Up to today, I had begun to write off Obama's campaign. I honestly believed that he had no posssibility to weather the damage to his campaign done by Wright's comments. Then I watched his speech.

 Wow.

I was impressed with Obama's articulate manner before, but today, I must say that he truly elevated himself far above the standards that other politicians adhere to. What Obama demonstrated today, was an uncommon courage. It was truly an uncommon courage that politicians in this age lack. By repudiating Pastor Wright's comments, but defending him as a man, Obama demonstrated a great sense of loyalty and also a powerful moral fiber that demonstrated his refusal to abandon friends for political gain. A lesser politician would have abandoned those who have proven to be a liability. But Obama stood his ground and held on to his principles.

I am not someone who is easily impressed by politicians. But when I hear Barack speak, I see not a politician, but a genuine human being. I see someone who is understanding, broad minded and non-judgemental. I see someone who is kind, who is humane and who is sincere. Perhaps a longer tenure in Washington may change all of this, but what I see evident, is that Barack has not allowed his political career thus far to change who he is as a person. Barack often speaks about his mother, someone who is open minded, passionate about justice and caring for others. It is quite clear that he has inherited those traits. When I see Barack, what I see is genuine goodness and a true sincerity. Characteristics that you can rarely identify in any politician. However, if one researched Obama's past, it is not hard to see that his humble beginnings and his loving upbringing has allowed him to become the man he is today.

What truly impressed me most about Obama's speech was his ability to grab hold of a disaster and elevate it to a higher purpose. Obama successfully drew away attention from Wright's controversial statements, and instead pointed it towards the direction of reconciliation and unity. Obama also made a very nuanced comparison. By comparing Wright's comments with the occassionally racist comments that his grandma had made, and by asserting that he could not disown either one of them, Obama made several strong points. One, that he as a person embodied multiple cultures. He was both Black and had ties to genuine Black leaders, and he was also White, with a grandmother who had sentiments that many older White people could relate to. The second point that he made by making the comparison was the exposure of misunderstanding and prejudice that occur on both sides of the racial divide. However, his ultimate argument was that both of these people were imperfect, and may display faulty judgement at times. However, they were both part of him, were both individuals that he loved, and he would not abandon these important relationships for personal gain. Obama kept true to himself, and it has only increased my admiration for him in multiple bounds.

After watching his speech today, I have spent most of my free time pondering. I am still trying to absorb and digest all I had heard today. However, I also believe that the incidents that have occured in the past few weeks may not be an accident. Perhaps it is divine intervention, but what may come out of this may propel our nation towards the road that we need to travail in order to heal the many divides that continue to haunt us. In the past two decades, it has become common for Whites to dismiss the fact that racism continues to exist. The uproar and controversy surrounding the Wright comments demonstrate that race is never far beneath the surface in our public discourse. Race continues to linger, in darkness, in fear, in our psychology. It consumes our nation and both Black and White, as well as Latino and Asian, are obsessed with it.

I believe that the issue of race in America can be categorized into three major historical stages thus far. The first being the period of Slavery, effectively ending with the Proclamation of Emancipation in 1865. Before this period, racial lines were as severe as the difference between a human being and a beast. For Blacks were treated and thought no higher than the state of livestock. Obama eloquently articulated this point when he stated that slavery as the original sin and a stain upon the constitution. Although our nation was founded on fine and high ideals, our reality has always been imperfect. The slavery period cemented the chasm of the racial divide that we continue to suffer from, and has instilled in our psyche the weight and burden of racial consciousness. The practice of slavery effectively created the ideals of White supremacy that has dominated our national culture for so long. It had also established the state of Black inferiority that continues to haunt the African American community today. Slavery ostracized the Black race in the American psyche, it ostracized the Black race as a class of untouchables, condemned to misery and contempt. The lowest rung in any social ladder. This was a psyche that had molded not only the White mind about race, but also the Black mind. Many African Americans today continue to suffer from inferiority complexes and the fear of not being accepted.

I denote the years from the end of the Civil War to the Civil Rights Era as the second major historical stage of race relations, the period of Second Class Citizenship. During this period, Blacks gained liberty, but not equality. Blacks were elevated higher than the level of livestock, but not much higher. From the law to societal norms, Blacks continued to be ostracized and treated with racial contempt, bigotry and outright meanness. During this period, Blacks began to form institutions to help themselves, creating a twin America that lived in segregation and under the shadow of White America. A Black America that lived in inferiority, in poverty, in despair, but who also aspired for all the promise that this great nation had to offer and the high ideals that America had always claimed as her mantle. Although this period reinforced the racial lines first cleaved by slavery, it was also an important transition period. During this transition, Blacks were engaged in building identity, community and culture. Blacks not only worked to survive, but also proved their self-sustainability, resourcefulness and also contributed richly to America's cultural fabric.

