CHAPTER 1
The Election of Barack Obama
Ordinary men and women's interview responsesto how they felt about the election of the firstAfrican American president
Verbatim Interviews in Response to Question Number One:What were your thoughts and feelings on election night the moment youheard that Barack had won and was now president-elect?
Interviews for Part I:
Shango D. Hopkins, age thirty-six, arespiratory therapist, resides in Indianawith his wife and four children bymarriage.
Today, I met my sons, Nkrumah andShango for my eldest son's (Nkrumah)birthday dinner. I asked my youngest son,Shango, who is thirty-six years old, whatBarack Obama's election as the forty-fourthpresident of the United States means tohim. How does it make him feel as a youngblack man?
At first Shango said, "I don't know,Mom. There aren't words to express it." I smiled calmly at him andassured him it was okay and that he could think about it and tell melater for the book.
Then, looking more relaxed as we waited for our dinner at Leona'sRestaurant in Hyde Park, he said, "I feel better and more hopeful interms of equality for black people. I'm just going to wait and see whathappens. I really didn't think that with all the different races and culturesin America, along with the divisions and differences among black people,that all black people, could come together and the other people, wouldcome together to vote for any one black man. That's really what I didn'tthink was possible in my lifetime."
As Shango and I talked, we asked each other why it is that blacks,along with Hispanics, Arabs, Jews, women, and others accepted a glassceiling when it came to our political aspirations to be president of theUnited States.
I remarked to Shango that when black people shatter the glassceiling, the floodgates open so wide that everyone else can now aspireto have or do whatever it is we overcame.
But when women got the right to vote, black people didn't. WhenHispanics achieved some victory, it never spilled over to include blackfolks. (See Author's Comments /Part I.)
When the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, that bill gave everyminority, ethnic, and cultural group civil rights in the United States.
Whenever black people pursued a path to correct any injustice, ithas always been for the benefit of everyone in society and not just blackpeople. It is for that reason that Barack Obama is the right man forthe job as the first black president. It is for that reason that he can be apresident for all people in America, as well as, be a president for blackpeople, representing his race in the highest office in the country.
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Jacqueline Davis, age forty, a radiologist tech, resides in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.
"I worked the night before the election. I voted when I got offwork. I slept throughout the day. I promised myself I wouldn't turn anyelection channels on before 11:00 p.m. I just wanted to know who won.I couldn't wait, so I turned the TV on at 8:30 p.m. I started watchingCNN, and I couldn't stop. I was totally ecstatic when they announcedMr. Barack Obama is the forty-fourth president of the US. I just cried. Inever believed I would live long enough to see a black man as president.I celebrated with a toast of my lemonade! I'm thankful to God abovethat I lived long enough to see this day.
"I collected copies of various newspapers from the Internet. Iplan to have a pocketbook made from these papers. I downloaded hisacceptance speech. I'll pass these treasures down to my grandchildren.Words can't express the perpetual joy I've experienced every day sincethis occurred."
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Mr. Elks, age forty-five-year-old black man, a physical therapisttechnician, resides in Chicago.
Mr. Elks was asked the same question about what he felt the nightBarack Obama was elected. He said, "I'm angry and yet feel good abouthim being an intelligent and strong man. I think he showed us duringhis campaign, he is his own man's man with a mind of his own. He won'tbe token black person with other people telling him what to do. He mayor may not make a difference in how we are treated in this country.
I don't see myself as an American. I see myself as a black man inAmerica, a country I'm not a part of. All I ever wanted was to feel likeI'm really a part of this country. Obama may give us that, but we stillhave to wait and see."
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Bertha Harris-Reine, born 1938 in NewOrleans, Louisiana, retired housekeeper,resides in Chicago, Illinois
Bertha Mae Harris-Reine was seventyyears old when Barack Obama was namedpresident-elect at 11:00 p.m. on electionnight. I asked Bertha, a dear friend of mine,how she felt at the moment she heard wehad a black president. What thoughts wentthrough her mind?
Bertha said she started watching theelection returns with her husband, Milton,but thought it would go on until 1:00 a.m.,so she got in bed with a slight headache to watch the election returns.She dozed off but was awakened by the TV, and then she heard themsay Barack had won the election at 11:00 p.m. She listened intently to hisvictory speech and said she felt a calm joy go through her entire body.
"It was at that moment I realized it was like a step in the journeyhad been completed—the journey from civil rights to that mountaintopMartin Luther King spoke of in his speech. We, as former slaves, wentfrom the slave ship to the White House."
Bertha said, as she paused to think.
"Barack, born of an African father and an American mother, was anAfrican boy. That African boy was what kept going through my mind.Barack the African boy! At that moment I thought about John Lewis,who worked and marched with Martin Luther King during the civilrights movement. I saw black people and white people crying with tearsof joy—it was just amazing." Bertha said, with her emotions edging upin her voice.
