I want to bid you a Congratulations.
Congratulations to my ancient forefathers who instilled in us, intelligence, ingenuity, and innovation in the land from whence all of mankind has come. You have indeed sewed a tremendous seed that this day… today… a new day… has now grown to be harvested. Today has revealed that Yes, we are descendants of great Kings and Queens… and this day, we have returned to claim our rightful place in leadership. Congratulations.
Congratulations to all, both survivors and victims of the great journey forced upon us in ships packed with our wives, husbands, uncles, aunts, brother and sisters. Your spirit has remained with us providing us the ability to stand strong even until our own demise.
Congratulations to those that endured generations of back breaking labor, humiliation and degradation. Your endurance prepared us for the long journey ahead.
Congratulations to our early relatives who kept the fire of freedom burning deep inside despite not every experiencing it.
Congratulations to the leaders, such as Harriet Tubman who rose up against oppression and sought out freedom in secret for our families with the will to pursue it. This day you have reached the promise land.
Congratulations to all of you who unwillingly sacrificed your life. The sum of your souls lifts the spirit of our people.
Congratulations to you elders of the church and who have maintained the belief that one day we will over come. You have carried the faith of our people knowing that none it could be possible without God’s helping hand.
Congratulations to Frederick Douglas for now the world can see the print of your steps.
Congratulations to the Nanny’s of the old deep south for you demonstrated our ability to care, love and nurture, even those that our not our own.
Congratulations to the early entertainers who, despite their exploitation still provided us with yet one more small step to taking the edge off of our acceptance…
And then…
the civil rights activist from the ghettos, middle class, and well to do…to the intellectuals, students, men, women and children. You stood in the face of the opposition wielding water hoses, billy clubs, police dogs, and jail houses. You showed us their is no force that can stop us.
Congratulations to Malcom X. You taught us how to take what belongs to us by any means necessary.
I Congratulate Martin Luther King Jr. You demonstrated the power and pull of peace.
I Congratulate the early athletes of our country… you Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, and so many like you. You contributed to our on-going effort to push the display of excellence for the world to see.
I Congratulate you later entertainers, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr. and all of you others that allowed the world to see past the color of our skin to enjoy the color of our brilliance, talent and creativity.
I Congratulate Muhammed Ali that revealed our ability to be quick on our feet, quick with our hands, but most of all, quick with our wit as well.
I Congratulate Jesse Jackson for keeping hope alive so that we may come after him one day and use that hope for change.
I Congratulate Maya Angelou for you set the expectation for our people to rise.
I Congratulate Michael Jordan for showing us all what could be accomplished through hard work and dedication.
I Congratulate Earving “Magic” Johnson who has shown us that tribulation doesn’t mean your termination.
I Congratulate Bill Cosby that showed the world that we can be both funny and educated.
I Congratulate Colin Poweli who stood as a respected, distinguished and successful officer of military and government, letting the world no that “Yes! We can do that too”.
I stand and Congratulate all who have stood and faced discouragement and oppression yet rose to persevere the following day.
I Congratulate Opray Winfrey. Through your efforts of sharing and giving you have demonstrated our ability to mother the world. Today is your victory as well.
I Congratulate Spike Lee. Your desire allowed the to see world yet a small peice of our story. You too, contributed to this moment of change.
I Congratulate Venus, Serena and Tiger. Your efforts continue to display the outstanding excellence that is present in all of us. I Congratulate you.
I Congratulate the present day entertainers and entrepreneurs, Beyonce, Snoop Dogg, and Diddy. Your ability to become household names has brought our acceptance into households around the world.
I also like to Congratulate all of the comedians Bernie Mac, Cedric, Chris Rock, and Spencer. You all helped us laugh together and through that we drew closer to one another.
I Congratulate the communities of Kenya and Indonesia, for you have also nourished the miracle of today.
Furthermore, I Congratulate all of you who demonstrate on a daily basis the spirit of our people.
Congratulations to my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather… my grandmothers and grandfathers… my mother and my father… for a day has come that you thought you may never see.
I Congratulate all and any of you who contributed to showing the world that we are deserving of such a great moment in history.
I even Congratulate the pimps, drug dealers and gangsters for this demonstrates to the world that even amidst the worst of us there is still enough good in “many” one of us to make us stand up, make a difference, and move the world.
If you showed up for work every day, exchanged smiles with a passerby or dropped a dime in the pan handlers bucket, you deserve to be Congratulated because the world was watching… and your kindness… your consideration… your sense of responsibility contributed to diminishing the differences among those that fail to understand us.
So today, I Congratulate you. …you who added to the possibility of this day. A day of tremendous impossibility has now become possible. Congratulations.
But I don’t exalt you in a way that would have to believe that the race is finished, but to have you understand that you have reached a defining moment in history that deserves to be recognized. The race is not over but yet still your “exaltation” is in order.
And finally, I Congratulate you Barrack Hussein Obama. You have risen from a modest beginning to become the hope of mankind. Your success is a reflection of our collective perseverance and pursuit of excellence… the same excellence that many of us were taught was necessary just to be counted. Through you, the American Dream has been experience by the world.
Congratulations.
A Collective of Thoughts by Roger L. Hooks Jr., November 10, 2008.
Yes, this is good, Thank your Mr. Hooks Jr. for some of your collective thoughts we appreciate it.
“That’s a Wrap4Real”
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