For the woman who was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and who fought for voting rights for Blacks in Mississippi, Fannie Lou Hamer is just one of the many heroes who laid the bricks for the road on which President Elect Obama has traveled. As I rejoice in the occasion of the first African-American President being elected, I can't help but give homage to those like Hamer who fought so hard for the voting rights of others but who did not live to see this day. In the end, Fannie Lou Hamer was pivotal in the passage of the 1965 Votings Right Act. So, Fannie Lou, I give you your due praise. Thank you for your bravery. I wish I had a chance to know you.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 11/04/2008 11:50:00 AMPermanent Link |
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America makes a change
This morning I woke early so that my mother and I could get to the polling place in time to beat the crowds. My mother, who suffered her second stroke this year, was up way before me, raring to vote. It was going to be a short walk, but every step she takes is almost torturous for her, even using her walker. Uneven grooves and breaks in the sidewalk often prove a hinderance. Still, both she and I were determined to cast our votes. To help make history.
My eyes misted as I got dressed. At one point, I broke down in unexpected sobs. And it truly hit me just how momentous this morning was as I thought about the many people who had fought and died for this day, people who would have loved to have seen America come together to install an African-American man as president. Not just because he's African-American, but because he has a vision of change and unity, something we've desperately needed for so long.
So I shed tears for my deceased grandparents, especially my grandfather, with whom I often sat and watched the news as a little girl. I remember sitting by his side during the Watergate fallout, watching Nixon's speech as he stepped down from office in shame. My grandfather avidly followed the political process and would have loved this day. I also cried for Obama's grandmother, who journeyed home a day too early, but who left a legacy of love and a final vote for her grandson. I cried for the Selma marchers, the Birmingham protestors, as well as the Sojourner Truths, the Mary Bethunes, the Martin Luther Kings, and the Malcolm X's who did not live to see this day.
Today I feel kinship with everyone - black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, as well as the newly-sworn immigrant, who all over America are marching to their respective polls to cast their votes. All to elect this visionary, this representation of years of struggle that has culminated in a wave of hope. Hear his words.
