Black people in the United States of America have been called some things in the past 400 years, none of which I will dignify by repeating in this column.
Now, at last, one of them can be called a new name: "Mister President".
Barack Obama's sensational victory is the realisation of the most famous dream of modern times - that of Dr Martin Luther King.
For, as the great man hoped, President Obama has been judged by the content of his character, not the colour of his skin, beautiful though that is.
Anyone who doubts that can reflect on the fact that the vast majority of Americans are white, so President Obama could not have triumphed in an election conducted on ethnic lines. And the size of the victory (at time of writing, 338 electoral votes to 155) confirms it.
With the charisma of Kennedy about him and the hopes of the free world behind him, President Obama has an extraordinary opportunity to change the world.
From everything we've seen during the campaign, he's about to do just that.
This is an historic day, not jut for the USA but for the world. The American Dream has finally come true.
Congratulations, President Obama.
Jon McKnight
