Dost mine eyes deceive me?
Is it for real? Has Barack Obama legitimately and decisively won the presidency? Not that I didn't think he'd win, but I'm still somewhat in shock from the events of the past few days. Think about it: he is our first multi-racial president. 43 other lily white, European-blooded presidents over the past 219 years, and then BAM! The White House just got some color! What's so amazing to me about this is not the fact that we're going to have a black president; I believe we've been ready for that for a while. What gets me is that race was ultimately not a hindrance in this election. Was it a factor? Of course. There will always be racists who vote with their ignorance, but race did not determine the outcome of this election. Obama ran a strong campaign with clear ideas. Despite a whole lot of desperate muck flung at him from his opponent, he stayed the course, without faltering from his principals. He never resorted to name calling, and he shed most of the dirt as if made of teflon. THAT is why he won the election. Not because white people voted against him or black people voted for him. He won because he was the better candidate. His victory is historically significant. He will now be mentioned along with the likes of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr. While he never suffered the way they did, he has paved the way for young, non-white Americans, and set the bar that much higher. A positive black role model has ascended to the highest elected office in the land. As a white, middle class man, I'll never truly appreciate what this means to the black community, but I can empathize, and I feel as proud and happy for my country as I ever have. We won't truly know the global significance of this victory until all traces of the Bush regime have exited the White House, but suffice it to say that we just gained some street cred with the world.
On the eve of the election, Matt and I gathered with 8 close friends in our apartment in Harlem to watch the round-the-clock news coverage, and enjoy some dinner and drinks. What better place to watch as our first black president won the election then in Harlem, one of the blackest areas of New York City? The feeling in the air was electric, and we all knew that Obama's victory was imminent, it was just a matter of when. We had the champagne chilling for that exact moment. That moment came at 11 pm, and as Jon Stewart delivered the news, we made a toast and literally ran into the streets of Harlem where we were met with throngs of elated locals who had flooded the streets. Car horns blasted, people waved signs and banners, and seemingly every able bodied native of Harlem found his or her way down into the streets. 8 blocks down on 125th St. and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., a rally had formed around a gigantic monitor that was brought out for the occasion. Thousands of people gathered at this iconic crossroads to watch President Elect Barack Obama's speech to the nation. Governor David Paterson was on hand to deliver a speech to the masses, near the statue of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. who, incidentally, was the first black man from New York to be elected to Congress in 1945. Words do no justice in describing this moment. The bliss that was in the air was much more akin to New Year's Eve, or a big sports team victory than an election. I brought my video camera along, and I share with you the video I took from the event. It pales in comparison to what it was actually like to be there, but you at least get an idea.
Just as people who remember where they were when MLK delivered his "I have a dream" speech, I will always remember being in the center of Harlem as Obama first addressed the nation as President Elect. I know it brought a tear to my eye, and I suspect I wasn't alone. For the first time in a long time, it feels really good to be an American.
On the eve of the election, Matt and I gathered with 8 close friends in our apartment in Harlem to watch the round-the-clock news coverage, and enjoy some dinner and drinks. What better place to watch as our first black president won the election then in Harlem, one of the blackest areas of New York City? The feeling in the air was electric, and we all knew that Obama's victory was imminent, it was just a matter of when. We had the champagne chilling for that exact moment. That moment came at 11 pm, and as Jon Stewart delivered the news, we made a toast and literally ran into the streets of Harlem where we were met with throngs of elated locals who had flooded the streets. Car horns blasted, people waved signs and banners, and seemingly every able bodied native of Harlem found his or her way down into the streets. 8 blocks down on 125th St. and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., a rally had formed around a gigantic monitor that was brought out for the occasion. Thousands of people gathered at this iconic crossroads to watch President Elect Barack Obama's speech to the nation. Governor David Paterson was on hand to deliver a speech to the masses, near the statue of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. who, incidentally, was the first black man from New York to be elected to Congress in 1945. Words do no justice in describing this moment. The bliss that was in the air was much more akin to New Year's Eve, or a big sports team victory than an election. I brought my video camera along, and I share with you the video I took from the event. It pales in comparison to what it was actually like to be there, but you at least get an idea.
Click to viewJust as people who remember where they were when MLK delivered his "I have a dream" speech, I will always remember being in the center of Harlem as Obama first addressed the nation as President Elect. I know it brought a tear to my eye, and I suspect I wasn't alone. For the first time in a long time, it feels really good to be an American.