It's official people. Barack Hussein Obama is the democratic nominee for President of the United States. Wow! How amazing is that? I'm almost at a loss for words.
When I got home yesterday, I turned to CNN to watch the roll call. As state after state cast their votes it became so real. A black man was going to run for President. I started to cry and every time someone said they cast their vote for, "The next President of the United States, Barack Obama," I cried a little bit more. What a wonderful statement.
When it was Illinois turn, they passed. I wasn't sure what was going on. State after state cast their votes and when it got to New Mexico they yielded their votes to Illinois, who in turn yielded to New York. Down the aisle walked Hillary Clinton. She moved that the voting end (the votes would still be counted) and Barack Obama be nominated by acclamation. At this point, I had no control of my tears. They were coming from my gut.
House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, came to the podium and asked for a second and yay from the crowd. It was great to hear 20,000 people second the motion together. I had to catch my breath. Barack was the nominee.
This is something I thought would not happen in my lifetime. Now, I can tell my grandchildren the story of the day the first black man was nominated to be President because I saw it with my own eyes. I felt it in my heart. I thought of my grandparents and my father. I know they would have loved to see this. I thought of all our people have gone through and the fact that we haven't even had the right to vote for very long. I thought of Jesse Jackson and Shirley Chisolm. So many thoughts went through my head. I'm so glad I get to share this experience with my children.
Bill Clinton gave a Bill Clinton speech. He was great, but I have to be honest. I've grown tired of him and he's said some things that I cannot get over. He's made me feel as though he used my people for their votes. Anyway, he said he thought Barack was ready to be President. I don't know if he really meant it, but who cares. He was just being a good democrat.
Joe Biden came out later in the evening, looking dapper as hell in his black suit and sparkling blue tie. I really like him. He speaks from the heart. He had a long journey to the vice presidential nomination. He lost his wife and daughter in a car accident years ago and almost left politics. His son's introduction brought me to tears. He spoke of the father who was always there for him and his siblings, no matter what. After hearing them both speak, I got the feeling that Joe Biden will be there for the American people too.
Barack will accept the nomination in a football staduim filled with 80,000 people. I don't really need to say anything else about that. It will be historical. What makes it even more special is the fact that a black man will be accepting the nomination for President on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. It is so appropriate.
The work begins now but win or lose, and God knows I hope he wins, the brother will forever have his mark on the history of America. In the words of my daughter, "This is the first time i've felt patriotic in a long time."
Say it loud............."I'm Black and i'm proud!"
No comments:
Post a Comment