Dear President Obama,

I am writing you to express my hopes for your presidency, and some of my concerns for it as well. I am a follower in this movement. Your message of hope and matching the promise of ideals with the reality of our time is invigorating and magnetic. Mr. President, isn’t it funny how things change – it was not too long ago you were not black enough, and then you became too black. Hillary and Joe Biden said you were not experienced enough to be president, now they work for you. Conservatives said you were too liberal, yet your cabinet yields more Republicans than any Democratic Presidency ever. Nevertheless your presidency can change the way African-Americans are viewed and treated. Now a young white boy in Indiana who does not see black people on a daily basis can now see you as President and make positive judgments of blacks, instead of his view of blacks just being what he witnesses on the nightly news or movies from Hollywood. You are now a positive face of blacks, we can be proud of because your image outshines all of the negative images of our people. Your presidency can put a band-aid on the racial wounds of our past and the current wounds this nation has opened around the world.

Your election was formed by wins in states with the whitest populations in America and especially in South Carolina, a place where the Confederate flag still flies. The faces in the crowds at your rallies were the diverse faces of America that is why so many flocked to this movement. Your presidency can alter the way America is perceived globally. Your life story gives you a unique perspective about the issues this nation faces going forward. Your presidency is a confirmation of a higher calling we all have, to serve a greater cause than just ourselves. We do have an obligation to the next generation; one does not need to be of the Democratic persuasion or black to appreciate that. This is why you have called for a new spirit of service, sacrifice and responsibility. That is why millions stood in lines for hours and dug into their savings in such a dire economy to support this movement. As you take the oath of office so too should a nation, to preserve, protect and defend what makes our country great; an ability to hitch our wagons to a cause greater than just one single man or woman.

President Obama, all I ask is that you be honest about the challenges we face, as you have said there will be setbacks and I certainly will not agree with every policy you make as president. I just ask that you listen to me, even when we disagree. Mr. Obama, I know you do not have all the answers or even half, however you have a plan and a mindset to get to the answers I can trust and believe in. The inclusive nature of this movement across so many our societies dividing lines proves that you “just get it.” Our nation’s problems will not be solved by a majority of Democrats, or women, or Latinos; rather they will be solved together, by all of us since that is the only way to create lasting generational change. Changes will we continue to see long after you are no longer the President of the United States.

Sincerely,

Divine W. Shelton

P.S.

What can you do about increasing the Pell Grants for bright and struggling college students like me?