Your thoughts on the Daily Herald article

It is still not officially certified by the clerk's office but I will be joining the Lake in the Hills Village Board of Trustees on May 14.

I want to once again thank the residents of Lake in the Hills for trusting me with their vote earlier this week. I am very excited and humbled to serve you.

Interesting enough - I have had several people ask me my thoughts on this Daily Herald article. Read and tell me what you think.

My thoughts are somewhat complex. In the new post-Obama era - I know there is a definite "exhaustion" by many with the subject of race. That said - I was disappointed that that was the key thought in the DH piece. While out with some friends last night (some of whom voted for me Tuesday) I was asked - what I thought of the article and the headline.

"Such a complicated matter" - I hesitantly replied. On one hand - I am proud. If you read my other blog and/or spend any time around me - you know that I am a trailblazing pioneer. I love breaking  new ground - it is in my DNA to be the "only" or the "first". Somehow this time it is a little different because I am in the public eye. I have many times been the "first black" you-fill-in-the-blanks but this is the first time it was written up in the paper and does not feel quite the same as before.

You see when I spoke to the reporter on election night - I talked about how I felt (validated, humbled and excited), I talked about opening up communication between the residents and their government, I talked about how I had a plan to win and I executed it to perfection.  I talked about adding a fresh perspective - that of the younger, more diverse families moving into the area. I was asked if I knew if I was the first black person on the board and I said - "I did not know".

Yet the final points became the only point. I get it and I'm not upset. But I do realize it is a new arena I am playing in now.

One of my friends last night joked,  "I did not vote for you to make history (referring to the first line of the article), I voted for you because I believe in you." 

And I know many others in Lake in the Hills feel the same way. 

I am curious though, to hear open honest discussion on the topic. Three days later and no one has left any comments on the DH webpage with my article - I bet there are thoughts and I'd love to hear them.