As a black man I am unapologetic in declaring that "I'm black and I'm PROUD." Those words made famous by James Brown many years ago, ring true as never before.
A few weeks ago my 8 year-old son asked why there was so much celebration related to President Obama. I asked him how many presidents have ruled the United States and he correctly answered 43. I took the opportunity to tell him that all those 43 presidents were white and President Barack Obama is the first black man to rule this great nation.
I also told him of a time in recent history when blacks were scorned, spat upon, denied the right to vote, prevented from using certain beaches and a time when blacks were regarded as so dumb that they could not hold certain positions or jobs. I reminded him that we could not be seen in Miami Beach (and many other cities) after sunset.
Today we can proudly say that most of those unfortunate conditions have been reversed. As a result we have shown that "what you can do we can do it too and sometimes better."
During the Beijing Olympics of summer 2008, several black athletes showcased their talents for the world audience. The most prominent of them was Usain Bolt who became the first man to set world records in both 100m and 200m events at the same Olympics.
On November 4th 2008, the world watched with great anticipation as the United States of America elected its first black president Barack Obama. I personally did not think I would see such a historic moment in my lifetime but I watched with pride as he humbly accepted the opportunity to become the 44th president of this great nation.
The beautiful and talented Serena Williams won the Australian Open on Saturday January 31st. In doing so she regained the world's number 1 ranking among female tennis players. She is now at the top of the career earnings chart for female athletes with a career total of about $23.5 million.
On Sunday February 1st Mike Tomlin became the second black coach and the youngest to win a Super Bowl Championship. His team - Pittsburgh Steelers - defeated Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in an entertaining game in Tampa Florida.
We as blacks have more incentives to strife to be the best we can. Let us encourage each other to keep shooting for the stars. Quite possibly we can take a place in history and serve as a shining example for many black youths.
Bolt's journey to stardom (Part I)