinced that we should wear our race as a badge of honor without first being a person of integrity who is respectful of others (and all of the other positive traits we all aspire to). You can do that without ignoring obvious color differencies. It’s prioritizing those differencies that’s key.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Being proud to be white for the first time? I guess what I am choosing to hear in that comment is that you no longer felt the burden or guilt of whiteness in America. I look forward to hearing you talk about this idea more because many people are speaking of this election in terms of how it affected their view of their respective race. Which lead me to wonder today about the other ways that we judge ourselves and others and if this election has had any impact on those areas or is it limited to our views about race.
We remember Dr. King’s remarks about not being judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our characters. Which begs the question about “judging” a person at all – what aspects of the character are deemed the right qualities to possess. After the election – it is ok to be “black” but not ok to be a “smoker”? It is deemed good to work for the government but not the private sector? It is ok to be an eloquent speaker – but not ok to stumble over your words?
Perhaps what this election has made available to all of us is an opening for the absence of “judgment” about others until an allegation that they have violated the law has been made in good faith. Then we can look at our institutions e.g., schools, colleges, prisons, hospitals, etc. and make laws that protect without oppressing or pre-judging any of our citizenry.
Thank you for the food for thought and please continue to share your healing messages with all of us.
Hi Summer,
I was tormented by “white guilt” for years but left that burden behind a while ago. Guilt is an emotion that leads to paralysis rather than action. However, I continue to feel a particular responsibility as a white person in America to use the unearned privileges that I have to make the world a better place for all of us.
Having left the guilt behind did not lead to a sense of pride. Seeing how many white people became involved in the Obama campaign and rejoice in his success left me feeling proud.
Your point about judgment is so crucial. Ours would be an amazing country if we could approach each other without pre-judgements of any kind.
Thanks,
Deb
Dear Deb,
I’ve been reading both “The Audacity of Hope” and “Dreams from My Father” since the election. I’ve had moments of realizing that had I read them a couple of years ago I would have felt great sadness at the tragedy that this talented, compassionate and wise man could never be President, because of his race.
It’s stunning and magnificent to realize that he now is our President. There is so much to say, much of which has been said eloquently by other responders. I’ll just end with these wonderful and true words from your posting:
“Yesterday’s events were magical. In terms of repairing the Quilt of Humanity, this election is a great beginning.”
Thank you,
Michael
Michael,
Great to hear from you. I smile every time I see Pres. Obama on TV for any reason at all. It’s great to see him at work and being the same person post-election that he was pre-election.
Thank you.
Deb