Will Blacks Regain Respect in the Wake of President-Elect Barrack Obama?

In the wake of the historical United States Presidential Election of Barrack Obama, America's first Black President, will Black people regain respect? Will we regain respect in America and around the world? Most importantly will we regain respect for one another.

Just as America has been synonymous with racism, Black culture in America has been synonymous with perseverance. However, the new black generation, the pre-civil rights generation has adopted a culture of misogyny, crime, violence, drugs, over-spending and overall disrespect. The leaders in the Black community have been relegated to Artist and Athletes who degrade one another, degrade women, degrade our communities and exploit our people.

There are many academic debates on the issue of how and why we have embraced such a violent and destructive culture. The blame list could be endless. Of course 400 years of oppression cannot go unnoticed. But now we have to embrace change. We have to be accountable for our actions in our community.

It is time that we get back to the foundation that was laid by our ancestors. President-Elect Obama has given many hope of retrieving that lost dream. Voter turnout in Black communities across America reached upwards of 90% in some precints. Adults who have never voted in the past turned out in record numbers.

So how do we accomplish this feat? How do we embrace that dream that seemed deferred for so many years? It has to start from within. We have to begin to demand respect for ourselves. We must not support artist who degrade our culture. We must demand that all elected official, not just Black elected officials, support legislation that supports the Black Agenda. We must spend money in stores and with businesses that support Black people. Our actions should not be limited to a laundry list but we have to begin somewhere and that somewhere is to respect ourselves before the world will once again respect us.

Our Part in Progress

President-Elect Barrack Obama is the catalyst for change. He has the vision and most importantly a plan to lead the US in a new direction. A direction of inclusion and equal opportunity. However, President-Elect Obama cannot do it alone. It's going to take everyone to play our role in changing our great nation.

Many are still in celebratory mode in the wake of President-Elect Obama's historic presidential victory, but we cannot afford lose focus. Positive social change requires progress, planning and positive action. Individual social responsibility must be a goal for America's citizens if we are to support President-Elect's vision of change.

Many African-Americans have felt excluded in US government despite our several strides in three branches of government. We have African American judges, Congressman and appoint leaders in the executive departments of government on the local, state and federal level. However, while these accomplishments should not be belittled, they are not proportionate to the sacrifices that Blacks have made in building this nation. Now all people have been given hope and a promise of inclusion. Specifically, Blacks have hopes for inclusion in American Society on every level. This hope must be our individual catalyst for self-motivation.

Our part in progress must begin internally. As we continue to mend the wounds of oppression that we and our forefathers and foremothers have had to bear for centuries, we must set aside anger. We must turn that useless emotion into positive thinking and thus positive actions. Whether white-collar, blue-collar, poor, or middle-class everyone will have a part in the change that is occurring in America. The change that will overtake America must occur on the grass-roots level.

Individual social responsibility will come in many forms for all of us. Through organizations, businesses, family and neighborhoods. Each individuals responsibility to positive social change will occur through different avenues but we all must have to dedicated to assisting President-Elect Obama in his vision and thus our vision for change.

Zeitgeist 2008

The Zeitgeist or spirit of the times has changed for 2008. A year that began with despair is ending with Hope.

The year began with a burst of the real estate mortgage bubble. Real Estate professionals were hit hard last year with slow home sales, subprime loan defaults and new home construction declines. The result yielded a 25% decrease in home values for consumers. Sources report that foreclosures are up 78% from 2006.

Mid-year we were faced with a financial crisis that America has not seen since the great depression. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the premier measure of national income and output is expecting to reach less than one percent (1%) for the next several years. Some believe that the GDP will reflect a negative growth and that will reflect a recession.

Those that were not affected by the housing crisis were hit harder by the imminent financial crisis. This despair hit all Americans. All were looking for Hope.

President-Elect Barack Obama gave Americans that hope that we were all seeking. The hope that we could change our financial crisis and more. For the first time in history we have elected a President who has been able to unite all races, classes and both genders for a common good.

Indeed, the spirit of the times has changed. The zeitgeist is one of hope and positive change. Progressive Minded people around the globe have embraced President-Elect Obama as the only individual who can save us from a well predicted global recession.

But President-Elect Obama cannot do it alone. Our financial institutions have to be accountable to the consumers. The fiduciary duties and responsibilities of those who run our financial institutions must resemble those of the consumers. The banking community cannot continue to gorge consumers with excess fees and low returns and expect to prosper. Without healthy consumers the banking industry will not thrive as we have seen.

Also, consumers must take the front seat when driving the vehicle of opportunity. Responsible spending and credit worthiness should be the goal of the consumer.

Now that we have elected a leader who actually understands that it takes everyone and not just a selected few at the top to achieve these goals, the world will be on a better path.

President-Elect Barack Obama has given us the zeitgeist of 2008.

Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States

Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 by an overwhelming majority of the Popular and Electoral votes. This is a historic occasion for several reasons.

First, President-Elect Obama is the first Black Man ever elected to the highest office in the United States. Since our nations inception in 1776 every president has been a caucasian male. Black men have struggled for life, liberty and property throughout the history of America. Our constitutional guarantees have been few and far between. Black men have not lead in the political polls but rather the polls of incarceration, crime, disease and drug addiction. Of course we have made many strides through slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, civil rights and education. But still we have not been allowed to exist on a level playing field. Many of the hopes and dreams of our young black boys have been relegated to sports and entertainment. Now there is Hope.

Now, we have a Black Man elected as the leader of the free world. This changes everything. The Hope that President-Elect Obama spoke of is within our grasps. Now little black boys and girls can dare to achieve accomplishments that were once out of our reach. We no longer have to look for entertainers and athletes to be the voices of our young. We can apire to lead nations.

Second, this is a historic day for people all around the globe, not just blacks and whites in America. As I watched the election returns come in I was able to see the world's reaction. People around the earth have embraced our President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama. We as Americans have elected a President that is highly educated, capable and dedicated to Change. We Americans have given the world a new leader.

The election of Obama has already changed the spirit of the world. Many who have been excluded now feel included. Those who were full of despair now have HOPE!!! We now have a first family in which we can relate. We now have a President-Elect that we can look towards for leadership and positive Change. We now have Obama!!!!