We Have Overcome

We shall overcome because

we have overcome

We have overcome when we no longer

think of ourselves as

African-Americans

Jewish Americans

Muslim Americans or

Italian-Americans but

as Americans

we are closer to that day.

We have overcome when we "judge a man not

by the color of his skin, but by the content of

his character" and no longer confuse what we see

with what is.

We have overcome when we can unapologetically

think first

before firing

and recognize our own face in that of an

adversary.

We have overcome

when we no longer attempt to

quantify, or qualify, injustice, but eradicate it.

We know we have overcome when we accept that

nations, too, have destinies, and that we are

responsible for the destiny of ours not

our forefathers not our president but us.

we have overcome when, after his

inauguration today,

we join Barack Obama,

and work with him to make this country,

and this world, a better place.