Across the country, Democrats are celebrating the recent victory of Barack Obama in the U.S. 2008 Presidential election.  But no where is the celebration more bittersweet than in black communities, where many can remember a time not so long ago when the idea of a black president was unthinkable, even laughable.  Many historically black communities have suffered through crushing poverty and the effects of drug-related violence.  On top of that, these communities have faced personal and institutional racism.   However, these communities have remained bound together through ties such as their churches.  Today, the joy and pride in President Elect Barack Obama also brings them together. People put up home-made signs proclaiming “Yes We Did”.  Local merchants cheerfully create Barack Obama T-Shirts with Obama’s name spelled out in glitter.  Slogans like “Mission Possible” now seem real to many in the historically black communities, where the most respected elders had fought through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. A new spirit of optimism and accomplishment has gripped these places.