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On Barack, the Nomination, and Black Love

I'm so excited about Barack Obama! I know I'm just joining the teeming millions when I say that, but I think something this big is worth repeating. Never before in the history of our country has a Black man been in a position to lead the free world, and it feels good. I'm so glad that I've lived long enough to see this day.

Beside the fact that Barack is a great candidate for the Democratic party, I'm moved by his relationship with Michelle. Not since The Cosby Show have we seen a successful Black couple who have a genuine and sincere love and respect for one another. What makes their relationship so special is that it's real -- not the product of someone's imagination.

I obviously don't know Michelle Obama, but I want to grow up to be just like her. I love the fact that she doesn't NEED Barack. She's strong, smart, and successful in her own right, yet secure enough to fall back and be supportive of her man. That's something that all young women need to see. It'll be good for us to witness a woman being a real woman -- not some feminized version of a man.

The women's liberation movement makes it seem like we've got to burn our bras and turn in our femininity to be taken seriously. Look, I'm a woman. I love high heels and dresses. I cry when I watch Grey's Anatomy, when I think about the perils faced by our children today, and when I get frustrated. And if you don't take me seriously in spite of those things, you're taking your life into your own hands. We have to acknowledge who we are in order for anyone to be able to respect us. Hillary tried to renounce her womanhood in her quest to be the first female president, and I think it really hurt her.

Both Barack and Michelle know who they are, and they don't apologize for it. They bring an honesty to politics that we haven't seen on the national scale in a long time, and I personally appreciate it.

I've been reading about the "fist bump" the Obamas shared before he made acceptance speech. For the record, that's called a "pound," and it's funny to me that it's even an issue. This is just another example of how important it is for them to be in their position. Black people all over America saw that and thought nothing of it. It was just a woman showing solidarity and support for her man. The White folks saw it and had a fit! "What does that 'fist bump' mean?" One article I really liked came from the New York Daily News.

Just in case you're wondering, that "pound," "fist bump," or whatever you want to call it, was Black Love on display. I'm loving it! And in the words of our future First Lady, "For the first time in my adult life, I'm actually proud to be an American."

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