Back in June 2007, I endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president of the United States. At the time I was impressed by his ability to break through the cynicism associated with politics.

Today, I am awestruck by the degree to which President-elect Obama has been able to do this, but even more so by the way he has inspired a generation of young Americans often characterized as superficial, narcissistic or careless. The fervor that Mr. Obama has tapped among young professionals, college students, athletes and entertainers is remarkable. Especially moving is the enthusiasm he has generated among young African Americans, who often are stereotyped as hopeless, or aimless, or thugs.

Barack Obama has invigorated a "lost" generation of inner-city youth who, through him, have rediscovered a sense of purpose in themselves and of faith in this nation.

Rosa sat so Martin could walk; Martin walked so Obama could run; Obama is running so our children can fly!

This was a text message from a 19-year-old single mother from McKeesport that I received on a recent Friday night. It was my "aha moment," when I knew something amazing was happening before my eyes.

Suddenly I started to notice the young guys with the oversized baseball caps, low-hanging pants and colorful sneakers wearing Barack Obama T-shirts. At the corner store or the club I found myself talking politics with people who had never watched a political debate prior to Sept. 26.

Soon I met an incredible group of young people doing voter registration, knocking on doors and making phone calls to get out the vote. This inspiring group included teen-age mothers, Job Corps students and the formerly incarcerated. Most admitted that this would be the first time they had voted. Many were not registered to vote until last month and never before cared about politics.

I have watched these young people transform from being devoutly apathetic into believing that they can make a difference in their troubled communities. For the first time in many of their lives, they have hope and faith in their futures and are ready to serve a cause greater than themselves.

Obama for mankind, we ready for damn change so y'all let man shine!

-- Young Jeezy from the song "My President"

Over the past 10 to 20 years, many leaders have tried to motivate young people from the inner city to overcome the challenges they face. The vast majority of these appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

Most young people have lost the reverence they once held for faith, civic and political leaders. If my generation ever had a leader it might have been rapper Tupac Shakur, until now.

While the lectures of the Al Sharptons, the Jesse Jacksons and the Bill Cosbys have alienated our young people at times, Mr. Obama has found a way to embrace them and be a role model. Mr. Obama is making it "cool" for our young people to be intellectual, articulate and poised.

This is truly significant for a generation of young people who often view these as negative qualities, as selling out. He is uniquely positioned to challenge our young people to be better parents, active citizens and future leaders.

Over the past two decades, inner-city youth have been demonized, chastised and written off. These young people bear as much responsibility as their elders for the problems they've caused and the challenges they face.

But now, at a time when our economy is stumbling and our future as a nation is in doubt, it is inspiring to see our young people rise above their cynicism and hopelessness.

Among the other incredible things that happened on Tuesday, the generation gap between African-American youth and their elders narrowed, opening the door for much-needed inter-generational dialogue.

Older African Americans, who had braved and survived the barbarity of Jim Crow, stood in long lines to vote alongside young people who, from their perspective, take for granted the opportunities earned through their struggles.

Teenagers who would vote for the first time arrived at polling places at 7 a.m. to encourage voters to wait patiently in line and provide assistance to those with problems. Young adults, some of whom had failed to graduate from high school, passed out materials and helped people figure out where to vote.

It was inspiring to see the hip-hop generation help further a mission that began many decades ago in the Deep South in churches, at lunch counters and on dark dusty roads where men got hung from trees. It is poetic that a generation of African Americans considered to be abject underachievers helped make the difference in an historic election that rewarded the hard work of those who came before them.

At an election night event, I saw an African-American man in his late 50s shaking hands with an African American man in his 20s and saying, "This is for you."

The young man replied, "This is for you, too."

We must seize this unique moment in our country's history. The Obama presidency will represent excellence, intelligence and service; responsibility, respect and hope. For a generation of young African Americans, it will represent even more -- redemption.