The election of Barack Obama was a historic event for this country; and for countries around the world.

This is certainly a new day and we, as Americans, have taken a bold step in electing an American who is black to lead our great nation. President-Elect Barack Obama, his family, the new administration and the nation need our prayers.

As excited as we are about President-elect Obama's victory and the signal it sends about the openness in electing a president who is black, and the many persons of colour who said, "I never thought at I would see the time when American would elect a black president" and as exhilarating as the election of President-elect Barack Obama was and as happy as so many of us are, we must remember that challenges still exist.

Many blacks and whites that thought that we would not see a person who was black, elected to the US presidency; and there were an equal number of persons who said, in their minds, and were committed to the notion that, "the nation would never elect a black president."

The reality is that everyone was not, and is not happy with the outcome of the election; and that's OK.

My thought is, "Get over it! President Barack Obama is every American's President!

It is going to take commitment from every segment of this great nation of ours to move this country to fulfil its creed that we are all, indeed, "created equal."

We, as black people, need to recommit ourselves to excellence because there is too much crime in the black community; too much black on black crime; too much disrespect for education; too many young black boys and men walking around with their pant hung down over their behinds; too many thugs and drugs in the black community; too many young black kids taking soft subjects in school; and too many black men and women in prison.

There are too many black youth who think that the path to success is either sports or entertainment. The election of Barack Obama should signal to us, a more excellent way.

Generations of blacks, and whites, have been adamant in saying, education is the way to achieve upward mobility and economic stability. Unfortunately, some in the black community, to their, and our, detriment, rejected the notion about the importance of education.

Barack Obama's theme was "Yes we can" and the morning after the election, people were saying, "Yes, we did," and since the election, some have been chanting, "Yes, we will."

The election of President-elect Barack Obama affirmed, "Yes we can, yes we did, and, yes we will."

Those are great words and great thoughts, but it is now time for each one of us to commit ourselves to President-elect Obama's dream and our commitment must be, "Yes I will!"

Each one of us needs to own a part of the dream.

The election of President Barack Obama should encourage our young people to set high goals. Barack Obama is an example of a man whose family did not have a lot of money, but knew the value of education.

He got a good education, stayed focus, gave back to the community, remained spiritually faithful, wore suits, was successful and is the first person of colour to be elected president of the United States. He was a model citizen.

The time is past when our young people think that the only way to get ahead is achieving in athletics and in entertainment. We are in a new day, "the sky is the limit." We need to take responsibility, step up to the plate, and say: "Yes I will!"

President-elect Barack Obama will assume the presidency of the United States on January 20, 2009 and he will be the President for all Americans.

He is not the black President; he is the President who happens to be black.

Like the presidents before him, he will be criticised, sometimes negatively caricatured, talked about and mistreated; and black people must understand that criticism of his presidency will not happen because he is black; he will be criticised because he is the president.

Any criticisms of President Barack Obama will not be a criticism of black people; as black people, let's not be paranoid and let's "thicken our skin".

President Obama will work for all Americans and sometime it might seem as if he might not be working in the interest of black Americans, but in working for all Americans he will be working for the best interests of blacks, white, red, browns, and yellow Americans.

We must remember that President-elect Barack Obama is not the black President; he is the President who happens to be black and he is the President of all Americans, the President of all 50 States and the President of all US territories.

He is the leader of the free world and the most powerful leader in the world.

Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America.

Dr. Sydnor is the 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder, the official organ of the of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (www.the-christian-recorder.org) This article is reprinted with permission of The Christian Recorder.