The Editor, Sir:

Great events have always become legendary because they are etched in the hearts and souls of human beings, and passed down from one generation to the next. The election of Barack Obama, an African-American, to the presidency of the United States is undoubtedly one of these great, historic and enduring events.

Obama's election is an incredible story that will be talked about and written about for centuries. It is not an exaggeration to say that this amazing feat will not only be the subject of bedtime stories especially among people of African ancestry throughout the world, but this legendary feat will be told in thousands of barber shops, grocery stores, laundromats, taverns, rum shops, nightclubs, and churches for many years. This amazing story will also definitely resonate in the lyrical sounds around the world. In short, this story will never die, neither will it fade away.

Unifying force

The election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States has served notice that a new order is emerging. It has signified the fact that there is a generational movement under way, and that Obama symbolises the bridge between the old and new generations. No one should deny the fact that this election was not only about the past versus the future, but about the synthesising of the two. In this respect Obama represents a unifying force not only in America, but throughout the world. It can, therefore, be said that Obama has transcended both the racial and generational divide.

It is not too much to say that the emergence of Obama as a leader on the international stage, has created a huge storehouse of goodwill throughout the world. This is reminiscent of the outpouring of goodwill immediately after the tragic events of 9/11.

It would appear that the entire world is yearning for effective leadership again. People of all races and nationalities are yearning for American leadership. I am confident that under Obama's leadership, America will once again become a beacon of hope for the rest of the world.

To heal

This is not the time for partisan gloating in America. It is a time to come together as one nation. It is a time to heal old wounds and forge a new direction.

There appears to be great rejoicing among all the races in America, but for millions of people of African ancestry the emergence of Barack Obama as the national leader is indeed heartening and special.

If Martin Luther King Jr was the Moses of American Blacks in the turbulent years of the 1960s, Barack Obama is certainly the Joshua of the 21st century for he has made it possible for us to fulfill Martin Luther's dream that "little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character."

I am, etc.,

RUPERT JOHNSON

e-mail: r.b.johnson@sympatico.ca

Toronto, Ontario

Canada, M1C 3M7

... for millions of people of African ancestry the emergence of Barack Obama as the national leader is indeed heartening and special.