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President-elect Barack Obama and his family walk onto the stage at his election night party at Grant Park in Chicago, Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)_____________________________________Although this neither marks an end to racism internationally nor even within the very nation wherein Barack Obama was elected, it is helping in many ways, to begin to heal the wounds of slavery and oppression, of the Civil Rights movement and the fight for the right for African Americans to vote, by manifesting a dream so many never thought they'd live to see come to fruition. This momentous occasion marks a great day in the battle towards equality, and likewise, true democracy, as Obama, son of a Kenyan father of Muslim descent and a white mother from Kansas, who himself spent much of his youth living in Indonesia and later in Hawaii, attended college on the eastern seaboard and chose Illinois as his adult place of residence -- is seen as the most 'international' and geographically diverse President elect in U.S. history. His opponent in the campaign, John McCain, was a formidable one, a respected POW with a long-running political career, and the results of the election serve as no indication of the quality of the individual running for office, nor of his supporters. Yet, this election victory marks a changing tide in American society, celebrated around the world both for its significance in the United States, and for the hope and possibility it brings internationally. 
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., greets Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at the start of the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Spoken in the words of some of Obama's own heroes of democracy and equal rights...
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."...And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man." -- Memphis, April 3, 1968, the day before he was assassinated."Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: - 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." - Civil Rights March on Washington, August 28, 1963
Abraham Lincoln "As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.""Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.
John F. Kennedy"If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity."
Desmond TutuDesmond Tutu, an iconic figure in South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle and the retired Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, said Obama's victory tells 'people of color that for them, the sky is the limit.' "We have a new spring in our walk and our shoulders are straighter. It is almost as when Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa in 1994."After 27 years in prison for his struggle against white rule, Mandela emerged an icon of racial reconciliation. He was elected president in South Africa's first all-race elections.
Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, said Obama gave the world the courage to dream. "Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place," Mandela said in a letter of congratulations.
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CELEBRATING DEMOCRACY
AND EQUAL RIGHTS
 Civil rights marchers cross the Alabama river on the Edmund Pettus Bridge at Selma March 21, 1965, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the lead at the start of a five day, 50-mile march to the State Capitol of Montgomery for voter registration rights for blacks. The two leading Democratic candidates for the 2008 presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., gave nearly simultaneous speeches behind church pulpits just half a block apart from each other in Selma, Ala., on Sunday, March 4, 2007, to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the bloody civil rights march there that helped rollback segregation in the South. (AP Photo/File)
Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama, D-Ill., far left, white shirt, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, along with former President Bill Clinton, take part in the traditional walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 42 anniversary of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery in this March 4, 2007 file photo in Selma, Ala. To the right of President Clinton is Rose Sanders. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File)
Christine King Farris, sister of civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., is embraced by her granddaughter Farris Watkins, 11, as she wipes away a tear after a cable news channel projected democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as the winner during an election-night party at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Kenyan's in Kisumu, Western Kenya, Wednesday Nov. 5, 2008, celebrate the victory of president-elect Barack Obama, seen in photo at top, in the American presidential election. Barack Obama's Kenyan relatives and Africans across the continent celebrated his victory Wednesday, staying up all night or waking before dawn to cheer in America's first black president. (AP Photo/Riccardo Gangale)
Malik, the half-brother of U.S. President elect Barack Obama, is picked up by friends and family members as they celebrate Obama's victory in the U.S. election, at the family's homestead in Kogelo village, Kenya, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008. Barack Obama's Kenyan relatives erupted in cheers Wednesday, singing "We are going to the White House!" as Obama swept to victory as America's first black president. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
US Senator Barack Obama, left. planting an African Olive Tree at Uhuru Park Naiorbi, Monday, Aug. 28, 2006, On the right is Nobel Peace laureate, Wangari Maathai. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
U.S. Senator for Illinois Barack Obama, left, talks to former of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, right, in Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, Aug. 21, 2006. (AP Photo/Obed Zilwa)
Indonesian school children react to the announcement that Barack Obama had won the election for the U.S. Presidency Wednesday Nov. 5, 2008 at Obama's former school in Jakarta, Indonesia. Throngs have packed plazas and pubs around the world to await U.S. elections results, many inspired by Barack Obama's promise of change amid a sense of relief that no matter who wins, the White House is changing hands.(AP Photo/Ed Wray)
Mohammed Saher, center, a member of Iraq's black community in the southern city of Basra, dances while the al-Basra band play music, as they celebrate Barack Obama's U.S. electoral victory, in central Basra, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)
Obama citizens celebrate Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. presidential election as they watch the results on TV in Obama, western Japan, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008. Obama had been elected the 44th president of the United States and the citizens of Obama were ecstatic. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
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| Abraham Lincoln was a U.S president who fought for the abolition of slavery while keeping the country united. | Angela Davis is a leader, author, and professor who has fought for decades for human rights. | Art Miki founded the National Association for Japanese Canadians to help redress Japanese rights lost during WWII. | Aung San Suu Kyi has dedicated her life to freeing Burma from a repressive dictatorship and creating democracy without violence. |
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| Bill Bradley once a pro-basketball player now is a politician who advocates reform to make America better for all. | Cesar Chavez was a tireless advocate for migrant farm workers. | Chief Joseph led the Nez Perce tribe in an effort to keep its homeland. | Clara Shortridge Foltz was the first woman to practice law in California. |
