EPHRAIM Martin who stages the International World and Reggae Music Awards and a resident of Chicago who hails from St Thomas canvassed the views of other Jamaicans living in the Chicagoland area, asking them what an Obama win would have meant to them:

Rudolph F Thompson, treasurer, Jamaican American Association of Illinois – jamruddy@aol.com

“This time in history will be extremely significant for third world countries. He will be of great assistance in bringing peace and understanding by communicating in a sincere manner to all. This in turn will uplift others and help them rise above pettiness to begin to see the needs of the people and obtain resources to help them grow in many ways. Barack Obama will also serve as a role model for peace and greatness for the world.”

Dana Martin, student ladycau2011@yahoo.com

“An African-American being nominated and elected president is a turning point in history within itself. Barack Obama is a historical figure to the African-American dream.

Stemming all the way back to slavery and the civil rights movement, Barack is a prime example of the “dream of the American Negro”.

Obama is not only a symbol of the African-American culture, but also that of the American people born here or otherwise. For all those who said we could not make it, for Martin Luther King who fought so hard for people not to be judged by the colour of their skin, Barack is the passageway to a truly “United” States of America.

Deon M Lopez, community activist midwestcaribbean@yahoo.com

“I use to say, it won’t happen in my lifetime. I will not live long enough to see a person of colour or a woman sitting at the helm of the White House.

Well, we fast forward to 2008, and we have just witnessed a woman lose in a race to be vice-president of the USA and a man of colour win the right to be its Chief Executive Officer – the president of the United States. He will be known first as the first African-American and then the 44th President of the United States. A bittersweet victory! This victory comes with a double-edged sword. If he fulfills the hopes of blacks, he must disappoint whites – and vice versa. He will have to find that thin line that pacifies both races. So let us assume that he has already figured out what that thin line is, because as we all know, President Obama ran this race with the weight of 14 per cent of the US population (African-American) on his back. President Obama’s victory signifies America is now making progress towards equality, hope, and a president who understands the needs of the people. President Obama is the fulfilment of the words of Martin Luther King: “Judge a man not by the colour of his skin, but by the content of his character.” His achievement will no doubt follow in the footsteps of great leaders such as Marcus Garvey and Nelson Mandela, who sought to politically engage and inspire their generation and a nation.”

Courtney Panton, musician cpanton@comcast.net

“This would just give blacks a sense of hope and a realisation that anything is attainable if you pursue your dreams. Blacks or people in general will still have to go out and provide for their families like they normally would, I don’t think that blacks would be placed in a more favourable position because we have a black Commander-in-Chief.”

Paul Lyle, mobay1@aol.com

“Not just for African-Americans but for all, it shows what can happen when faith is coupled with hard work (preparation).

For Americans, this is a bridge to the racial divide and a chance for us to get our issues right as a people. For African-Americans, this historical moment should help us to restore much needed race pride that hasn’t been seen since the early 70s, but now with a much more defined purpose and blueprint for being better people.”

Herbert Witter, insurance broker h.w.@insurancebroker.com

“Barack Obama’s election to the highest office of the most powerful nation in the world will strengthen the pursuit of justice and equality for all people, both in the United States and around the world. It will shatter another barrier and the perception regarding the suitability of Blacks for positions of power. It will serve as an example to our children that the heights they can reach are limitless. Moreover, since Obama’s economic and social agenda are more geared toward the working poor and middle class, there should be real financial, educational and social gains. We also expect that Obama’s foreign policy will be less confrontational and will favour the economic and social growth of the world, particularly the poor nations.”

Karl Villanueva

Videographer – viavision@msn.com

“For America, electing a black president means that we are at a point in our history where the need for real leadership and solutions to real problems have forced us to be colour-blind. Just as a few Fortune 500 companies have placed talented black entrepreneurs at their helms, so too America, in this critical moment when present conditions demand necessary change, has selected the best candidate for progress.

For our future, it means that the next generation of black youth will not grow up stunted by the aftershocks of racism or anti-social behaviour or defiance that has plagued the progress of so many, some still languishing in our prisons. If having a black president means normality in our society, then, it will also be kosher to have little black kids showing up in high places to get a shot at the top.”