What President Obama Means to Me

The swearing-in of Barack Obama as our 44th president brought a lot of opinions about its meaning, to our country and to the lives of blacks who have experienced and fought against racism. I would say that the moment Mr. Obama became president was a truth of Man made manifest.

In this vein, the presidency of Barack Obama has other meanings to me, such as the realization of how many talented people have been denied the opportunity to be of service to our country to their fullest extent. How segregation and racism have been very harmful not only to those who were its target, but also to whites and to our country. The chance now for people not necessarily to excel, but just to have the same opportunities and become positive contributors to our society.

So the success of Mr. Obama is certainly important, but to me I look forward to a gradual upswell of talented people who may otherwise have not had the opportunity.