"You know, I was raised up under segregation in New Orleans, whereI was born. Colored people were not allowed to drink water from thewhite-only water fountains in the parks. We couldn't swim in the parkdistrict swimming pool back then. I remember how we would wait for agood rain to get wet in our swimming suits and play in the puddles thatemerged in the lower levels of the streets. The bigger boys, who weremore adventurous, would walk two or three miles to the MississippiRiver to swim and walk back." Bertha paused for a moment of silentreflection. "You know, quite a few of my friends drowned in that rivertrying to go swimming.
"I remember how we had to ride at the back of the bus becausecoloreds weren't allowed to ride at the front; that was reserved for thewhite people. They had a movable bar across the bus that separatedthe white section from the black section. If they needed more seats forwhite people, then they would make us, the coloreds, get up so theycould move the bar back further to give the white people more seats tosit in.
"I remember Audubon Park, where we could only go to the zoo.We weren't allowed to use the swings in the playgrounds or sit onthe benches in the park. You know, we couldn't even play ball in thepark—Audubon Park. I will never forget those days.
"I remember leaving New Orleans at eighteen, and it was stillsegregated when I left. I did live around white folks, but we knew ourplace and what we could and could not do as colored people."
As Bertha finished her recollection of all the thoughts that cameto her mind, she pondered the fact that a black man had really becomepresident of the United States.
"Who would have thought that our time has come?" she said, with asilent joy echoing with each word. "Our time has come. I know Martin,Malcolm X, Sojourner, and all of them are probably rolling over in theirgraves as they smile and look down at us and realize we did it." Berthafinished, saying that just as calmly as when she started.
Author's Comment:
For black folks as well as most whites, the most common phraseI read and heard in response to the election was: "I never thought itwould happen in my lifetime." Barack Obama, the first black presidentof these United States—all I can say is "What a first!" This was "the first"that millions of blacks had been waiting for since the first slave shiplanded on America's shores.
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Rosie Travis, age withheld, Registered Nurse (RN), resides in Chicago,Illinois
Her response to the question was: "I can't describe it; it was wonderful.I was proud; I got all choked up. I was about to cry. I just thanked God.It was so beautiful."
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Cathy Whitehead, age; forty-seven years old,a Registered Nurse, and mother who residesin Chicago, Illinois
"I was not shocked. I just had a feeling hewas going to do it, because it wasn't a matter ofcolor anymore, it was a matter of economics.So, that's why I looked into the crowds on TVand saw all the people in Grant Park; therewas a variety of color, race, and creed.
"So, how did it make me feel? It made mefeel like America finally made it. For once, weput color and race to the side and came together as one. I was shockedand amazed we were able to pull it off. I was very delighted, but I wasalso sad for those who weren't around to share it, 'cause that would havejust knocked my grandfather's boots off."
Cathy concluded with a healthy chuckle.
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Charlotte Lawrence, fifty-four years old, a Registered Nurse, is marriedand resides in Matteson, Illinois.
"I was speechless. I felt prouder than I have ever felt in my entirelife. As much as I was prayerful about it, I didn't know if it was goingto happen. I was thinking they would steal it or there would be somevoting irregularities. And I thought the polls were taken by peoplewho didn't want to say how they would really vote, and it was going toshow. So I was excited. I was tearful—a whole lot of emotions into one.I felt a peace within for our country, for our people. And I was just verythankful to God that we have—I feel like we have a reprieve, so that theland can heal somewhat. And I felt like he had answered my prayers.Just my prayers! What a wonderful experience."
Author's Comment:
Charlotte is correct about Barack's election being an experiencethat we all felt was our own personal victory, and yet it was a victory foreveryone. Thousands cried tears of joy on election night just becauseit was a victory of overcoming the reality of racism. Barack's electionrepresented America's acceptance of a black man for his integrity,intelligence, and character, instead of a rejection of him for the color ofhis skin.
Barack Obama started his campaign for the presidency with thehope and a belief that we, as a nation, could make a change. Barack'selection to the presidency gave every black person and other minoritiesa hope for a better future. He gave us hope that the dream of equality forblack people had finally become a reality for us as a people in America.
His election marked the beginning of change in America, that willmake America better and us a better people.
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Tony Gilmore, a black man, in his forties andpatient service worker, is a married father whoresides in Calumet, Illinois.
Q: What did you think about election night? "Iwas overjoyed. I was thrilled. I haven't gave itmuch thought, but you know, I just feel really,really nice, you know, that we finally have anAfrican American president. I'm glad that Icould be a witness to that."
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Linda Hearns, fifty-three years old, is a secretary, wife, and mother whoresides in Harvey, Illinois.
"I was proud. I was happy. When I saw him walk across the stage, Ithought of Martin Luther King's dream, and I felt it was fulfilled."