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| Constance Motley became the first African-American woman judge on the largest federal trial bench in the US. | Craig Kielburger believes kids can change the world. | Crazy Horse bravely fought for the freedom of the Sioux Nation. | Daniel Pearl was a Wall Street Journal reporter who reported the news with courage, integrity, and intelligence. |
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| Deborah Sampson dressed as a man so that she could fight in America's Revolutionary War. | Declaration of Human Rights established the basis for human rights beliefs and practices all over the world. | Desmond Tutu worked to end apartheid in South Africa. | Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" was the civil rights speech that moved the world |
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| Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Congressman John Lewis talks about how Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired him as a young man during the Civil Rights Movement | Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet is known as the 'Mandela of Cuba' because he bravely defends the rights of Cuban citizens. | Eleanor Roosevelt was a champion for freedom and devoted her life to gaining rights for others | Eleanor Roosevelt was a champion for freedom. |
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| Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a pioneer in the movement for women's rights. | Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a leader who is bringing change and hope to Liberia. | Emmeline Pankhurst fought tirelessly for women's suffrage, and succeeded. | Fadela Amara is recognized throughout France as a champion of women's rights. |
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| Frances Ellen Watkins was a prolific author and poet who devoted her life to speaking out against slavery. | Fred Korematsu bravely protested the Japanese-American internment. | Frederick Douglass courageously spoke out against slavery and became a trusted advisor to Abraham Lincoln. | George Washington was the first President of the United States. |
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| Harriet Tubman organized the Underground Railroad and helped lead slaves to freedom. | Inez Milholland Boissevain : a brief but spectacular life dedicated to women's suffrage. | Inge Sargent is a Burmese princess devoted to human rights for all. | Iqbal Masih was a brave advocate for child labor laws in Pakistan. |
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| James Reeb risked his own life as a brave civil rights crusader. | Jane Akre & Steve Wilson won the 2001 Goldman Environmental Prize for their courageous journalism. | Janet Jagan was the first female president of Guyana and dedicated her life to building the independence of a nation. | Jessie Daniel Ames worked openly and actively on behalf of racial justice. |
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| John Adams worked as hard for peace for the United States as he did for its independence. | John Lewis has worked for civil rights for all for over 40 years. | Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta is Kerry Kennedy's hero because of his human rights work in East Timor. | Jose Marti is considered the father of Cuba's battle for independence. |
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| Joseph Ki-Zerbo works to help Africans retain control of their country's agriculture. | Joséphine Baker was a popular African American dancer in the 1920s who fought for civil rights. | Judy Feld Carr secretly helped thousands of Jews escape from Syria. | Kailash Satyarthi is determined to end child labor practices around the world. |
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| Kofi Annan is an honored freedom and peacemaker hero. | Lyndon B. Johnson was John's great grandfather and the 36th President of the United States. | Malcolm Little known as Malcom X, was a warrior in the fight against racism. | Marian Wright Edelman is one of the country's leading advocates for children. |
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| Martin Luther King, Jr. Peaceful freedom fighter and civil rights activist | Mary Harris Jones worked to free men, women, and children from industrial slavery. She was born on May 1, 1830. | Medgar Wiley Evers worked to end racism in America | Mohammad Hatta was a central figure in Indonesia's fight for independence. |
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| Mohandas K. Gandhi used non-violence to free India from British rule. | Morris Seligman Dees is the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center. | Moses led the Jews from slavery and gave them religious laws. | My Father, Rupfure Thomas & Nelson Mandela and Rupfure Thomas are heroes to lifesaver Paul Rusesabagina. |
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| Nellie McClung believed in equal rights for all women | Nelson Mandela is a peacemaker and a freedom hero. | Nelson Mandela is Muhammad Ali's hero because he understands what it means to fight against enormous odds | Osceola led the Seminoles in their battle for independence. |
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| Paul Revere risked his life for the freedom of the American colonies. | Qasim Amin was a forerunner in the fight for women’s liberation in the Islamic world. | Quaid-E-Azam helped to create the nation of Pakistan and obtain significant political rights for Muslims | RAWA promotes women's rights through non-violent action. |
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| Rev. James Reeb worked for equal rights for all | Reverend Peter Nguyen Van Hung works to end human trafficking of Vietnamese women workers and brides. | Robert F. Kennedy was a voice for the powerless and advocate for human rights. | Roger Nash Baldwin A pioneer in the struggle for civil justice. |
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| Rosa Parks made history when she refused to sit in the back of the bus. | Ruby Bridges bravely led the way to desegregation of schools as a child. | Sir William Wallace was a freedom-fighter for the Scottish people in the early 1300s. | Sojourner Truth born into slavery, worked for the freedom of all. |
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| Susan B. Anthony led the early Women's Suffrage Movement. | Susie King Taylor was a pioneer in the struggle for African American women's rights. | The Dalai Lama is the religious leader of Tibet and an emblem of Tibet's hopes for freedom. | The Greensboro Four protested segregation with a sit-in at Woolworth's lunch counter. |
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| The Little Rock Nine bravely fought discrimination to attend an all white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. | Thomas Jefferson helped the American Colonies achieve independence from Britain. | Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. | Tiananmen Square discuss freedom and democracy at Tian An Min Square. |
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| Vaclav Havel despite censorship, wrote plays that helped keep the hope of freedom alive.... | Varian Fry helped thousands of refugees escape from France during WWII. | W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar. | William Wallace was a late 13th century freedom fighter for Scotland and Ireland |
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| Winston Churchill was one of the first to recognize and warn others of Hitler's danger to freedom and human rights. |
Last changed on:11/6/2008 1:49:16 PM
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