It may be easy to say that, considering American voters unanimously chose the 47-year old to lead the world’s most powerful nation on Tuesday night.

But honestly, if I were a betting man, my money would have been on Barack right from the start.

After eight years of degenerative rule by George W. Bush, Americans finally woke up out of their ignorant slumber and realized the time had come to make a change in the way they see themselves, and the way they are viewed by others.

It was an historic election, one that will forever change the landscape of American politics. And I have faith that Barack Obama will lead the American people into a new chapter in their country’s storied history. The United States has never been in a more precarious position. While still a military superpower, their economy is in shambles, and the ship has been floundering at sea, unable to figure out how to fix the rudder and steer into port.

That all changed Tuesday. I believe it is a change that will deeply effect the entire continent. Barack Obama empowered the American people to think differently. That can only be good for Canada, and the rest of the globe.

By electing a black man to the most powerful position in the world, western society has made a huge shift when it comes to the divisions that are created by race. No longer do minorities in America need to feel left out of the opportunity for power and leadership.

However, can the same be said for Canada?

Could a black man or woman, South Asian, or even a First Nations person realistically aspire to be the Prime Minister of Canada?

Unfortunately, I believe we are still long years away from a visible minority person assuming the leadership of our own nation.

While Canadians pride themselves on being inclusive and multicultural, I believe there are still underlying barriers to minorities in politics.

Barack Obama’s rise to power represents a new milestone for the American people. Barack could not win without the support of the white majority in the US. In America, the black community represents only 12.4 per cent of the total population.

Yet Americans of all colours and race became one for the first time in American history.

In Canada, the black community represents 2.5 per cent of the total population.

At the national political level, there is only one black MP in the House of Commons –Marlene Jennings, a Liberal from Quebec.

Canada did achieve a milestone in the 2008 federal election when Leona Aglukkaq, an Inuk from Nunavut, was also elevated to Cabinet by the Conservative government.

Michaëlle Jean, a black woman, holds the most powerful ceremonial position in Canadian politics as Governor General.

In thinking about other notable black politicians in our history, Lincoln Alexander certainly stands out as a man who broke down barriers. Not only was he the first black MP to be elected in our history, but he also served as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. He was the first black person to serve in a vice-regal position in Canada.

Other notable black politicians include Jean Augustine (1993-2006), who served as MP for Etobicoke- Lakeshore and was a member of Cabinet.

Rosemary Brown was the first black MLA in British Columbia, serving from 1972-1986. In 1975, she became the first black woman to seek the nomination of a federal party, coming in second place to Ed Broadbent of the NDP.

Mary Anne Chambers was an Ontario MPP from 2003-2007 and was a cabinet minister in the McGuinty government.

Alvin Curling was a black MPP from the Scarborough area for 20 years. Ovid Jackson from Owen Sound served as a MP from 1993-2004.

Dr. Daurene Lewis established a milestone in 1984 when she was elected as the first black mayor in the history of North America, serving the town of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. She is a descendant of Rose Fortune, another black woman who made her mark as the first female police officer in Canada.

Anne Clare Cools became the first black senator in Canada and still serves to this day.

Visible minorities are represented better in Canadian politics than most other western democracies, but will we ever see the day when a non-white person becomes Prime Minister of Canada?

We certainly can take a lead from our American neighbours, who have eclipsed the racial divide once and for all by electing Barack Obama as President of the United States of America.