"White Like Me"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/opinion/18rich.html?pagewanted=1&em

"White Like Me" is an article written by NY Times Op-Ed Columnist Frank Rich in which he presents the history of Washington through a white man's eyes. With the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama occurring this week, Rich states that this is a day he was never sure would come. A Washington native himself, Rich recalls the time when DC was the "first American city with a black majority," although there were still many racist issues the city would face.
Although at the time of JFK's presidency there was much talk of integration, as it was displayed through different areas of the media such as television and novels like "Black Like Me." At the time, many wanted to believe that our nation's capital was ahead of the times and above the racism that was common during this era, yet the truth is Washington had its own "Jim Crow" era.
As Rich elaborates upon, there was so much Americans did not know about going on in Washington. It was like "a secret city unknown to the white world round about." What pride could we have in our capital during this time if it was just as bad as, if not worse than, the rest of the nation in its racist perspectives?
Therefore, Obama truly represents the changing views of American citizens. Although only half black, Obama has been subject to discrimination due to his appearance during his life. In a nation where blacks were once though only inferior to whites, Americans are placing their trust behind an African-American in the hopes that Obama is the change our country so desperately needs right now. By no means am I implying that Obama was elected solely because of his race, yet his election reflects that Americans have broken the racial barrier as they elected a President based on his views and opinions and can put all of the prejudices from history behind us in order to move forward in a more modern society.
When Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech in Washington during the civil rights crusade, how many Americans truly thought we would arrive to where we are today? According to Rich, not many.
However, the conflicts Obama will come to face during his presidency are much bigger than race. Although that represents one of his personal obstacles, he still has the duty to protect Americans and "clean up the mess" left after the last eight years. As Obama has said before, "in no other country is my story even possible." America is truly the land of opportunity, and Obama will continue to overcome any obstacles he faces in the next four years and lead America in the right direction. He has the ability to change and improve our nation and he proves that America has the ability to improve from its past and move into a brighter future.