A Change Has Come, But Not Completely…

The tables were set. Perfectly folded white napkins… Elegant crystal stemware… Exquisite centerpieces, place settings, and table cloths… These immaculate arrangements would have been identical to those at the Selma, Alabama Country Club in 1962… But this evening, at the Medallion Club in Westerville, Ohio, was different. Seated at the pristine tables, discussing the impending presidential administration, were spectacularly dressed African-Americans… Waiting to serve them, dressed in aprons and servant attire, were three Caucasians.

“A Celebration of Change Inaugural Ball,” conceived and hosted by Linda Evans, was more than a gala tribute to President-Elect Obama… It was a national history lesson for this nation. A lot has been made of the history of Tuesday. So much has been made that the distinction “first black president” has almost become a cliché… But, sitting among these two dozen on Saturday, one quickly understood how much this moment means. One quickly understood history, at its core, is not an overall distinction; it is the personal experience of those living it…

The most intriguing aspect of this evening was the firm grasp of reality the people I spoke with had… Jokes were made throughout the campaign about “hope” and “change.” There has been an almost utopian belief by some that President-Elect Obama will step into the Oval Office on Tuesday and the world will heal… And there has been the insular view of some, who have quickly shrugged off the opportunity that this moment gives America for a national dialogue on the various problems facing the African-American community…

As I sat and spoke with individuals, one could truly see them grappling with, what their chosen and elected candidate had previously called “the fierce urgency of now.” They aren’t wide-eyed or zealous… They are optimistic. They understand that this job wont be done overnight. They understand that failure is a possibility. They concede the fact that this is the moment that the tough conversations, on single parents and violence, should happen… But, they are empowered by a renewed sense of promise… The realization that they our nation’s citizens are not inadequate… They are powerful beyond measure…

Only hours before his assassination, Martin Luther King stood before a church audience in Memphis and said, “I’ve been to the mountaintop and I’ve seen the promise land…I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!”

After two hours and a dozen conversations, the mindset of the people I had spoken with was evident… They are, at this moment, in the Promised Land… America may not be and they may not see America there again… But one day, because of this moment, America will return as a promised land.