"The time when someone like her, couldn't vote for two reasons, because she was a woman, and because of the colour of her skin. Tonight, I think about all that she has seen through her century in America. The hope, and the holding, the struggle and the progress.
The time, when (women's) voices, were silenced, and their hopes dismissed, (she) lived to see them stand up, and speak out, and reach for the ballot. YES WE CAN..."
Maneno hayo yalipata kunenwa na Rais wa 44 wa Marekani, Barack Obama, November 5, 2008, mara baada ya kushinda uchaguzi wa mwaka huo, akimzungumzia kikongwe Ann Nixon Cooper, mwanamke mwenye asili ya Kiafrika, aliyesubiri mpaka umri wa miaka 105, kumshuhudia mtu mweusi akichaguliwa kuwa Rais nchini Marekani.
Akiwakumbusha watu weusi na Wamarekani wenzake kwa ujumla, safari ndefu waliyosafiri mpaka kufikia hatua ya mtu mweusi kupata haki ya kupiga kura katika uchaguzi na hata mtu huyo mweusi kuchaguliwa kuwa Rais Marekani.
Nimekukumbusheni maneno haya hususani ndugu yetu Maxence Melo, si tu kukupa pole, bali kukutia ujasiri, ya kwamba, safari ya kuudai uhuru halisi, katika nchi iliyo huru ya Tanganyika, ingali mbichi, ngumu na ndefu.
Safari hii haitafikia tamati kwa uhuru huo, mathalani wa mawazo, kwa kuletwa kwenye kijiko ama sahani ya dhahabu, na watawala, la hasha.
Wewe kamwe hutokuwa wa kwanza wala wa mwisho kutolewa kama mfano, la. Wapo wengi wata/tutafuata, mpaka pale tutakaporidhika, ima sisi wa kizazi hiki ama kijacho, ya kwamba, uhuru walioupogania mababu zetu zaidi ya nusu karne iliyopita, si wa bendera tu, bali unatafsirika katika vitendo badala ya maneno tu.
Pale ambapo, watu katika nchi huru, watakuwa huru, pasina kuzuiwa kusema ama kutoa mawazo yao wakiwa huru. Wakati ambapo, watawala watawatumikia Wananchi/badala ya Wananchi kuwatumikia watawala.
[HASHTAG]#JipeMoyoBeStrong[/HASHTAG] [HASHTAG]#MaxenceMelo[/HASHTAG].
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