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.