I voted for my dad today although it has been 3 years since he passed away. White and Jewish, he made his field the emancipation of slaves in the U.S., and taught college students "Negro History," "Black History," and later "African-American History" from the 60's until his death. At the time he started in the field, there weren't very many African-American PhD's. At his funeral, countless students, white and black spoke about how he inspired them. He would have loved to vote for Obama.
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I also voted for my children. Although they are white, they have some distant ancestors who were "negro" or "colored" and were slaves. Their ancestors did not live to see this day, but would have loved to vote, and would have loved to vote for Obama.
I also voted for my country. Although there are many who still harbor prejudice and hatred for people who are different races, I hope that an African-American president can transform these hearts and minds, help to heal our divisions, and inspire and lead us to a better future.