We were in Grant Park last night. It was incredible. I’ve never experienced anything like it, and I’m not sure I ever will again. We didn’t get close enough to see Obama’s speech, but we were able to hear it. It was an incredibly inspirational speech (see previos post). He is without a doubt the most eloquent orator I've ever heard speak.
The scene in and around the park before and after the speech was surreal. The park was packed, and all the surrounding streets were filled with people for many blocks in all directions. People were cheering and chanting, sharing hugs with their friends, and exchanging high-fives and “terrorist fist jabs” with strangers. Some people were creeping down Michigan Avenue in their cars, shouting and honking their horns in celebration.
The crowd was strikingly diverse – young and old, rich and poor, black and white – but everyone was beaming and holding their heads up high. The air was electric, and people’s renewed sense of optimism and national pride were palpable. I couldn’t help but notice that the most jubilant members of the crowd were the young black people. I really believe that Obama has forever changed what it means to be black in the United States.
Five years ago, the idea of a black President was no more than a pipe dream. I thought there was a chance it could happen in my lifetime, but I didn't imagine it could possibly happen so soon. I’ve never been so proud of our country.
4 comments:
Proud is an understatement !!!! People wanted change, we have immediate change with the election of Barack Obama!!!! Every child born from now on will have lived in a country where there has always been a black president !!!! The best step possible in eventually eliminating or significantly reducing racism !!!!!
thank you for that, that was great. I would have given anything to be there. I'll just add, for anyone, that the scene in brooklyn was amazing too. We actually stopped traffic... people got out of their cars... a ton of strangers just hugging and yelling and crying. This is absolutely the greatest two days in my memory... all of ours i guess.
its just remarkable that so many people took to the streets throughout the country last night.
can you ever imagine people doing that during bush's, clinton's, bush's, reagan's, carters, nixon's? the turnout percentage was 64%, just one point higher than kennedy's. I wonder how they got down on that november 8th night in 1960.
If Mad Men is any indication, they drank Creme de Menthe and banged their secretaries.
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