While we celebrate this moment with hope for the future and the possibilities of things to come, we should also make sure that every AfricanAmerican child is able to dream of being president and has the tools and guidance to make that dream a reality. Since November 4, I have found myself saying "Yes, we can" many times a day. Now I say to all of you: "Yes, we can" make our communities stronger. "Yes, we can" make sure young Black men end up in college and not in prison. "Yes, we can" make sure the graduation rates of AfricanAmerican students increase.

On November 5, 2008, African- American men still were more likely to end up in prison; the high school graduation rate of African-American students remained dismal; AfricanAmericans were more likely to be the victims of violent crimes; and health issues such as strokes, heart disease and diabetes continued to afflict our communities at alarming and disproportionate rates.

American history