"rosa parks sat down so the rest of us could stand up
we stood up so dr. king could march
dr. king marched so jesse could run
jesse ran so obama could win"
the preceding quote is attributed to former louisiana congressman cleo fields. the following is jay z's riff on the theme and the following following the "following" is a recount of my experience today.
"rosa parks sat so martin luther king could walk.
martin luther king walked so obama could run.
obama's running so we can fly"
this morning will no doubt go down as one of the most memorable times of my life. i woke up visibly excited to go and cast my vote for barack obama. i opened the door to head up the street and i was greeted by my next door neighbor with hands raised in the air - smile blazing - announcing that she had just returned from our polling place. as we talked, our other neighbor emerged from her house and asked if i was ready to go to vote. we walked the two blocks to the polling place and from more than half the distance could see that we would not be alone. the line stretched from the door, down the street, and around the block - easily 200 strong.
everyone was there - the old ladies from around the corner, the guy running for school board, the 18 year old who's frantically searching for a job, my favorite person to be nosy with, the jamaicans from across the street, the single father and his son, the corner boys who've never voted before. the line was long and the air was damp and cold, but the atmosphere rivaled that of a carnival.
and while this scene would be blog-worthy in almost any neighborhood, it was this experience ... in this particular neighborhood that sets it apart. this neighborhood, my neighborhood, is almost exclusively african american (and by exclusively, i mean everyone except me and kristin). the pride and anticipation on the faces of my neighbors was palpable. i could see the awe and wonder and was privileged to experience first hand, the collective realization that it was their turn to fly.
2 comments:
I felt the same tinglies while I was voting early on Saturday. I didn't know the people in my neighborhood as familiarly as you, but I did know them. They were brown and old, they were fresh and spunky, patient and eager. The vibe was the most refreshing I had felt since a Sunday morning of prayer and worship. I feel like this might finally be the moment of my generation. I have wept for most of the night remembering my grandparents and thinking of how proud they would be tonight. I'm trying to pay attention to everything so that I can tell my grandchildren. The sight of so many hopeful feeling in Bryant Park, Time Sqaure and Harlem is full of beauty. This is a collective victory. We all have a reason to celebrate and a reason to move forward. Let's do this!
Wonderful recounting of the scene, Becca. I also appreciate the Jay Z mention, which has brought tears. I felt the same way in Philly, yesterday voting, and as I walk the streets today. I felt proud, and relieved at both the outcome, and the fact that my son can spend his formative years with a president who cares about and understands us and the world.
Thanks for posting. I have enjoyed reading your blog. Glad to hear that you are still in DC, and believe in making a difference!
Jane
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