THE WHITE HOUSE HAS MORE SIGNIFICANCE THAN WE THINK FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS

The White House was built by slaves.

Maybe I could end the note right there.

Up until 1964 when the Civil rights Act was passed (and even then) Black people and indeed many members of the ethnic minorities did not have true FREEDOM. The last lynching occurred as late as 1951. For all those who are not minorities who hoped for a brighter day and for those whites and blacks who were beaten to death marching with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. the image of the President-elect Barack Obama and President Bush having a stroll on the portico before their meeting is poignant and deeply profound in its symbolism.

Back at University, we would have been asked to semiotically analyze the shot. This is not an academic piece. The simple image of Obama, who incidentally is not a descendant of slavery but is part of the "culture" in terms of being African American trying to reconcile many issues regarding race, culture, politics, freedom and being brought up by white parents, is very deep. Obama lived in Indonesia, raised by a Step father from Hawaii for a short while (Maya's Dad) and moved back to the mainland after his time at the University of Hawaii to go to Colombia. Imagine the richness of this experience, imagine the "confusion" of straddling both racial fences and looking for a sense of self-determination and identity in the environment in which he grew up. Imagine not having a mom to guide you along (she was often gone and looking for work) and you being left to make some important decisions on your own. Just read "Dreams from my Father". It is a repository of a man's life enriched by some very difficult situations. In many ways, he reminds me of the best of our Caribbean men as well.

However, what is key is that not one march or Presidency was in vain to this moment in time: Medgar Evers,the million man march with Louis Farrakhan, Booker T Washington, Malcolm X. Jack Kennedy, Eisenhower, Robert Kennedy, Abe Lincoln ... the list is endless. Racial and hate issues are still to be overcome but you and I hold a collective responsibility to promote CHANGE.

Because of the work of civil rights leaders legislators and people like Rosa Parks, the foundational work was laid and Obama was able to realize a dream. But let's not be ridiculous with our excitement and be bushy tailed and wide-eyed, wearing rose coloured glasses. Obama has inherited the worst economy of modern times and other issues must still be addressed, including racial issues. There are legislative propositions with far reaching implications and Obama also has to use executive orders where necessary. He has a lot of tough decisions to make that may be unpopular regarding those who elected him. He has to prioritize and I believe his transition team knows what its doing.

These issues (race, culture and society) do not die just because a black man is President. That is naive. Ignorance will still run amok in some quarters. We have work to do GLOBALLY! We have work to do domestically.

The expectations are high for Obama, the pressure is boiling but this unflappable and audacious man is surrounding himself with the brightest and the best of all races and with a bi-partisan boldness which will see him achieving his campaign promises only with the support and patience of the electorate who dared to hope alongside him. He is using his website Change.gov to allow us to engage in true participatory democracy using the public sphere. I believe his WH and Cabinet will be a microcosm of the US.

And so, that meeting was another first but for Obama, personally. His first meeting at the WH was as President-elect. How fascinating. The symbolism of this, should not be lost on any of us, Republican or Democrat, black or white.