Though many of us say that race, along with age and sex, does not matter in the political and social realm, history has told quite a different story. From slavery, to Jim Crow, to lynching and the Civil Rights Movement, the world has witnessed that in this Democratic country of America skin color can make all the difference. Yet, America has made continual strides toward healing the racial chasm of our nation, and on November 4 America made a giant leap.

“Yes we can,” was the phrase that hung in the crisp November air as Obama voters made their way to the polls. The simple slogan became especially meaningful for the generation that witnessed the Civil Rights Movement. The workers, supporters and beneficiaries of this movement are finally able to see the growth of the seed they planted in rocky, savage soil. 43 years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, which guarantees that no one shall be denied the right to vote due to skin color or race, the White House will be occupied by the first black “first family.”