The pageantry ends tonight.

And though Barack Obama, his family, his new vice president and all of his supporters should enjoy today, tomorrow should be different.

Obama’s election win was truly historic. The timing of his inauguration — only a day after the country remembered Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — is epoch-making.

But his honeymoon period simply shouldn’t exist.

Our country is facing its toughest time in years. Many are pinning all hope on Obama’s leadership to bring us out of recession.

And though it would be silly to believe Obama could right the ship overnight, he does have to act quickly.

Though today is a celebratory day, tomorrow must bring us to the meat of the matter.

Obama and his team will surely hit the ground running in Washington, D.C., but it isn’t just up to him to make our country strong.

Americans, including those in the Miss-Lou, must hold our government accountable. As excited as we are to see a black man make history, we all must hold Obama to his word.

After today, the color of Obama’s skin is a matter for the history books to note.

For the rest of us, he’s not the first black president. He’s simply Mr. President.