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I normally am not an emotional person but on August 27, 2008 at approx 5:40pm cst I experienced something as I sat alone on a couch in a hotel room in a suburb of Chicago. I had many machinations of the word “Never” run through my mind. I had pictures of Gov. George Wallace and his famous quote “I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” in my mind. My visions of the KKK being given a parade permit, and publically marching through the main streets of Charlotte, NC in the early 1980’s. The echo’s of my freshman year in college 1988 and the shouts of “Run Jesse, Run…” on the campus of NCA&TSU. The fear of white folk, my 1st year out of college when Susan Smith killed her kids by strapping them in their car seats and driving the car into a lake. Then telling authorities that a black man car jacked her, stole her car and kids which caused authorities to blindly roundup as many black men as they could arrest via an illegal dragnet search.
Being a post civil-rights child, I remember growing up and being asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My rehearsed answer when I was younger was “I’m going to be a doctor…” During my upbringing that was believable. Dr. King & Dr. Lowe were prominent black pediatricians in Charlotte, NC. There were times when my answer was “I am going to be an Architect”… that was also easily believable because my father and most of his associates were architects, also prominent community leaders & friends of the family included Harvey Gant who was an architect (former mayor of Charlotte) were in my circle of people I could reach out & touch.
However, on last night at approximately 5:40pm cst. In a hotel room in a Chicago suburbs, all that was erased, and I was catapulted from the adolescent black kid with rehearsed answers to the question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” to a Grown Blackman with the full emotional realization of “Damn, It’s Possible…” I have to admit, being A-political (a silent independent, financial conservative & social moderate) my belief that “Change” especially the change Sen. Obama spoke of got the completely disengaged comment of “Yea, Right…” (used in the presence of White folk) or the "N-word Please.." (when with my boys) Now, I will say that I have always voted, but my belief in the truth to power behind that vote was incomprehensible in my A-political view of the world. I always cynically saw the two party system as “one group takes my vote for granted, and the other could care less…” which rode inline with my day one view of “On day one of them swearing in is my life going to change?” The answer always was a resounding “NO!!!” and sometimes “Hell NO!!!” With that said I wanted to keep this Blog A-political as well however, emotion and personal responsibility, will not allow me to stand idly by without declaring a stance, because yesterday I saw something different. I saw one party finally move away from the bygone days of Gov.George Wallace, Freedom Riders, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer and the 1964 convention. To the cohesive party question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I believe the answer came back “United”
“I am supporting Barak Obama” Because I believe If you remove Belief/Hope from and individual they will fight to find somethinth they can believe in, something that they can call their own. In the same veign, If you restore Belief/Hope to that same individual they will not give you 100%, they will remain cautiously optimistic. So even through my tears, last night I realized that america took a huge step towards their promise that "All Men are Created Equal..."
Now, Emotion has not completely overtaken my financial sensibilities, in other words I have not completely drank the cool-aid although I did take a sip. I will still continue to be critical of his Economic Policy because I believe it overly impacts the burgeoning Black Middle Class & Small Business Owners. If you wonder why read his document “Keeping Americas Promise” http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
Being a post civil-rights child, I remember growing up and being asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My rehearsed answer when I was younger was “I’m going to be a doctor…” During my upbringing that was believable. Dr. King & Dr. Lowe were prominent black pediatricians in Charlotte, NC. There were times when my answer was “I am going to be an Architect”… that was also easily believable because my father and most of his associates were architects, also prominent community leaders & friends of the family included Harvey Gant who was an architect (former mayor of Charlotte) were in my circle of people I could reach out & touch.
However, on last night at approximately 5:40pm cst. In a hotel room in a Chicago suburbs, all that was erased, and I was catapulted from the adolescent black kid with rehearsed answers to the question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” to a Grown Blackman with the full emotional realization of “Damn, It’s Possible…” I have to admit, being A-political (a silent independent, financial conservative & social moderate) my belief that “Change” especially the change Sen. Obama spoke of got the completely disengaged comment of “Yea, Right…” (used in the presence of White folk) or the "N-word Please.." (when with my boys) Now, I will say that I have always voted, but my belief in the truth to power behind that vote was incomprehensible in my A-political view of the world. I always cynically saw the two party system as “one group takes my vote for granted, and the other could care less…” which rode inline with my day one view of “On day one of them swearing in is my life going to change?” The answer always was a resounding “NO!!!” and sometimes “Hell NO!!!” With that said I wanted to keep this Blog A-political as well however, emotion and personal responsibility, will not allow me to stand idly by without declaring a stance, because yesterday I saw something different. I saw one party finally move away from the bygone days of Gov.George Wallace, Freedom Riders, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer and the 1964 convention. To the cohesive party question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I believe the answer came back “United”
“I am supporting Barak Obama” Because I believe If you remove Belief/Hope from and individual they will fight to find somethinth they can believe in, something that they can call their own. In the same veign, If you restore Belief/Hope to that same individual they will not give you 100%, they will remain cautiously optimistic. So even through my tears, last night I realized that america took a huge step towards their promise that "All Men are Created Equal..."
Now, Emotion has not completely overtaken my financial sensibilities, in other words I have not completely drank the cool-aid although I did take a sip. I will still continue to be critical of his Economic Policy because I believe it overly impacts the burgeoning Black Middle Class & Small Business Owners. If you wonder why read his document “Keeping Americas Promise” http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
Once you finish reading ask yourself just as Econ for the African has, “How will you pay for that?”
3 comments:
Beautiful shtuff, as always
My brother, you have drank the Kool aid and jumped on the bandwagon. however, you have done it the right way. Too many have taken these same steps without reviewing the options, and realistically looking at the whole picture. You've taken a look at the horizon and realize that what's best for you ain't always what's best for the country (however unfortunate this realization may be). Anyways, in the words of so many more, I say O-bama in 08.
Brother,
Just found your blog, it is excellent. As for President Elect Obama, I have taken a similar approach towards his presidency. After Reading and researching, I put the kool-aid down and asked for a refund before sipping it. Black folks got too many problems with "sugar" anyway..i digress. You should not vote on the "common good" because that is very nebulous. You must vote on your priniciples hopefully how this man will fulfill Article 2 of the Constitution, not on the "common good". Who in the hell knows what that is? Now that he is President Elect, I am waiting to see if my bank accounts are going to increase by osmosis...I will let you know if it does.
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