Editor's corner/ Over a cup of tea
Heidi M. Pascual*
Publisher & Editor
* 2006 Journalist of the
Year for the State of
Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA)
Publisher & Editor
* 2006 Journalist of the
Year for the State of
Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA)
| MLK's "Dream" in Obama |
Oh, my God! I haven’t seen such a multitude of people celebrating a President’s inauguration —
ever! Watching it on TV gave me a whole perspective of what was going on at the nation’s capital on
Jan. 20; but listening about it on the phone with my buddy, Jon, who was present at the Mall as
President Barack Obama took his oath as the 44th President of the United States of America, gave
me a real feeling of extreme joy and hope. This feeling had been similarly felt by all at the most
recent Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday celebrations in Madison which I attended not only as a media
person, but most importantly, as a proud member of communities of color. MLK Holiday events bring
together people of all colors and persuasions to celebrate MLK’s life and act on his message of love
and hope.
There was one common message by speakers, emcees, and commentators during our local MLK
celebrations: We are witnessing history. We never thought that we will witness this in our lifetime — to
have an African American President of the United States. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream is starting to
be real. We can now see that America is changing. We can now see that Americans are looking
beyond the color of one’s skin. President Obama was elected by majority of the American people
because of the “strength of his character.” Make no mistake about it — the dream is not fully realized
yet, but we are in the right direction to get there.
President Obama is now faced with grave challenges: we are at war and we are in deep
economic trouble. We should not expect miracles to happen in the next few months of his
presidency. But we should have faith that President Obama, with OUR help, can resolve many of our
pressing problems. We have to do our share in changing America. We have to ACT responsibly and
commit ourselves to working hard not only to better ourselves and our families, but also to benefit
others, especially those in need.
ever! Watching it on TV gave me a whole perspective of what was going on at the nation’s capital on
Jan. 20; but listening about it on the phone with my buddy, Jon, who was present at the Mall as
President Barack Obama took his oath as the 44th President of the United States of America, gave
me a real feeling of extreme joy and hope. This feeling had been similarly felt by all at the most
recent Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday celebrations in Madison which I attended not only as a media
person, but most importantly, as a proud member of communities of color. MLK Holiday events bring
together people of all colors and persuasions to celebrate MLK’s life and act on his message of love
and hope.
There was one common message by speakers, emcees, and commentators during our local MLK
celebrations: We are witnessing history. We never thought that we will witness this in our lifetime — to
have an African American President of the United States. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream is starting to
be real. We can now see that America is changing. We can now see that Americans are looking
beyond the color of one’s skin. President Obama was elected by majority of the American people
because of the “strength of his character.” Make no mistake about it — the dream is not fully realized
yet, but we are in the right direction to get there.
President Obama is now faced with grave challenges: we are at war and we are in deep
economic trouble. We should not expect miracles to happen in the next few months of his
presidency. But we should have faith that President Obama, with OUR help, can resolve many of our
pressing problems. We have to do our share in changing America. We have to ACT responsibly and
commit ourselves to working hard not only to better ourselves and our families, but also to benefit
others, especially those in need.