Still a long way to go...

As most of the United States - and a good portion of the rest of the world as well - celebrates the historic victory of now President-elect Barack Obama, it is easy to feel good and appreciate this great moment in time as one that will be a permanent fixture in history's texts for the rest of time. It is a moment not just for the black community or for minorities, but the fantastic recognition of how the US and the world has come so far that a mixed-race man has been elected to one of the most powerful positions in the world. Although both positive and historic, Obama's presidency is not at all the resolution to any singular problem, merely the beginning. And while it is a sign that we have indeed come so far, we just have to look around to realize that we still have a long way to go.

A little over a week ago, two very disturbing stories surfaced that proved this very fact. In Lithuania, Valdas Garastas, the head of powerful basketball federation, apologized for a racist outburst against two black Americans who play in the Baltic state. Garastas referred to the players as "n*****s" and "black ass-h***s". On that same day, three students from Quinnipiac University were arrested and dismissed from the university for "racial harassment of black players on the school's men's and women's basketball teams."

While these incidents are alarming (or at least they should be), especially in the wake of the historic election, they are undoubtedly not isolated incidents. Although they might not surface to the level of any real attention, I can guarantee that on almost every campus and in almost every boardroom all across the country and the world racial slurs are thrown around and ignorant, bigoted actions are taking place.

Basketball is increasingly becoming the new global game as its popularity soars to new heights. But growth abroad has not at all translated into racial harmony. As indicated by these two incidents and so many others that go unnoticed or are simply brushed over, there is much work to be done even as the world enters the time when a man of a racial minority will be in charge of one of the most powerful and influential democracies on earth. The election of Barack Obama is the signal of a great positive change in this country and should also be a starting point to not just sports fans, but to everyone to call out intolerance and bigotry when it rears its ugly head. Let it be known that we will not tolerate it any longer. Although it might seem like a heavy task to stand up to those who wallow in ignorance, it is something that must be done.

In the words of the President-elect: "Yes we can!"