Rather, the beauty of tonight lies in its symbolism. It symbolizes how far the ideologies of Americans have come. It symbolizes that Americans can look past the color of one's skin, or the sound of one's name. It symbolizes that, while they have not been broken, the chains of racial and economic oppression cannot hold one down, and fighting for justice is not in vain.
The kind of hope Barack Obama really provides is not the hope that he will save our country, or heal the world. For many, the type of hope Obama represents is that of the reality and possibility of hope itself. For individuals who have been pushed down by the weight of injustice, the will to keep trying to rise above is often lost. Working with African American children in the inner city, a friend of mine mentioned the limitations they put on their dreams; she has rarely heard a child there dream of being president. In years of white domination, that concept is beyond imagination. Injustice breeds hopelessness, and hopelessness breeds apathy.
Now, however, the world has seen that fighting, and hoping is not in vain. For today, a black man with "dangerously" foreign sounding name will take his place in a powerful position that has only belonged to white men. By his side, his wife will soon be First Lady, a notion most likely unimaginable to her descendents who served as slaves. Today, children around the world have an tangible example that, the color of your skin or the oppression of your past, do not determine their futures. Hope - which comes from God - is real. Things can be different tomorrow than they are today.
I hope everyone can realize the significance of this day, and its redemption of injustice. The beauty of Obama's win lies in its ability to even happen at all. And its inspiration lies in the possibility of what can happen next. The chains of injustice are not binding. We can overcome.
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