BELIEVE!

It was a few weeks back when I decided to just believe.

Like nearly every black person in the world watching this unfold, I have had a hard time believing that Americans would actually vote for a black man. The painful civil-rights struggle of African-Americans is known to black people throughout the world and it is asking a huge leap for us to believe that not only will he not end up dead but that people...white people! might actually vote for him.

Interestingly enough, it was a comment from Barack's wife, Michelle Obama that finally got me to that point where I had the courage to believe.

It's long but read it...

BRZEZINSKI: The polls are showing your husband is trailing Hillary 46% to 37% in the African-American community. What is going on here?

OBAMA: First of all, I think that's not going to hold. I'm completely confident. Black America will wake up and get it, but what we're dealing with in the Black community is just the natural fear of possibility. You know, when I look at my life, you know, the stuff that we're seeing in these polls has played out my whole life. Always been told by somebody that I'm not ready, you know, I can't do something. My scores weren't high enough. There's always that doubt in the back of the minds of people of color. People who have been oppressed and haven't been given real opportunities that you never really, that you believe somehow, someone is better than you. You know, deep down inside you doubt whether you can do it because that's all you've been told is, no, wait. That's all you hear. And you hear it from people who love you, not because they don't care about you, but they're afraid. They're afraid that something might happen.................................................

Brzezinski: It's interesting you say that, excuse me, because the stewardess yesterday, a 52 year African American and I asked her are you interested in Barack Obama and would you vote for him and she said I don't think so because he probably can't win because he's black.

Obama: That's right, that the physiology that's going on in our souls and our heads and I understand it, I know where it's coming from you know and I think it's one of the horrible legacies of racism and discrimination and depression you know it keeps people down in their souls in a way where you know sometimes they can't move beyond it. But the truth of the matter is that that's something we're gonna have to get over as a community and you do it by forging ahead fearlessly. I would not be where I am, I wouldn't have gone to Princeton, I wouldn't have gone to Harvard I certainly wouldn't be a practicing attorney, neither would Barack if we listened to that doubt. You know, and there are a lot of kids who I know who aren't pushing themselves or going for what they know they can do because of that doubt. We have to move beyond it not just for Barack in this Presidency, but for the future of our community we’ve got to show people of color a different possibility. And I think that once they see what's possible then they own it, they believe it, I think that some black folks think that Barack won't win because the white people won't vote for Barack.
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Brzezinski: Now it seems like you are almost, or you are speaking directly to the Black community here about this psychological barrier this fear of possibilities, you have Wall Street journal doing a front page article about whether or not a qualified African American can win the While House, to those who say Barack Obama cannot possibly win the election because he is black what do you say?

Obama: I say wait and see you know wait and see. Barack has been doing stuff he's not supposed to, I'm used to doing stuff that people told me I wasn't supposed to do that's my whole life. It's like ok here we go again you know telling me I can't do something before I even try. I mean, that's just not healthy. It's just not healthy. It's not healthy for people, it's not healthy for young people to hear those messages from anyone because it's not true. It's like me going into your house and telling your daughter who she's going to be today. You wouldn't allow that.

Brzezinski: And she wouldn't either.

Obama: And she wouldn't either, but fortunately she already has the self-assurance to know who she can be. Now you imagine millions of children who don't have that. They don't have parents who were affirming them you know they don't go to schools where teachers were affirming them. Everyday they hear what they can't be. The Wall Street polls don't even begin to touch on that. That's why I'm like give it up, stop it, because you can't start polling now, you've gotta start at the root cause of this. This stuff is deep and we haven't touched it as a nation. We don't deal with pain that has been caused by racism and division. We don't deal with it. And then we're surprised when it rears its head among whites and blacks. We haven't dealt with it and it's hurting all of us. It's hurting all of us. We can't afford to have generations of children of any race believing they can't be exactly who they think they should be.

I have to admit - that knocked me back. Because though I am as progressive and bold and confident a black female as has ever walked this earth, I was thinking that way too. "Obama is great, but... no way, it's too much, it's too soon, they're not ready."

That interview really made me look inside myself. How could I reconcile that confidence with that fearfulness? It's mental slavery, pure and simple.

So I decided then no more. I was going to step out not just on faith, but in confidence that an intelligent, articulate, inspiring political leader who happens also to be black can take power in the most powerful nation on earth.

And last night was the first step. In "the whitest place outside of the North Pole" as one CNN political pundit put it, Barack Obama convincingly won the Iowa Democratic caucus.

That's right. In a state that is 95% white, Obama walked away with 38% of support. That just happened to be a larger percentage of the vote than his opposite number, Republican caucus winner, Mike Huckabee, secured with 34% support.

Furthermore, more than TWICE as many people came out for this caucus in Iowa than did in 2004. That has to mean something. People are getting the message. People are inspired to come out and support this man. People are ready for change - not just change in the trite, over-politicised 'it's time for a change' kind of way. Real meaningful change.

It's time to believe.