Service and Change

To the advice of President Obama, we did service on Monday. Organizations hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration/ Service Day. Being more like a block party then stiff event, people covered the streets and side walks listening to the event's DJ and helping with different tasks for the event. A full course meal was served and individuals were able to pick up clothes and other belongings that were donated to the cause. This event was truly beautiful. So many individuals gathered to help their fellow man. I thought how wonderful it was that people were stepping up to the plate and doing their part to help change this nation. Yet, after talking to several organizers of the celebration, I learned that it was done every year for some time now. It was great to witness the generosity and kindness that people can have for one another. I slowly drifted back down to realize that many have been working to improve the quality of life for others, and that with the election of Barack Obama, we should continue our efforts and take this as an opportunity to expand our reach and help as many individuals as we can. We were able to see first hand the true nature of the human spirit. The experience was truly amazing!

After the service event, we headed to the campus of Howard University to sit in on a forum about the election and what this means for our nation. Among the experts and professionals present, Jeff Johnson hosted and structured the discussion. Many agreed that it is now up to the people of America to work towards improving the nation and creating more opportunities for generations to come. The discussion of "post racial" America also made its way into the conversation. While, many would like to believe that with the election of a Black man into presidency, racism is dead and that perhaps Americans are no longer seeing the color of an individual. This notion, although a pleasant one to follow, is simply not the case. The election of Barack Obama marks our progression. This is more of a large milestone in the journey rather than the end destination. There is still more healing of the racial divide and the wounds created by the hatred and ignorance carried by some. This healing is not a one-sided thing. EVERYONE in this nation needs to heal from the wounds of racism and oppression. Everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, is negatively affected by this. This election marks a unique moment in history in which we can truly begin to reach out to one another with compassion to remedy the ills that have always existed in this country.