...... and J J Wept

As the crowd from all walks of life white and black, young and old, rich and poor, poured in the Grant Park in Chicago in their tens of thousands there stood one of the greatest Civil rights architect of all time Rev. Jesse Jackson weeping emotionally and uncontrollably.

At long last the curtains between the holy of holies and the Outer court of American and world politics have been finally rented and the words ‘All things are possible’ keeps reverberating and echoing loud in the minds all creation.


Today after a long wait to see the first Black President of the United States of America, history has been made. A little over 200 years ago, slave trade was abolished; 44 years ago the civil rights law was passed in the United States of America by the 36th President of the United States of America President Lyndon Johnson enabling all men including Blacks to be able to exercise their franchise.


A year before that on the 28th of August 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the march on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil rights Movement was recorded when Dr. King delivered what I see as a national prophesy to over two hundred and fifty thousand civil rights supporters, the speech is often considered to be one of the greatest and most notable speeches in history and was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century by a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.


Just 18 years ago, the Blackman had no say in democratic issues in his own country in South Africa, but in 1994, Nelson Mandela’s election as South African President brought a glamour of hope to the Black continent which ended White minority dominated rule known as apartheid in South Africa.


I came to know about Obama in the summer of 2006 when I visited North Carolina to preach in a Local church. There I prophesied and declared that this man would rule the world shortly. At the time people thought I was too over zealous and questioned the Blackman’s readiness to rule America, anyway I have news for you, just this morning I read this email from President elect Barack Obama;


Henry Afful --

I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.


We just made history.


And I don't want you to forget how we did it.


You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbours about why you believe it's time for change.


I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.


We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.

But I want to be very clear about one thing...


All of this happened because of you.


Thank you,


Barack.


I was so happy to read this mail because this is a fulfilled prophesy which has great implications not only for America but also for the rest of the world and more especially the Black race.


I know some people have argued that Barack Obama is not a black person anyway. I beg to differ. Barack is a first generation son of a Kenyan farmer from Kogelo in Northern Kenya, a Luo who migrated to America. Barack has always referred to himself as black. He has visited Kenya on many occasions and even has a school named after him in Kenya. Almost all the media houses in America, they refer to him as black as they do to anyone with a pint of black blood in his bloodstream.

I listened to BBC Radio 5 this morning as I drove my kids to school, when one of the leaders of the British conservative party said he hopes Britain can elect a Black prime minister soon. Very soon the likes of Germany, Italy amongst others will be compelled to have black lawmakers and even black leaders. I have heard some argue that this will not change anything.


Obviously I don’t expect Obama or America to solve all of Africa’s problems but it will in no doubt give hope to the hopeless, motivation to the young under achieving school drop out that truly all things are possible. Obama had a difficult life at some point in his up upbringing even to the extent of experimenting with drugs on some occasions but that was not enough to write him off from coveting the most important job the world has to offer today.


Where as I admit that this article might not resonate with everyone, I strongly believe there is some one out there just like the slaves that were forced out of the shores of Africa against their will, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther-King, Jesse Jackson amongst others, who have been buttered, bruised and abused not through any fault of theirs but because the skin of their colour. Who might have shed a few tears with Oprah Winfrey, Jesse Jackson and I through out last night when Barack Obama was declared the winner of the 2008 presidential election.


Today, America has shown that it doesn’t matter your colour or creed but the content of your character and what you have to offer. We have made so much progress in a short time since the late 1960s and I am very confident that this will change the face of world politics and the lives of young and old, black and white and Asian and Hispanic and anyone that wishes to achieve bigger things in life.


As Jesse Jackson wept, I could imagine what went through his mind. The America I grew up in has changed and that change has come at last through decades of priceless toils and bloodshed.


There is now a feeling of opportunities and possibilities. We can truly say that with ‘God all things are possible’. I can’t wait for the life story of Obama to be played by the likes of Will Smith in Hollywood, probably I will be one of the first to lay hands on the movie. Thank God at least this is not a movie but a reality.

Arise, arise my brothers and sisters and let’s take a clue from this as we build Africa and mother Ghana. Let put our house in order (Let the fighting cease, stop the corruption etc) and make it easy for ‘Nana’ Barack Obama to rule. To Barack I say kudos! Come on Barack! May The Lord Almighty help you rule with the wisdom of Solomon and the distinction of King David.


Shalom! Henry Godson-Afful. MA. London , UK.
Minister/Author/HR& Educational Consultant
President Of Maximum Impact Foundation, UK.
Email: henryaaff@yahoo.com

Henry Godson-Afful is the author of the Book not the gold but the clay and from Crisis to Christ.