Dear Mr. President,

As the time approaches for you to leave the White House, I would like to take the time to say thank you.

You gave me hope in a world that tells me the only way that I will succeed is if I dribble a ball or rap over a beat. You showed me that a black man can be destined for so much more than orange jumpsuits and chalk outlines in the middle of the street.

Thank you for always keeping it real Mr. President. Thank you for being unapologetically black, while the entire country watched your every move. You shared our culture with the nation in a way that only literature has been able to accomplish. You became the tree that sprouted from the seeds sown by our ancestors. 60 years ago, they would've hung a black man for thinking he can be president, but now you have instilled a belief within little black children across America that they can be more than just a statistic. You gave them an example of what can happen when you apply yourself in school and life. You showed them that the possibilities are endless when you refuse to be the status quo. You are the end product of marches, boycotts, and sit-ins. You are the result of a generation enduring Jim Crow and blatant racism. You are the twinkle in my grandmother's eye when she watched your inauguration on television.

So, Mr. President, I would like to say thank you for carrying this massive burden on your shoulders with the utmost pride. You have paved the way for so many young, black minds to be whatever they want to be. You are just the beginning of this chapter in American History. Thank you.