I know that it is for some, and that a sense of hope is flourishing in our nation and elsewhere for the historic occasion we will watch tomorrow on the mall, or at home.
The first national Martin Luther King Day, a bunch of us policy wonks piled into a car and drove eight hours to D.C. to spend the entire day going to MLK events. The day culminated with a gospel event at a pre-eminent A.M.E. church where Coretta Scott King spoke. It was a wonderfully exhausting and exhilarating day for legislative colleagues and lawyers, family and friends.
Back then, no-one was expecting an African-American to become President, or a woman. We were happy that this American leader finally received the recognition he deserved. Ironically we got both an African-American and a woman candidate for president this past election, a double whammy.
I write because of hope. Hope that African-American and other minority and disadvantaged children get a quality education. President Obama is a better aspiration for a low-income youth than an NBA or NFL player, if one does not have the build or talent to get there. He’s a lawyer and about to be president. And he shoots hoops, what could be more cool?
Yet many African-Americans are caught in a rut or downward spiral with little hope for the future. I hope this excitement and sense of hope pervades not only our government and non-profit organizations, but especially parents and kids. It would be best if the excitement infects the majority of the American public, including corporations, and gets us out of this economic recession.
My husband the physics major and software engineer says to study math and science. In the end you don’t have to do either but have a world of choices including business, economics, start-ups, whatever you want to do. Violin? Perhaps.
Today I look to the past to a man who had a dream. A portion of that dream will come true tomorrow but there’s a long way to go to make our United States of America color-blind. In the meantime I wish the incoming administration all the best in the challenges that they will face immediately and in the long-term.
Today, I am especially proud to be an American citizen and voter. Dee
Cooking with Dee 
Strike the bowling alley, install the half-court. Now, Mr. President, you’ll have to organize your own pick-up games! Congratulations! Dee