"President Obama".

President Obama

Savor the moment.

Whether you voted Tuesday for Barack Obama or John McCain, whether you are elated or disappointed by the result, bear this thought in mind:

Less than half a century ago, within the lifetimes of older Americans, millions of black citizens were barred -- by law in some instances, by practice in others -- from voting, using public accommodations, mingling with white people at theaters and sports events, attending the schools and colleges set aside for whites, or serving on juries.

Yet, today Mr. Obama has been elected to serve as the next president of the United States. As Sen. McCain noted, in a concession speech that was as gracious as it was generous, the election of an African-American president helps erase "the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation." As Mr. Obama has often argued, his personal story is possible in no other country, America's turbulent racial history notwithstanding.

That should be a source of pride to all Americans.

However, it is important also to recall that Mr. Obama never made his campaign about race, and indeed stressed his desire to earn the trust of all Americans.

Doing so will require facing daunting challenges in the months ahead -- the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, two wars, a dysfunctional health care system, crumbling infrastructure and massive deficits and national debt that will impede efforts to tackle these problems.

Mr. Obama must soon lay out the strategies and form the political partnerships necessary for governing wisely in troubled times. Meanwhile, however, Americans can draw strength from that most optimistic message of the struggle that made an Obama presidency possible.

We shall overcome.

Editor's comment: AMEN, to that!