daybreak in alabama.

I'm not going to get all political ferschmitical on anyone via blog or really via any other avenue of conversation (also because I have no say. why you ask? well ask me personally about my embarrassing shameful voting fiasco story).  I try to respect the sacred right we all have to cast our vote, to believe in our own principles, and to live in the way we see fit.  I think everything has been said...and let's face it...I like to play nice nice (or maybe you just caught me on a good day?).  Election day is done and I hope that everyone enjoyed exercising their freedom to vote.

I would Like to talk about one thing;  the incredible stride we made socially as a country in electing the first African American president in United States History.  I cannot express my amazement or my pride for the progress we have made in the last 50 some years as a nation.  In most of our parents lifetimes black men and women in many parts of the country could not use the same restroom, drinking fountain, school...as their white neighbors.  Neighbors being a very relative term as they often couldn't even walk beside their fellow white citizens on the sidewalk let alone live down the street.  They were laughed at, jeered at, publicly shamed, and privately terrorized.  Murders and violent acts were overlooked by a distorted culture that saw the African American people as less. 

 

Racism is a far from gone problem.  During this election time I have been appalled by the comments, even those in jest, that I had the unfortunate experience of hearing.  (I love an inappropriate joke... inappropriate is one of my favorite words...  but not so full of spite people...come on.) I would invite everyone to remember that in many cases our ancestors struggled with similar persecution, similar jokes, similar judgements, similar acts of violence.  DO NOT forget the minute it's not you being called different.

So in opposition to all of that yucky-ness I would just like to say how thankful I am that another step has been made towards a society based on respect and equality.  Many people paved the way in all manner of sacrifices.  No matter our political leanings we should all take time during this crazy week to think about what this means and how this event fulfills many of the valiant efforts of those who have laid down their lives for civil liberty.

Daybreak in Alabama

When I get to be a composer I'm gonna write me some music about Daybreak in Alabama And I'm gonna put the purtiest songs in it Rising out of the ground like a swamp mist And falling out of heaven like soft dew. I'm gonna put some tall tall trees in it And the scent of pine needles And the smell of red clay after rain And long red necks And poppy colored faces And big brown arms And the field daisy eyes Of black and white black white black people And I'm gonna put white hands And black hands and brown and yellow hands And red clay earth hands in it Touching everybody with kind fingers And touching each other natural as dew In that dawn of music when I Get to be a composer And write about daybreak In Alabama.  Langston Hughes