I found myself a little wet-eyed watching the inauguration of America’s first African-American president yesterday. I even found myself, for the first time, wishing that I was an American.

Moved by the throws of Obama’s speech I started dreaming and putting my share of expectations on the shoulders of this new American President. And I know I’m not the only non-American to do so. On his shoulders are the hopes and dreams of Africans too. When we were in Nigeria we heard people in elated expectancy refer to Obama as “the fulfillment of our Saint Martin Luther King’s prophecy.”

I’ve seen first hand what the American government under the Bush administration has contributed to the fight against poverty and Aids on the ground in Africa and I’ve been impressed by the way in which they have quickly and skillfully deployed their resources. But despite this I still hope to see more from Obama. What I really hope to see is a shift in focus in this presidency from us to others—to raise the profile of the vulnerable: for the orphans and widows of society, for the poor and lonely. A new age of politics is what I hope to see.

Africa is tomorrow’s worst nightmare, it’s time to wake up to that. 6000 people dying of HIV/Aids every single day, millions of orphans. If America is going to be a world leader and act for the good and freedom of all then it needs to wake up to the reality of the war that’s waging every single day in Africa.

Fan Shelf. We bought a "Yes we can!"mug from here.Magazines with Obama's picture line the shelves.Sitting in the Minnesota airport today, surrounded by a celebration of Obama paraphernalia, I am happy for the American people. They can hold their head up high. They have found a leader who has reminded them of where they came from: a history of poor immigrants in search of a better future, and from what values they were built on: freedom for all.

Here is a beautiful little snapshot from Inauguration Day that I read in The New York Times today.

Noon
At a Homeless Shelter

At the precise moment that Mr. Obama was supposed to take the oath of office (he ran five minutes late) as the first African-American president of the United States, some three dozen men gathered around a big-screen television at the Central Union mission, to celebrate the event over coldcut sandwiches and orange soda.

The scene looked nothing like the elated multiracial throngs witnessing the inauguration on the Mall. The group at the mission, one of the city’s largest homeless shelters, was almost entirely black. Many looked downtrodden, and on the far side of middle-age. And the frayed, muddy clothes on their backs were among their only belongings.

But when Mr. Obama uttered “So help me God, “ the divide between the Mall and the mission disappeared—even if only for a few hope-filled minutes. Many of the men jumped up, clapping and pumping their fists into the air.

“I feel a part of this moment, too,” said Carlton Wilkins, an unemployed electrician and father of three, who stood cheering in the back of the room. “For a long time now, it has felt like this country forgot about the poor. But today, the president said that helping the least among us is important for the well-being of us all.”

Taken from: ‘From Slavery to History’: Americans Witness a Day of Clarity by Sheryl Gay Stolberg read in The New York Times, Wednesday, January 21, 2009