He Showed Us The Way

-
He showed us what grace under fire looks like.
He showed us what true love looks like.
He showed us that both swagger and humility could co-exist.
He showed us that you could be the leader of the free world AND have a wicked jumpshot.
He showed us how to look cool in a pair of shades, under the glare of white hot lights.
He moved us with his intellect. He dazzled us with his elegance.
He challenged us with his audacity. He inspired us with his optimism.
But most of all, he served. He represented. He got in the arena. And he fought.
Someday, I hope to tell stories to my grandchildren about this great man.
I hope they will marvel at my seemingly tall tales and find it remarkable that I got to see him in his prime.  As if I was alive when dinosaurs walked the earth.
Next to a framed poster of him beside Dr. King and Malcolm X, I’ll talk about the awesome speeches he gave. Like the way we reminisce about Jordan’s Flu Game and AI’s crossover.
Like that time at the DNC in ’04 when he said “in no other country on earth is my story even possible” and a nation started to believe.
Like that time in Philadelphia in ’08 where he gave a speech on race, saying “out of many, we are truly one” and a nation began to understand.
Or that time in 2015 at a Eulogy in South Carolina when he said “out of this unspeakable tragedy, God has visited Grace upon us. For he has allowed us to see where we’ve been blind”. And then he sang “Amazing Grace” and an entire nation smiled through its tears.
He always said that he was an imperfect messenger. A flawed human who would do his best, but would occasionally make mistakes and sometimes let us down.
He warned us that the change we wanted to see in the world would have to come from us, not him.
As usual, he was right. And that is why his imperfections made him perfect.

In his farewell address, Barack Obama said “my fellow Americans, it has been the honor of my life to serve you”. Well I say, right back at you sir, it has been the honor of my life to call you my President.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Top 10 Rap Songs About New York City

-
Image
Jay-Z's "Empire State Of Mind" , featuring the vocal stylings of Alicia Keys is a big wet kiss shout out to New York City. Extolling all that is righteous about New York, Jay's occasionally clever punchlines save the track from itself when it threatens to go from anthemic to sappy. Seeing Jay-Z perform this song several times over the past few weeks got me to thinking about the many other rap songs that have been dedicated to rappers' love of the big city. Ever since the dawn of hip hop, MC's have felt the need to confess their love for the city that invented the art form. Jay-Z himself has dedicated a half-dozen or so songs and countless verses to his beloved Brooklyn. Verbally representing one's borough has become so ingrained in rap vernacular that we no longer even notice this peculiar form of civic pride. Why are all these rappers trying to one-up the next man on how oppressive and bleak their home towns are? Is this really something to be proud of? I...
Read more

Lamont's Lists: My Favorite Hip Hop Songs Of 2024

-
Image
Well 2024 is a wrap, and I'm so happy to report that the rumors of hip hop's so-called demise were once again greatly exaggerated. For all of you who, just a year ago, were gleefully citing hip hop's declining streams and airplay as evidence of everything from a lack of creativity, to rampant commercialism, to too much mumble rap, and all manner of other "it ain't what it used to be" nonsense, let me be the first to say "STFU".  As I knew it would, the culture has once again proven to be resilient. There was so much great music released in 2024 that it was hard to keep pace with. From ratchet to righteous, boom bap to trap, and party starters to thought starters...the sheer breadth and diversity of the tunes offered something for every eardrum.  Yes, shots were fired and beefed settled, but there were also calls for peace, perseverance and power moves. Above all else, the music compelled us to put on our headphones or hit the dance floor or rap along...
Read more

The Top 10 TV Series Of 2022

-
Image
They say the era of peak TV has come to and end, with streaming platforms struggling to find new subscribers and viewers unable (and unwilling) to keep up with all the options. If there's been a slow down in production, you wouldn't know it based on the quality and volume of excellent series that were available in 2022. Here's my annual top 10 list, based on the many that I watched and enjoyed. I did my part to consume them all, but am fully aware that I missed a few gems (sorry, I'm still planning to watch Euphoria, I promise). Take a read, and as always...like, comment, share and let me know what else I need to add to my list. Cheers Lamont 10.  Winning Time   (HBO) - It seems like there were a thousand shows this year about Magic and/or The Lakers, but this one was my favorite. Slipping 5 spots from my mid-year list, I still had to keep it in my Top 10 despite some stiff competition. Mid-Year Commentary: A show about NBA basketball in the 1980s, with Magic, Kareem, P...
Read more