on october 15, 2008 i voted. everyone knows i voted for barack obama (even though i told my mom that i wrote her name in...) i stood in line for almost an hour, which i didn't mind because the last time i voted for president i stood in line for two hours BEFORE i got into the building and the sucker i voted for lost to an idiot, but anyway... there was something different about voting this year.
i vote in a precint full of old black people. since i've been here, i've seen the same old black people every time i've gone to vote. i know why they vote. in this same precint when they were my age they were harrassed when they went to vote. when i voted in the primaries this woman was talking about how she has voted in every election since she was old enough because "ain't nobody gon stop her from doing her rights." i saw that same woman a few people ahead of me in line and she was prepared. this year she had her little cane that turns into a seat and hergrandson. she was very proud. "just turned 18 in september," and "his mama's at work, but she gon be here." do you see what's going on? black in america didn't come to this neighborhood and show you these black people. some of us refuse to be disenfranchised and victimized. some of our boys go with their grandmothers to the polls and vote as a family.
obvioudly there is something different about this election. most of those black people feel that there is something more at stake than who's going to be the next president. they're sending a message, setting a precedent, taking part in history. i've already made it known how i feel about my place in history, but it was truly amazing to be there with those people, who have already made history so many times without realizing it, voting for a man who has already made history whether he wins or not.
standing in that line playing solitaire on my phone, i pondered that. he'll be the first black president of the united states of america. and i voted for him.
i vote in a precint full of old black people. since i've been here, i've seen the same old black people every time i've gone to vote. i know why they vote. in this same precint when they were my age they were harrassed when they went to vote. when i voted in the primaries this woman was talking about how she has voted in every election since she was old enough because "ain't nobody gon stop her from doing her rights." i saw that same woman a few people ahead of me in line and she was prepared. this year she had her little cane that turns into a seat and hergrandson. she was very proud. "just turned 18 in september," and "his mama's at work, but she gon be here." do you see what's going on? black in america didn't come to this neighborhood and show you these black people. some of us refuse to be disenfranchised and victimized. some of our boys go with their grandmothers to the polls and vote as a family.
obvioudly there is something different about this election. most of those black people feel that there is something more at stake than who's going to be the next president. they're sending a message, setting a precedent, taking part in history. i've already made it known how i feel about my place in history, but it was truly amazing to be there with those people, who have already made history so many times without realizing it, voting for a man who has already made history whether he wins or not.
standing in that line playing solitaire on my phone, i pondered that. he'll be the first black president of the united states of america. and i voted for him.
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