“Shortly after leaving the voting booth, 70-year-old community activist Donald E. Robinson had a thought: ‘Why do I have to be listed as African-American? Why can’t I just be American?’” — By Jesse Washington, AP National Write, Yahoo News

And now the healing — in earnest.

It’s been centuries in the making and decades since the last great orator changed the lives of African Americans and all Americans.

And now, in the after-glow of one of the toughest fought elections in American history, a new mindset is emerging.

A place where Americans are Americans are Americans — regardless of their ideological preferences.

The other day, I let someone in front of me in the supermarket as we were checking out. I’d done this since I started shopping as a young adult. When I had time, which admittedly isn’t often these days, I’d let someone with only a few items check out before me if I had a cartful, even if I was there first.

A lot of people do this — African American, Caucasian, Asian, Latino. I’ve never seen a situation where race was a factor in whether to extend the courtesy, though I’m not naive enough to believe it isn’t in some cases.

But, it’s different now.

When I moved aside for this man, it was the day after the presidential election. I wasn’t thinking, “Oh, I need to let the African American man go in front of me.” I was thinking what I always think when I extend a courtesy: “It’s the right thing to do.”

Yet, in that everyday event, something happened. We shared a look of understanding.

I want to think we both realized that something was different. Something we’ve both been waiting for, for a very long time, was picking up speed — the healing.

For me, Donald Robinson has it right. I’ve always been dissatisfied with classifications of people based on race and ethnicity. I know there’s a need for this information in certain settings, but in general, it can be eliminated from the majority of our forms and our mindset.

It reminds me of a conversation I had last year with a community activist here in Federal Way. This is an African American man who works hard for Federal Way youth and mentors children of color. I’d never met this person before, but I had called to ask him to participate in the diversity column I was spearheading. Our conversation was vibrant and honest. We were tearing down the assumptions we both had going into the conversation about one another.

I’ll never forget what he said to me (paraphrased): “I think of myself as an American. Not an African. If America went to war with Africa, I would fight for America, my country.”

I realized then that he, and most likely, most African Americans, didn’t identify themselves as “African” Americans, just Americans.

There’s still work to be done, but we’re closer. Oh, so much closer.

Kelly Maloney is a Federal Way resident.