[cacophony]

i hope this doesn't come off condescending, but i'm very very happy for african americans today. i don't know how else to say that without sounding condescending, i guess. i feel like it's that old "us" and "them" thing again. those of "us" who feel like we hold no remnants of the tradition of discrimination have had no way to prove it and let "them" know that we can move past it as a single community. there's been a culture of distrust, i think, where as individuals we feel like the amorphous masses might not be as interested in equality as we are. this election proved, in a way, that so many of us truly believe in that equality and it's almost like we can all look each other in the eye en masse and say, "well thank god, i'm glad i'm not the only one." i feel hopeful that "we" have managed to let "them" know that we think of each other as fellow americans and fellow human beings with inner qualities first and demographics second.

maybe that's overly optimistic and overly simplistic.

i'm reminded of an interview i saw with chris rock after he'd had his family tree researched by a genealogist. he was amazed to find out that one of his ancestors was elected twice to the south carolina state legislature back when the abolition of slavery was still a new concept, and that this same ancestor had owned land and was financially successful. he said as an african american you always feel like you came from nothing, that there was no power or success preceding you to lift you up as you strive to succeed in your own life. you feel like if you make it, you'll be the first. to learn that there were people in his own family who had been successful, that it's not an anomaly for a black man to make it in america, was an incredible revelation for him. for those african americans who don't have access to their family ancestry i hope they can see themselves in the success of obama, and broaden their vision to see how many black americans have already paved the way as senators, mayors, businessmen/women, etc.

again, maybe this isn't a sentiment that can be expressed by a white woman without coming off as condescending. i don't know how to express it otherwise so i hope it's taken as sincere.