The Promise of King

Sullivan passes along this anecdote from a reader describing the meeting of an elderly white guy and two gangster-styled black men. Whitey was canvassing for Sen. Obama and asked the black guys some questions. Once he finished and began to walk away he was politely thanked by one of the black men who, incidentally, had the words "hate" and "pain" tattooed on his chest (apparently the man was shirtless). As an anecdote of white support for Sen. Obama such a story is heartwarming.
What gets me though is this isn't a singular occurrence. The last track off the latest Nas album is titled "Black President" and includes some audio clips of Sen. Obama, specifically the powerful words he said after the Iowa caucus: "They said..." Coming from one of the stalwarts of gangsta rap is this song of sheer hope. Never is Sen. Obama referred to as 'nigga'. Far from it, Nas treats the senator with the upmost respect. If such moments are signs of what the black community in America will think if Sen. Obama wins then we might see a resurgance of black pride and perhaps a turnabout in the black belief that one cannot succeed in America without either occupying a street corner or rejecting one's blackness to play the white man's game.
I want Sen. Obama to win, not just because he stands as an example of hard work bring positive results, but because he proves that in a viceral way to black America. He's no King but he's part fulfillment of King's promise to America.
Alright, I'm done waxing poetic. Time to step on some kittens and kick an old lady.