This weeks blog is a flashback to my 24 year old self. It was January 2009 and Obama had just been inaugurated, and I was on cloud 9:

“From slavery to abolishment, from sitting in the rear of the bus, lynchings, beatings, fire hose, colored vs. white, sit-ins, pickets, marches and not being able to vote or count as human beings, to civil rights. From segregation, to integration. From Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X to Rev. Jesse Jackson, one thing carried them through all the pain: HOPE! From fear to strength. HOPE! Hope begot drive, drive begot strategy, and strategy begot results. HOPE!
Results lead us to a man, a man who rose above all expectation of him with pride, faith, dignity, drive, and confidence. His was a message of unity and togetherness to get us through the tough times, and an urgent craving to live as one race and to embrace our differences. Barack Obama has done the inevitable; he’s done something many thought they’d never see in their lifetime. He became the 44th, first African-American President. President Obama has a long journey ahead of him, but he believes we can make the difference, all of us, not just for the present time but for the future. What he asks of you? To unify and embrace one another and help those we can; to coexist with each other and to bear our fellow mans heartaches and joys as if they were our own.
There’s hope now. Hope for my brother Samuel, for Noh, for Alem, for Lulia, for Henok, for Naomi and for all children regardless of their color/creed/faith. A hope that was once only dreamed has become a reality. January 20, 2009 marks a day where dreams and aspirations are encouraged and doubt is nowhere in sight. On this day, as an African-American woman, I feel invincible.
We have overcome.”

As I sit here and re-read this idea of my 24 year old self I ponder the past 5 years and wonder if that HOPE is still alive. Have there been any changes? You decide. And if the answer is no, do something about it. Don’t remain silent.

*Thank you for continuously reading my blogs. For more content check out my YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/bethlehemawate*

Let’s connect on social media, I’d love to hear from you:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethlehemawate
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethlehemawate
Snapchat: betu_la

Xo, B

Leave a Reply

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.