Jakumo:

Ndipe regardless of how long you have resided in America as a free-born immigrant, you can never BEGIN to fully grasp the true and full story of Black America, and how that legacy of slavery CONTINUES to affect American-born blacks from their earliest years in grade school, until the time their hair turns grey .   The American civil rights struggle has been a long and bloody one that claimed the lives of many of the brightest and best black Americans to ever walk that land, and so is NOT a chapter of American history that can so easily be closed and forgotten like the Boston Tea Party.

So many of those who actively engaged in that civil rights struggle are still alive today, thus it is natural and fitting that they would recall, on the day a black man FINALLY rose above it all to become president of the United States of America, the tortuous struggle that culminated in this epic victory for the downtrodden and forgotten race that first arrived on America's shores in shackles.  Yes sir, Rev Jesse Jackson's tears were as heartfelt as those streaming down the faces of so many who stood around him on that chilly Chicago night as President Obama addressed America.

Now a few words from jazz guitarist George Benson

There were times when I thought
That I couldn't last for long
Ah, but now I'm able
To carry on
Its been a long, long time coming
But I know
A change is going to come
Oh yeah, a change is going to come

Jakumo:

Ndipe regardless of how long you have resided in America as a free-born immigrant, you can never BEGIN to fully grasp the true and full story of Black America, and how that legacy of slavery CONTINUES to affect American-born blacks from their earliest years in grade school, until the time their hair turns grey .   The American civil rights struggle has been a long and bloody one that claimed the lives of many of the brightest and best black Americans to ever walk that land, and so is NOT a chapter of American history that can so easily be closed and forgotten like the Boston Tea Party.

So many of those who actively engaged in that civil rights struggle are still alive today, thus it is natural and fitting that they would recall, on the day a black man FINALLY rose above it all to become president of the United States of America, the tortuous struggle that culminated in this epic victory for the downtrodden and forgotten race that first arrived on America's shores in shackles.  Yes sir, Rev Jesse Jackson's tears were as heartfelt as those streaming down the faces of so many who stood around him on that chilly Chicago night as President Obama addressed America.

Now a few words from jazz guitarist George Benson

There were times when I thought
That I couldn't last for long
Ah, but now I'm able
To carry on
Its been a long, long time coming
But I know
A change is going to come
Oh yeah, a change is going to come

Jakumo:

I stand corrected, SkyBlue.   Try as I could, the name of the first singer of those words escaped me.

Going slightly off topic, George Benson's jazz roots run deep, with his early influences traceable to Wes Montgomery's octave-emphatic flow, but you will have to look deep into his musical archive to stumble across those solidly traditional old-school jazz offerings.

Jakumo:

Don't delete this post Sky Blue. American musicians have made their own contributions to highlighting the plight of Black America, so an honorable mention is definitely in order now that the tide is turning.

Blues singer Billie Halliday comes to mind right now - " Strange Fruit "

adconline:

Ndipe, You cannot have an honest discussion until you start seeing black Americans as individuals. Did you ever think that you would be as successful as you are if your  Parents were Born in Katagori LG in Sokoto? Or did you think that Bill Gates would been successful if he were born in Darfur? Some Nigerians always think that racism was long time ago in America without thinking that Nigeria had  voting rights  before  all African Americans. Have you ever considered unevenness of opportunities? A kid schooled on the South west side of Chicago cannot educationally compete with a kid schooled in New Haven Conn. Here is the difference but not an excuse for some slackers.  If  unevenness of opportunity benefited or disadvantaged some folks, then some folks were direct and indirect  beneficiaries . I believe Bill Cosby's  school of thought on  black issues in America. "If sentencing guidelines on crack cocaine Vs powder cocaine disproportionately target black folks, then you should not do  drugs"