Black is the new White

Here is my 2009 February Black History Month composition:

It has become abundantly clear in the past twelve months leading up to Obama's inauguration address that we had the privilege to witness an event no one alive today ever thought they would see in their own lifetime.

Obama himself has made humorous remarks in this regard. Just last night in reference to Robert E. Lee he joked if he was with us tonight he would be 202 and very confused. But there are much larger issues at hand today that need our collective vision to venture far beyond the obvious, "Never did I think I'd see in my lifetime." refrains.

Our sights should be set on the way black children have begun to identify with the big, bold changes they see happening. Will Obama's presence in the presidency help to make big, bold changes in their lives as well?

His presence in the White House has already made radical changes happen in certain industries. You can't pick up a magazine or watch TV today and not notice that Denzel Washington and Beyonce are no longer the gold standard by which all black men and women are judged. A large majority of recent print ads and TV commercials have instantly switched from using solely beautiful white models to purposely hiring beautiful black models.

So yes, it's very apparent that Obama's contribution in the media has provided a win fall for all black models and actresses. Their profile and ability to get the part has risen overall one thousand percent. But will this cultural 'What looks good on the cover of People Magazine' transformation also mean a sweeping change in how we supply funding and teach education for our poor and underprivileged children as well?

This is where we need the positive currency of having a black president make the most difference in these children's lives. Before the drug dealer on the corner attaches an appendage to them, before the gang mentality on the corner internalizes in their psyche, before they see their neighborhood as just a kaleidoscope of mean streets and hostile vibes. Before they get a bullet in their back or one way ticket to jail.

Although it is critically important for all our children, no matter what genetic code or ethnicity they bestow, to be able to identify with the images they see in magazines and on TV, if the resources are not available, after they toss the tabloid on the floor or turn off the television set, for them to have the opportunity to attend good schools with well-equipped classrooms that receive natural light and offer clean bathrooms, with heat in the winter and a cool breeze in the summer, and most essential, caring and concerned teachers willing to tutor and not just teach, then all the glossy, perfect pictures in the world will not change the reality they wake up to and have to contend with every single day of their lives.

This momentous change in our nation's history should not and cannot be squandered and lost on ad nauseous realms regarding Obama's celebrity hype and our country's catastrophic economic downturns.