Last night I dreamed of you
We were talking and laughing like old friends
And even though we have never met
We share a knowing
So, last night we gathered together
And we talked and laughed like old friends
Dear President Obama
With much pride I have witnessed in you
The purest dignity of a man
The powerful adoration of a husband
The truest love of a father
The courageous strength of a leader
A mighty crusader
On the night you were elected
My daughter and I joined hundreds at the King Center on Auburn Avenue, where we all:
Danced in the streets with strangers, of varied colors and backgrounds
Laughed out loud with persons, of varied occupations and races
Shared tears of joy with individuals, of varied religions and ethnicities
Held hands with citizens, of varied ages and nationalities
And we were joined by millions of friends and mates and comrades and chums across the globe, as we all:
Whispered fervent prayers for your safety and success
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Dear 1st Lady Michelle
With admiring eyes I have seen in you
The classiest confidence of a woman
The unflinching support of a wife
The sincerest devotion of a mother
The astounding wisdom of a catalyst
A remarkable Queen
On the day your husband was sworn into office
My grandmother and I sat, intensely focused on his inauguration
We, two brown-skinned daughters
Both descendants of men and women, forced to live the brutalities of chattel slavery
Both progeny of loved ones, subjugated and terrorized in a cruel, harsh territory
Watched through tear-filled eyes, with hearts aglow
As your husband, this brown-skinned, became our nation's leader
And I heard my Nana quietly whisper: My Man
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Because of you my dear brother and sister
The world has seen what many of us have always known to exist
The exquisite boldness of a black man, unafraid to show tenderness
The resilient chi of a black woman, courageous in her vulnerability
The powerful essence of black matrimony, firmly rooted in love
The indisputable stamina of a black family, kissed by God
In eight, too-short years, you have both shown us all
How to stand our ground with grace
How to ignore ignorance
How to empathize with those whom we are most at odds
How to focus on the vision when bombarded with irrational distractions
How to respond with competent humility to those who are incompetently arrogant
How to be patient in the midst of urgency
How to be kind in the face of malice
How to be forceful with compassion, and
How to "go high" at every turn
Beyond yes, we can
You have taught us: Yes, we must
We must stand, even if alone, for integrity and truth
We must trust, even when tempted to doubt, in the goodness of humankind
We must work unceasingly, even when exhausted, to ensure a better world for our children
We must locate humor in life, especially if we are to survive the pains of life, and
We must take care of our bodies, even if means giving up French Fries (sigh)
Your actions have encouraged us
To be bold
To take chances
To lead by example
To exceed expectations
To be our best selves
To believe in our dreams, and
To speak truth, no matter the backlash
- Presiding over the implementation of major healthcare reform with the Affordable Healthcare Act, aka: "Obamacare
- Ending the war in Iraq
- Promoting nutrition and healthy eating
- Commuting the unfair prison sentences of countless men and women
- Turning around the U.S. economy
- Leading the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to legalize Same Sex marriage
- Securing a billion-dollar stimulus package and saving the jobs of thousands in the auto industry
- Appointing Sonia Sotomayer as the first Latino American to the U.S. Supreme Court
- Implementing the Executive Order to limit Carbon Emissions
- Advocating to end poverty and increase poverty awareness
- Passing Wall Street Reforms
- Supporting Military families
- Implementing the Trans-Pacific Partnership
- Securing the Iran Nuclear Deal
- Lowering the nation's unemployment rate
- Making the U.S. a global leader on Climate Change
- Reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba
- Overhauling education and "No Child Left Behind"
- Issuing the Fair Pay Act to support pay equity regardless of gender
- Creating the task force on childhood obesity
- Supporting LGBT Rights and repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
- Withdrawing major troop levels from Afghanistan
But at the end of the day
To me, you are simply a dear brother and sister
With whom, I share a knowing
To whom, I am grateful
In whom, I love
For whom, I thank God
Alongside whom, I talked and laughed like old friends
And now, whom I bid with much sorrow: Farewell