By: Shiré Brandi
We often wonder what the face of change resembles. Change is refreshing and energizing. Change, even though it may not seem like it at first, is our soul’s redemption. The beginning of our epiphanies descended, gifts of personal revelation and inspiration, the moment that Tuesday, January 20th 2009 was born and opened its eyes. It was only a day before that Pia Johnson, Jae Hong Kim and I, alongside twenty-two other eager youth and dedicated staff from TCHC embarked on what seemed like a journey that a privileged few could only witness: the long awaited birth of a new day. The type of day that you could not wait to narrate to your children, and their children and remind them that the human spirit can rise above all challenges, oppression and pain. The cold winter air, with its sharpness that felt like lemon’s clarity, did not scold us or frighten us enough to cease celebrating as we queued on Washington D.C.’s 6th Street.
It was only a couple of hours before sunrise when amidst the loud flashing lights of the U.S. National Guard and the fierce roar of the elated masses, we stormed the entrance of the open gate into the National Mall. We need to witness this new day we thought, so that it may be recognized as a turning point. The Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America was more than a historical moment for the TCHC youth and staff in attendance. As agents of change who strive to strengthen the capacities, skills and resiliency of our communities in Toronto. Barack Obama’s Inauguration was a moment of relief and a testimony to the beginning of the manifestation of humanity’s long awaited promise towards equity, nourishing healthy communities, reason and unity. The sweat and tears of social advocates and torchbearers were finally materializing into a concrete shift in social thought and behaviour.
Despite facing profiling by police in our communities, or discrimination in finding employment because of the stigma of violence and poverty attached to our communities, heritage or orientations, yes we can as youth take it into our hands to mold healthy communities. As people of color, and specifically for young black youth who are stigmatized by negatives images of black masculinity and exploited black femininity, our aspirations of being free of restrictions and granted equal privileges were being realized through the Obama family. As young people of color, who constantly battle against the social obstacles to success and self-esteem, the residuals of a history thick with conditioned oppression, Obama’s inauguration was a moment of hope for our own futures. We could be Barack Obama. We could be Michelle Obama. We have the potential to change the world and now is the time to continue the legacy. Our history, our heritage, our communities are not a hinderance, they are our strength.
Standing in the unforgiving cold of the National Mall, surrounded by some of the monuments constructed by slaves, and where notable civil rights leaders exclaimed that the mountain top was near, where segregation was being debated, and dreams were announced - on inauguration day, millions of people from every ethnic and socioeconomic background were rejoicing at the sign of progress in society. Young or old, rich or poor, American or not, people collected themselves to say yes to the Obamas for being connected with the will and needs of everyday people. Young people, who feel that many times we have been lied to with the sting of broken promises and the inheritance of a world verging on social, economic and environmental chaos were mesmerized by Obama’s ability to authentically mobilize and engage us. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dreams were not forgotten. Our society was not set in its unattractive ways because behind the scenes the world was not really stagnant. The beauty of change is that it cannot be halted, and today we are all witnesses to the fact that Barack Obama is the President of the United States of America.
Everyone who understood the struggle of gaining equal recognition as contributors of our society was proud to see a black man and woman who have achieved a high place of authority due to the contents of their character. Young people of color finally were able to internalize a portrayal of everything humanity strives to be and that the Obamas gracefully demonstrated - responsibility, intelligence, humility, accomplishment, resiliency, forgiveness, innovation, authenticity and wise judgment. Above all, we were grateful for the priceless opportunity to experience a moment of relief. Obama's inauguration was a moment of relief and revitalization in my life. It gave me that short moment of peace of mind as a black youth to continue confronting stigma and setting my destination towards the horizon. I was refreshed and excited at the prospects of seeing a crack in the glass ceiling. My generation will be the generation that will break that glass ceiling of systemic discrimination and disenfranchisement of voices. The inauguration was a promise to humanity that more positive change is coming.
Barack Obama, a symbol of not only hope’s audacity, but of the resilient soul of social advocacy and community building, began his inaugural address by stating, “I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.” We immediately understood him and we were hooked. Obama was speaking to us, to the young people. Obama before our hungry eyes was an affirmation of our potential to heal the new wounds of addressing environmental sustainability, sparking peace, ensuring health and rights to life and alleviation of poverty. Yes he did succeed. Yes, it is true we are all the product of the sacrifices of our predecessors. And yes, we can induce positive change here at home with our peers, in Toronto communities, in Canada and maybe even globally.
The need to acknowledge the human right to water and access to safe, clean drinking water for sanitation and consumption purposes is paramount. It is time to stop ignoring what we do to our Great Lakes and bodies of water or where our water comes from and goes to or whether everyone has access to safe drinking water. We cannot fix our water management, infrastructure or consumption behaviour only after a catastrophe or finding lead or hormones in our tap water. We cannot wait for more water sources to be contaminated because our human need for water directly influences our human dignity and survival. If you are reading this post, promise yourself that you will take action because we care too much about the future of our water to ignore it. Like so many of my Youth4Water colleagues reiterate everyday, it is time we restore confidence back in our water. It starts with you and me.
