January/February 2009

It was with excitement and anticipation that I watched the inauguration of the 44^th President of the United States of America. There is little I can say that has not been said many times over since the election, but what was said 100 years ago today, by William Howard Taft in his inaugural speech, as he spoke of the limited progress made since the Civil War, bears repeating. "The negroes are now Americans." Finally, today, that statement is fulfilled, in every sense of the word.

It has been a long journey. Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16^th President of the United States in 1861. The Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865; Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1862; and the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery, was endorsed by President Lincoln and was passed on December 6, 1865. The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965.

During the events that led up to the inauguration, the symbolism of what they were and where they took place was not lost on me. The celebration on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial recalls not only Abraham Lincoln, but the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on those same steps and spoke to the crowd and to the nation - "I have a dream..."

I am excited, not only because an African American has attained the highest office in the land; I am excited because he brings the promise of bipartisan cooperation, economic health, world peace, global enterprise, and national unification. These are tasks that have been under way for many years, but his commitment to making them a reality has an energy and urgency that, I am sure, will rally the people to work together to achieve the
common goals.

A dear friend just sent me a note, saying, "Today, for the first time in a long time, I am very proud to be an American. I have always been grateful, but it is such a wonderful feeling to have my pride of country and its leadership back." I am sure her sentiments reflect those of all of us.

But we must not forget the ongoing work that we do - providing every business owner the opportunity to compete, regardless of race or gender. That job is not completed, and much work remains to be done. Even though we have elected an African American president, we have not eliminated the need for affirmative action.

Today was simply the first step on a new path of national commitment to equality.

And this is what President Obama said, "The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation:  the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."