The Last Page of The Last Chapter: A Farewell to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama
NERISA EUGENIA WATERMAN On the day that President Barack Obama was elected the President of the United States for the 2nd time it was truly a bittersweet moment for me. I was battling cancer, living in a new state, dealing with new doctors, not quite sure what God had in store for me. I never thought that I would ever live long enough to see an African American President be elected once, more less twice. Fast forward, I could have never image that I would ever live long enough to be in the presence of a sitting President, more less our first African American President of the United States, as part of a media outlet.
I learned that night that we live in a world where anything is possible. We live in a country that change is possible. Gone are the days we as African Americans must endure the fight of injustice alone. But we still have a long way to go, we still suffer at the hands of injustice as our black boys and black men are still being emasculated and murdered in front of our very eyes, brought to us live by social media, and forever in grained in our minds by videos made by cell phones.
Chains and shackles has been replaced by the invisible chains of shackles of the caste system that we as African Americans are thrown into. Unable to secure job opportunities, affordable housing outside areas that are classified as ghettos, obtain equal pay, rid ourselves of racial profiling, and at times, dig ourselves out of the hole of Social Services that was designed to help those in need.
But what has changed, is the outrage of the American people. Those who once stood behind us in judgement and ignored our suffering of injustice, now stand with us, and demand the we are treated equally and fairly. We no longer stand alone, we no longer march alone, we no longer cry alone. We are now a world united fighting for the common cause to end world hunger, equal access to healthcare, education, housing, civil rights, equal rights, and so much more.
As I look back on every single opportunity that was afforded to me throughout the Obama Administration, I often reflect on that little girl that once lived on the island of St. Croix, who could never have imagined the things I’ve seen, the places I’ve been, the hands that I’ve shanked, the pictures I’ve taken, the interviews I’ve conducted, and the articles I’ve written. But importantly, I could never have imagined that there would ever be a President or First Lady that looked like me, living in the White House built by my ancestors, made accessible to everyone known as the “People’s House.”
The Obama Administrations was about turning our Have Nots, and Can Nots, to “Yes, We Can,” and we did…with amazing grace. The legacy of the Obama Administration was one of opening doors and not closing them. The legacy of the Obama Administration represented the changes in the world we live in. I am, my ancestors’ wildest dreams. I am, the progress of my forefathers who fought for the rights and privileges I have today. I am, the very essence of every woman who fought for the right to vote, the right to work, and the right to be seen and be treated equally to her male counterparts.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in many ways brought to reality the wildest dreams of my forefathers and my foremothers by transcending beyond the boundaries and limitations set by others, set by stereotypes, set by genders, and set by the color of their skin. They showed the world that the bank of justice and equality is not completely bankrupt.
As we come to the last and final page of the book of the Obama Administration, we are face with the reality that soon that this good bye will be the final good bye, and this story will officially end. Heartbroken that an era is quickly ending in just a few short hours, but optimistic of the progress we’ve made as a people. As I say farewell for the last time, I say Thank You. Thank You, President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama, for showing the world that a little black boy, and a little black girl, can one day grow up to be the President of the United States and the First Lady.
Disclaimer: A version of this article appears on WorldNews.Com with the same title https://article.wn.com/view/2017/01/19/The_Last_Page_of_The_Last_Chapter_A_Farewell_to_President_Ba/
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