By Daryl C. Hannah - Nov 11, 2008
Keywords: Barack Obama, John McCain, first Black president, "don't ask, don't tell," discrimination, race, Black, victory
If you were an Obama supporter, chances are that you walked into your office on Wednesday, as I did, extremely proud of Tuesday night's victory. Yet how was it that, despite the overwhelming gratification for millions of Americans, some of the country's top media outlets managed to still miss the point and significance of President-elect Barack Obama's election?
Countless newspapers "congratulated" Black Americans on the election of Obama as if the victory was ours alone. Others ran headlines and sub-headlines such as: "Shattering a racial barrier, Senator from Illinois is voted president" (USA Today), "Obama Sweeps to Historic Victory: Nation Elects Its First African-American President Amid Record Turnout" (The Wall Street Journal) and "Obama Wins! Racial Barrier Falls in Decisive Victory" (The New York Times) as if Obama had singlehandedly dismantled the racial Berlin Wall. In their well-intentioned attempt to chronicle the historic moment, major news outlets spent a large portion of time focusing on the color of Obama's skin.
The president-elect didn't win solely because he's Black, nor did he win solely because Black voters overwhelmingly threw their support behind him. The truth is he spoke to the core of the American people. And quite frankly, he was simply the better candidate, out-fundraising his opponent by nearly double and out-strategizing him. He leveraged technology and actively engaged young voters, a group his opponent undeniably ignored and failed to capture.
Obama plans to push for human rights, including universal healthcare and quality education for all students. He believes talent is created and distributed equally, therefore making all people equal. And, furthermore, he understands the antiquated policy of "don't ask, don't tell" for the U.S. military should be repealed as soon as possible.
To pin Obama's win on race undermines the progress Americans have made, but it further underscores the need for diversity. While this win will help to restore America's faith in the political process, crafted by our forefathers and forever cementing the idea in America's mind that anything is possible, this win is hardly something for just Blacks to be proud of. It's something every American should be proud of.
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