Her Victory

When I woke up this morning, I turned on my computer and logged on to CNN like I usually do every morning.

There was an African American old lady standing in the line to vote with her grand son and her daughter. She was just crying. She said, "Marvellous. God kept me here for some reason. And I guess this is supposed to be it."
and that, brought me to tears.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/11/04/bts.three.generations.vote.cnn?iref=videosearch

I just couldn't help myself from thinking about all the hardships she must have gone through.
She must not have been able to vote when she was young.
She must not have been able to sit on the bus when she was young.
She must not have been able to go to a restaurant where white people dine.
There must have been so many things she was denied to do.
Yet, she must have fought for them. She must have kept fighting for the rights she deserves, not just for herself, but for her daughter, and for her then unseen grandson.
All her life must have been a struggle. A struggle to get equal right.

That's why she was crying this morning while she was standing in the line to vote for a possible first African American president.

As Obama eloquently said tonight, this is not his victory. This is her, and millions of others like her, victory. It is the victory of those who were once oppressed, but never lost hope, and kept fighting for the better tomorrows so that the next generation would not have to face their struggles.
This is their victory.

So, that's what they did for our generation.
The question is what our generation can do for the next generation.

That's what is being asked of us now.