The sun had set here in Ireland on the day of hearing that Barack Obama had been elected as the next President of the United States. When I heard the news I was hysterical, amazed, delighted, moved, and somewhat confused. As I learned from MSNBC’s coverage that Obama had won, I had to verify this claim by changing to all the other news stations so as to avoid any conflict such as that which occurred some years back…I think you know which election I am talking about.
But, I was indeed perplexed soon after Obama was declared the winner; this was because I could not understand why there was a cheering coming from outside my window. This afternoon I clicked on the Huff Post website, as is becoming a 20 per day habit it seems, and saw pictures from all corners of the globe, of people elated after hearing the news of Obama’s election triumph. As I turned on the television, I saw footage of peoples reactions around the world: in London, there was a party in Hyde Park; Jakarta, street parties; Nigeria, a national holiday; Denmark, what might as well be a national holiday; and here in Ireland, people were talking and toasting Obama’s win all day long. This for some reason struck a chord with me, though not in a bad way, because I could not understand the significance that this election outcome has had for these people all over the world.
If we remove the context of the fact that the U.S. president is arguably the most powerful person in the world; why is this election so important? I spoke earlier with a friend of mine who is a U.S. citizen studying in Africa and I asked this question. She said that his victory was a victory for minorities all over the world. I concede that this is in itself as valid an answer as any. But, I was still not satisfied. Throughout the campaign, all parties involved, be it Obama, McCain or third party influences have been incredibly disciplined with regards raising the issue of race. This is truly admirable as it is a display of the integrity of equality in all its contexts. Today the headlines say things such as “Obama, the first black president” etc. Sherri Shepard on The View cried in what was a moving testament to what ‘Black America’ has achieved throughout its turbulent, and often tragic, history. But it still didn’t explain why so many people whether black or white, Asian or Hispanic, Irish or British, were so happy at the historic achievement of Barack Obama...
...And then it hit me, like a bat hits a baseball so hard that you know the ball is heading out of the park; it’s all of these things, but most of all, it is what Obama has represented. The very mantra of his campaign, the five and four letter words that have been the symbols of what the man, elected to lead the free world in its next chapter, has embedded in the minds of millions, perhaps billions, of people around the world: "Change" and "Hope".
There are people in my University who have met Barack Obama, some of whom I have met, who have told me that when he enters a room, he is so confident about his message that he has a presence that immediately engulfs you like flames of comfort and mutual trust. His message of hope and change are so grass-roots, so bold, and so fitting for the moment, that there isn’t a soul on this earth who can’t relate those two words into the context of their own life. One does not have to be from the United States, or be an African American to find appeal in what Barack Obama represents. Nor, do they have to be deeply or personally effected by the reforms he plans to implement when he becomes the so-called leader of the free world. But I find it hard to believe that there isn’t a person out there that has heard him speak, read his books, or simply learned what his message is, that can’t relate to his cause. Arguably all of us, in one way or another, are dissatisfied with our governments and administrations.
These two words, “Hope” and “Change”, while they may be two of the smaller words in the dictionary, are certainly, now and forever, two of the most powerful words we will ever hear or speak. Barack Obama learned early on in his career as a community organiser, later as a Senator, and now as President-elect, that the ability to capture the minds and hearts of the people, does not involve using same-old campaign strategy, rhetoric and one-liners, but the audacity to break down all the jargon to a level so that even a child could appreciate and understand it.
I now completely understand why people around the world are so proud of Barack Obama. He has empowered them to seek from their governments, what the American people, by electing Obama, have sought from theirs; an opportunity for change.
Yes We Can
