My heart grows roots :::: The Effect of " An Open Letter to Barack Obama"- Alice Walker

expr:id='"post-" + data:post.id' >

I am sitting in the coffee shop getting a awesome house recommended Chai Soy Latte with a Shot of Espresso. What a great drink it is. However this is not why I am writing this. What I wanted to share with you is what takes place afterword.

I am reading Alice Walker's, open letter to Barack Obama and I almost come to tears realizing that the letter written to Barack Obama, will affect all those who read it, which will cause the feelings towards a sense of responsibility, not matter how long lived that feeling may be, it will be felt.

What I took away from this great letter is the pain and the glory that people of color wear as a badge of honor. It has deepened my search to truth and given me the understanding to deal with it properly when I find it. To march within my heart and not for show amongst the masses. This is not a race to the finish, but one to end the insult of the dehuminizing sting of racial misunderstanding and misconcept-ion.

This letter is not only for African Americans and people of color, but for all those who see a brighter future for all of man kind. Although it is clear that Alice is askind Barack not to lose his soul in the White House, It is also evident that she has acknowledged that we must all chip in to make this a new world, under his leadership.



I want you to read this letter and tell me what you think then BUMP FORWARD to a new future.

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

Youhave no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us beingthe black people of the Southern United States. You think you know,because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. Butseeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, yearafter year, decade after decade, century after century, only to bestruck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almostmore than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intendedto burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because ofall the relay runners before you, North America is a different place.It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all thegenerations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit ofAfrica and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actuallyappear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take yourrightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, isa balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

Iwould advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster thatthe world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible forbringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that youdo have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make aschedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with yourgorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that yourfamily is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soonbecome juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice theirwives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smilesso lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way tolead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking aboutall this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax.From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which isall that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endlesscars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space theycan manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clearto them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within thereach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to takeon other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out offear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not justin those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. Wemust learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversarieswho are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you arecommander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect ourbeloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my motherused to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin,but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of wholecommunities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of rulinga people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poorpeople, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

Agood model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented bythe Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confrontsthe Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is thesoul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. Allelse might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, topeoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple andmajestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you dogracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, isthat expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kepthappy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us,lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,
Alice Walker

Powered by ScribeFire.