The third major historical period of race in this country has been the period from the Civil Rights Movement up to the present. This is the period of Racial Identity Politics and Political Correctness. This was a period where Black consciousness exploded in an angry reaction against the many injustices of the past centuries. During this period, many Blacks became proud of not only asserting their identity but also by rejecting everything that White America stood for. During this period, White America went in the other direction. With racism now becoming social taboo, most White Americans became embarrassed and ashamed of their racist past. However, instead of acknowledging these issues first hand, political correctness prevailed. Instead of addressing issues of racism, many White Americans believed that by pretending racism no longer existed, it would simply disappear. The terminology of political correctness dominate the airwaves and anyone who has stepped out of line is severely punished. This engenders a counter reaction from White Americans who claim that they are being reverse discriminated against. At the same time, identity politics have created amongst minorities a rejection of assimilation and a desire to maintaining a distance from a singular American identity.

I believe what Obama outlined today was a vision. It was a vision of the path that our nation must take in order to transition to the fourth major stage of race in our history, the Age of Reconciliation. Only by truthfully addressing the continuing issues of race can we truly bridge the gap that continues to divide us. This means that White Americans must not simply demonize the comments made by Wright and other Black Nationalist Leaders, but must also attempt to understand the context and history of pain in which they were made. At the same time, Blacks must also be mindful that we have come a long way and progress have been made, that the goodness of our nation makes that change possible. Obama has also continuously asserted that his family is an amalgamy of all the world's peoples. This only makes him more qualified to lead an ever diversifying nation for the national dialogue on race should no longer be seen in a strict Black and White lens. America is no longer just Black and White, it is also Latino, Asian and so much else. Our country is changing and people's views on race are also changing. We must move beyond the simply identity politics that have constantly defined our politics to a higher ideal. We must move towards the age of reconciliation. I hear many Whites denigrating the use of "hyphenated American" and identity politics. But for us to all simply become American, we must be able to address our differences and from there, establish common ground. This is why someone like Obama would be insrumental in bringing true change and dialogue about. Unlike other notable African Americans in high positions such as Condileeza Rice and Clarance Thomas, Obama is not a token negro or an Uncle Tom. Obama stays true to his racial identity and has widespread legitimacy amongst Blacks. Therefore, he is truly in a position to lead a genuine dialogue about race and to reach out to Americans of all backgrounds to form a movement to establish common ground and a singular American identity.

Thanks to Obama, I am now starting to see the day when we can all truly be one America. When we come to understand each other. To embrace one another and let go of the pain and anger we have felt for so long. We must understand that no matter if our origins come from Europe, from Africa, from Mexico or from China, we all live in the United States now as Americans. We have a common destiny and a common fate, we share one nation together. Therefore, it is imperative that we begin a true reconciliation process so that we can begin building the common ground needed to establish that new identity, the unified American identity. An American Ethnicity.

I will still need some time to digest the entirety and significance of Obama's speech. However, there is no doubt in my mind that this was truly a historic moment in our nation's history. Obama has elevated his campaign to a stage far above that of a political competition. Obama has made his campaign into a catalyst for progressive change that is necessary to propel our nation forward. Some argue that Obama makes pretty speeches and not much else. I must disagree. Although he is only making speeches now, from these we can discern the type of person he is and the type of leader he would be. From his speeches, I can discern that he is a sincere and broad minded person, someone who is accepting and understanding, someone who is kind and has intellectual curiosity. From his speeches, I can discern that he will be a leader that can empathize and sympathize with people from all walks of life. He would be a leader that is truly humble in spirit, although deep in intellect and knowledge. He would be a leader that can create links where there are gaps, create understanding where friction exists and create unity when there is division. Obama may be one of the greatest presidents in our history, and to think that he may lost his chance because of a media circus truly saddens my soul to its very core.

Today, as I watched Obama's speech, I was proud of him. In my earlier blog, I had called upon Barack to seize the opportunity in his time of impelling doom. He has done that, and I felt proud, and I also felt inspired.

As I watched Obama's speech today, I also felt proud of our nation. I feel that he embodies the very goodness that our great nation has and is capable of. From his words, I feel that he is a leader who has truly thought long and hard, and have thought deeply about the grave problems that continue to inflict our nation and he has shown us a path towards a brighter future.

Today, I truly saw the kind of president that Obama would be. America would be the blessed when that day comes.