I've lived in a little town most of my life. And for the most part it has been a largely white town. Almost six months ago now, my family and I moved to Durham, NC where whites and blacks pretty much split the demographic. I can't tell you what perspective I've gained in these few short months about the significance of our nation's first African-American president. Politics aside, and I realize that's a big difficult step for many people, this is one of the most important moments of our nation's history. I know that many people didn't vote for Obama. There were many whites and blacks that voted for McCain and others. But seriously, setting aside all of that - this moment is huge. Just before Obama was sworn in today, a couple of black girls from our neighborhood came over to our house. They came to see us, and to play with my daughters. I've teared up a few times over the last hour or two thinking about this day and all that it signifies. Dr. King long ago dreamed of such a day, when little white kids and little black kids would play together like skin color didn't even matter. And today, while I know that racism isn't over and it's still a reality, skin color didn't matter. I'm so grateful that Dr. King, and millions of others have dared to dream such a dream. And I'm proud that this dream came out of the church - a man of God, a man who loved Jesus. We tried to explain to Hannah the significance of this day, telling her about how people used to be really mean to other people just because of their skin color. Hannah doesn't get it. It doesn't make sense to her. At first I kept trying to explain it to her, but then I realized what was plainly obvious. It doesn't make sense to her because it doesn't make sense. Period. It's crazy. I'm so glad that she doesn't think in those terms. I'm thankful that it will never make sense to her. Once again, thank you Dr. King for daring to dream.
