A.A.N. celebrates the election of the first black American president. We want to pay tribute not only to Barack Obama’s extraordinary spirit and vision, but also to his mother and grandmother, and to his whole extended multicultural and multiracial family.
In the aftermath of Obama’s historic election, we received an email from Endashaw Tesema, an African leader in Australia, honouring all those women who have had the courage and determination to build intercultural and racial relationships and families, despite enormous obstacles and opposition at times. With his permission, we include an extract from his email here:
“Many would rather I did not make this comment but following Milton who once said “a grateful mind owes not but still pays” I wish to pay at this moment in history, not later.
It is women like you who have followed their hearts, not the expectations of others, in more cases than not at great personal price, that helped in the speedy arrival of a moment in history today.
Thank you for meeting us half way to help us cross the bridge, to propel the world toward transition at a more accelerated speed than would have been otherwise.
Without the brave women like you having met us half way, America would have taken longer to make history; many millions of people would have passed away without witnessing this change; many millions of people whould have simply continued to hang on to Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” with no hope of realising this dream in their lifetime. The reason is those who granted the making of this history would have been less prepared to cause the realisation of this dream. Together, the women like you and us have shaped the history that has just unfolded.”
A.A.N really appreciates this recognition, and also acknowledge all the men who also play such a critical role in creating and sustaining intercultural and racial families.
