Barack Obama has opened the country's eyes to noncolor. He is a person, not a black man or an African-American. He is a man in his own right and his influence has affected our schools.

For many years Glenwood School had two black teachers: a black reading teacher and a black librarian. Annually, two groups, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Federation of Teachers and the local chapter of the National Association of Black School Educators, have requested that the district hire more minoritY teachers of all racial groups to better reflect the composition of the district's students.

This request was usually met with the response, "there aren't enough candidates entering the profession." Yet neighboring districts were more successful recruiting minority teachers.

Chapel Hill is a difficult district because of its diversity. Black teachers have felt uncomfortable because of subtle prejudices and left to work in Durham or in Wake counties, where they found more acceptance. Race relations is being addressed in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools and has been for the past seven years. Yet parents request a white teacher and have their children moved out of a black teacher's classroom.

The black teachers I know at Glenwood School are some of the best. For the past 14 years, I have taught students there who need extra help on a volunteer basis. The teachers I know are dedicated and caring. Their children are polite and able to do the required work. Glenwood is a happy place. It has children from 39 countries and exchange teachers from England and Ireland.

Enter Mrs. Minnie Goins, first as assistant principal. She became acting principal during the 2007-'08 school year. This year, she is the principal. Since the new school on Eubanks Road took several of the teachers and assistants from Glenwood, it became necessary to hire replacements. Mrs. Goins saw this as an opportunity to increase the diversity of Glenwood's staff and hired two black teachers; Justin Leak, a newly qualified young man, and Shyvonne Steed-Foster, an older experienced woman.

The staff at Glenwood has stepped into the 21st Century and dragged the school board with it.

For several years, I requested books that would interest black children and ones that they would enjoy. The central office put me off until I collected two shopping bags full of suitable books and took them to the central office, where I dumped them onto the desk of the director of volunteers. The central office got the message and began supplying books for black children.

Sen. Obama has opened our eyes to change. He has also opened our eyes to see people not segregated by race. He has destroyed the old prejudices by being himself. Change at Glenwood school has become more than a slogan.

(Ariana Mangum lives in Chapel Hill)