By Aaron Blackwood

The results came in as early polls began to close. Barack began to extend his lead as anticipation and tension mounted. America held its breath. Then as the polls closed at 11pm eastern time, Wolf Blitzer from CNN announced that Barack Obama was now our President Elect. America exploded! Tears flowed, hugs and kisses of joy and disbelief filled the airwaves and our streets. The world echoed our cause from Kenya to Australia. Barack Obama is the first Black President of the United States. He did it! We did it!


 

 
I thought back to December 2007 when psychic Sylvia Browne was asked on The Montel Show, who would be the Democratic nominee, and without blinking she said Obama. Then Montel asked who would be the next President, and she simply said, a Democrat. For some reason that prediction remained with me as all my gut feelings always do. Five months later on Tuesday May 20th, Obama won Iowa. It was then I knew she was right, and I claimed him to be our next President, realizing in the process that destiny does exist. That feeling prevailed even when the Republicans unraveled nasty unending accusations of spin.

Now, here we are today, on this historic day, November 4th 2008, after a grueling two years we have reached the finish line. I needed to be amongst all that excitement and celebration that was on TV. I rushed to a victory Party at the Marriot hotel up the street from me, into a ballroom filled with people of color of every hue, this is‘ the new America.’ They were screaming, crying, shouting on cell phones, standing on chairs to see the giant screen, and talking back to it –as if they were at the movies; grown men wept…strangers reached out to hug and shake my hand.

One bold lady even kissed me, smack on the lips! A fellow volunteer and her large mother ambushed me in a group hug of love. One drunk white man wouldn’t stop slapping me on the back –he swore he knew me; he was country as hell! I had no idea what he was saying. But it didn’t matter. Not on this night. This was a time for America to heal and celebrate, and it did –considering all the bad news we’ve been dealt lately.

 
When Barack and his family took to the stage, in unison with the crowd at Grant Park, we screamed, we hollered, we clapped and banged on whatever we could.

Then he delivered the speech –and boy did he deliver. It was superb. He extended love and gratitude towards his family and campaign managers. But the bulk of it he lavished on us, and asked for our help to make America great again. MLK’s speech rang in my ears. His dream had been fulfilled and this man was to carry the mantle to inspire the rest of us to get there with him… I got chills.

I am not African American by birth, but as an adult I have chosen to be; legally. I do not hold the shadow of two hundred and thirty odd years of slavery behind me, but I know its results. My skin brands me to endure that cross.

But today can be the beginning of something new for us all, if we allow ourselves to embrace the possibilities that already exist in countries beyond our shores. Barack is our flag bearer and we must support him and be patient, even when he stumbles. I think in his speech he was asking if ‘we had his back,’ because he knows that mistakes will be made, but together we shall overcome.