Obama accepts Democratic nomination on symbolic anniversary: "I have a dream..."

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: Thu August 28, 2008
Obama reaches next milestone on symbolic anniversary
By Kristi Keck


Sen. Barack Obama takes a walkthrough of Invesco Field at Mile High on Wednesday night.

(CNN) -- Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28,1963, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his vision for a new America: "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,' " he said before a crowd of hundreds of thousands. King's dream for a land where his children would "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" would be repeated, meditated upon and memorized for generations to come.

On the 45th anniversary of King's rousing call, Sen. Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination at INVESCO Field in Denver, Colorado. In what represents at least a partial actualization of King's dream, Obama will become the first African-American to lead a major party's ticket for president of the United States....

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When he announced his candidacy in February 2007, Obama told a crowd in Springfield, Illinois, that "few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change." "Together, starting today, let us finish the work that needs to be done and usher in a new birth of freedom on this Earth," he said. Obama -- the third African-American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate -- said he knew that some might see a certain "presumptuousness" and "audacity" to his announcement, considering the odds against him....

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When he became the presumptive nominee, many African-Americans cried because they said they never thought they would live to see such a day. Vendors soon started selling T-shirts of Obama's portrait pasted alongside King in Walgreens stores and online.

But as Obama approached and crossed the historic milestone, doubts remained about the Democratic nominee: There were the headline-making comments from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who accused Obama of talking down to African-Americans, as well as criticism from the outspoken Rev. Al Sharpton. There was the controversy over remarks made by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah White. There were suggestions that Obama was too black or not black enough. Each incident served as a reminder of the ever-present racial tension....

Before he clinched the nomination, Obama made it clear that although his candidacy marks a step forward on the path to racial reconciliation, the country still has a long way to go....

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Cynics question whether the relatively inexperienced Obama can ride a wave of hope all the way to the White House. As Obama formally accepts his party's nomination, he will surely counter their arguments and tell them, "Yes, we can."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/28/obama.thursday/index.html