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Ellen Morgan, approximately forty years old and a credit unionadministrator, resides in South Holland, Illinois.
"At first, I didn't believe it, so I had to keep watching the TV to makesure it was true. And I didn't celebrate or do anything until I made sureit was true."
Q: How did you make sure it was true?
"I kept watching the news and returns. I saw the numbers go upand up and I said, 'Oh God, looks like he's winning.' And I go, No, Idon't believe it. I'm not going to say anything, because anything couldhappen. But when he came on stage, I actually cried, I screamed, HappyNew Year, 'cause it felt like a new year."
She said with a renewed exuberance, as she spoke. "I was so excited,I really didn't know what to feel, I was overwhelmed."
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Ms. Mary, a black lady in her fifties who resides in Chicago, asked to beinterviewed, but other data was not collected in her excitement to dothe interview.
"I didn't know what to feel. This was a lifetime. You know, everybodyhas been waiting for this moment. I never thought it would be in theyear 2008. I used to hear people say, 'Are we ready for a black president?'And I used to say, 'I don't think we are,' but when I saw who was running,I said, 'Oh, my God! We're ready, we're ready.'"
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Lakeesha Carter, thirty-eight years old and an accounts payablesupervisor, is a mother who resides in Chicago, Illinois.
"I was so happy. I felt that a change was coming and that this wouldbe the beginning of a lot of new things to come. I was very excited. Mychildren were excited; they were the ones who woke me up. They don'treally understand the magnitude, but they know something is going tobe different."
Q: How old are your children?
"Eleven and four years old."
Q: Your four-year-old understood?
"No, he was asleep; it was my eleven-year-old who woke me up."
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Maybelline Williams, fifty years old and a construction worker, residesin Chicago, Illinois.
"I felt really good. I was in the bed, just watching it, and I had dozedoff, and right before, I heard a lot of noise, and it was just the city onthe South Side. It was like a motorcycle parade; I could hear it fromSeventy-Seventh to Seventy-Ninth Street. It was real loud; I could hearpeople screaming and hollering. The way people were sounding, therejoicing that people had—it was incredible."
Q: What did you think about it at that moment?
"Right at that moment, it took me back all the way to my fatherbecause, you know, I knew how my father worked so hard. And knowinghow it was back then—when he was telling me—when he was a kidand how hard it was for people to vote, and now there are more youngpeople voting. They are getting involved now. It's a blessing. It's just awake-up call, and I felt really good that people got involved this year. Iwas just rejoicing at that moment, praying and everything. It was a goodthing, and I felt good."
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Rahmon Braimoh, thirty years old, resides in Chicago. He has family inNigeria and the Caribbean, works as a doorman, and is going to a schoolof pharmacy.
"At that moment, I was elated. I felt a burst of joy I have never feltin my life. It goes back to what people tell you when they tell you, 'Youcan be anything you want to be.' This is a prime example that you canbe anything you want to be. For a young black man to be president ofthe United States of America. I didn't think it was anything I would seein my lifetime, and not in this lifetime. It was the most joyous momentthat I could ever think of."
Q: What were you doing at the moment you heard?
"I was dancing for joy," Rahmon said with laughter and joy in his voice.
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Lawrence Matthews, fifty-five years old and a postman, resides inChicago, Illinois.
Q: How did you feel at that moment you found out Barack was the nextpresident?
"I felt proud. I felt inspired as a black man. I felt this was longoverdue."
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Nycole Williams, a thirty-five-year-old single, black female and acondominium property manager, resides in Chicago, Illinois.
"I felt overwhelmed. I cried. It just made me happy that mygrandparents were still alive to see a black president."
Q: How old are your grandparents?
"Eight-four and eighty-six years old. Both are from southernIllinois. Both are also biracial, which also was a key factor for them tosee Barack was a biracial man. That was just sheer joy that he was ableto accomplish it."
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Joyce O'Quinn, a retired assistant principal in her forties, resides inChicago
"I was elated, and I cried. I wept because I couldn't believe it. It wasoverwhelming."
Q: What did you think about at that moment?
"It's something that will never be recaptured. I thought about youngchildren and what it means to them, 'cause I saw a young fella on TV,and he couldn't even express himself. He was totally overwhelmed whenthey asked him what it meant to him. He said he could be someone. Hislittle classmate patted him on the arm."
Q: How old were they?
"They were nine to eleven years old. It was moving."
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Jerry Taylor, sixty-five years old, a black man and a condominiumengineer, resides in Chicago, Illinois.
"I was glad 'cause there is a future for young black Americans. And mostof all, I was thrilled to see that the whole world was excited and acceptedhim as being an American black. That's my whole feeling right there.That part, that's more than any of it—that the whole world acceptedit—and I was happy."
