By now, the dust has settled on the Mall in Washington D.C., after the gathering of more than a million souls less than two weeks ago. They came to hear the Inauguration speech of President Barack Obama. Some of that dust came from as far away as the Sahara, brought by the jetstream. This speaks to the theme of that day, that in this 21st Century World, there are no barriers to connection.

The occasion was shaped by the sober tone of the President's speech. In many ways he could have been a "clock", alerting us to the gravity of this particular time in history and the vast opportunities for each one of us to make a difference. While his message was primarily aimed at Americans, the themes of the speech resonated across the wider Human Family – extending to us in Bermuda.

President Obama noted that the time has come to "chose hope over fear and unity of purpose over conflict and discord …". A reminder, that times have changed reverberated against the backdrop of Martin Luther Kings's 80th Birthday celebrated on January 19, 2009.

For many of us the mention of the "Dreamer" brings romantic images of solidarity for those seeking "the Promised Land". Yet on reflection we recall the conflict and discord that has occurred for the "Children in the Wilderness" for those 40 years since King's assassination. It was in the year of his death – 1968 – having reached 18, a challenging age in a challenging era – that I began a personal transformation. Many of my generation had turned our backs on Martin, in many instances, we had turned towards Malcolm X's approach. The events in Memphis, the senseless brutality, "sealed it". Those events and the spirit of the times, that shaped the zeal of my first years abroad in university.

For me the Inauguration prompted recollections, reminiscences, memories of the time and the events that surrounded my transfer from "remote" Florida, to Howard University in D.C. in 1970. I was expecting to find a campus committed to the "revolution". Somewhat disappointed, I joined the faint chorus of "recriminations" against those bourgeois Negroes on that "party campus". On the upside, I had declared my independence, covering my education by washing pots in a restaurant along Pennsylvania Avenue, only a few blocks from the White House. Further west towards downtown D.C., I often sold copies of The Black Panther, as I did between classes on campus.

The "Panthers" were but one of the Tribes of the times, others included the Black Nationalists; the Pan-Africanists and the Cultural Nationalists organisations. While I was not a "member" of that most militant of groups, I was attracted to the Gospel according to Franz Fanon and read Epistles from Angela Davis and Huey Newton – these provided some insight into the life I saw on the streets of D.C. when walking the ten blocks from work to my bedsit. In the context of those heady times, the soaring rhetoric of Panthers, some self destructive tendencies of individuals involved and the work of agent provocateurs of J. Edgar Hoover, led to that group's eventual demise, along with a number of other organisations.

While our generation had emerged for the most part, imbued with strong idealistic impulses, in many instances we became sidetracked on the journey, sometimes ending up in blind alleys. Looking back with gratitude, some of us escaped the danger of becoming "hooked" on the dogma. Our small group of radicals at Howard, with the cooperation of a priest at an Episcopal Church, set up an educational project for the children around adjoining neighbourhoods of the Campus. A small practical accomplishment.

Thankfully, some of those "lines of tribes ... have dissolved". In retrospect it is clear that both Malcolm and Martin were moving towards each other in their latter years. They were both remaking themselves, evolving and moving on. Another instructive example of this imperative, is the story of Bobby Rush, a Panther survivor who has been serving in the US Congress for a decade and ironically defeated Obama by a 2 to 1 margin in a primary, just six years ago.

In his Inauguration speech, the President of the United States stated that despite the challenges of a divided past "… our common heritage will reveal itself". In Bermuda, we may see that "old habits die hard", but this is at an expensive, community cost. In the Fall of '08 we saw examples of how even colleagues within both political parties engaging in personal attacks, in many instances – turning their pens into inter-tribal "bladed weapons". The "chickens of divisiveness came home to roost". Our island is too small, our histories too connected and our futures too inter-dependent. Yes, "our common heritage must reveal itself". In the words of President Obama our community can "... remake itself" ... "Yes we can".

We, along with the global human family have been called, at this "time" to "set aside childish things ... to reaffirm our enduring spirit .. to choose our better history". This power – to choose – is within our hands. Marcus Garvey reminded us that History to a People is like Roots to a Tree. Those roots can selectively absorb those nutrients which nurture the Tree as well as anchor it from the elements. Likewise a People can selectively absorb aspects of its history that nurture current and future generations, as well as anchor them through challenging times. In making this choice we can collectively move from the identity of "victim" to the identity of "creator".

President Obama's call for a "new era of responsibility" echoes the theme of our own historical legacy. The values that he mentions are ones that our ancestors held dearly: "Honesty and hard work, courage and fair play and tolerance and curiosity" are qualities of character that run deep in our community. We can join the "demand ... to return to these truths".

In closing, this article's opening observation, "the dust has settled on the Mall in D.C.", brings to mind those familiar words "ashes to ashes; dust to dust". A reminder that our time on this Earth is limited. We can choose the false comfort of being spectators who "enjoy" the spectacle of the new and popular Presidential personality, while remaining firmly on the sidelines of history. Or we can choose this time to think globally and ACT locally. Our children and our children's children deserve it.

If not Us, Who? If not Now, When?