election day
I lived in Harlem the day the first man of African descent was elected president of the United States of America.
At 10:45 i crawled into bed and turned on the radio to listen to the updates. Within a few minutes i was tired of the NPR blathering, turned it off. Then i heard shouts outside. I realized a state had been won. More shouts. Another state. I turned on the radio at 11:01. They announced Obama had won. Shouts. Shouts. Noise and shouts.
I got up and stepped out onto our balcony. Shouts. Firecrackers. Noisemakers. Honks. "I am living in Harlem the night the first African American is elected president!" So i did what i had to do: I got dressed and walked up Madison to 125th street.
Crossing Madison, i passed a group of three black men outside a church. "But you know it's gonna be the same shit tomorrow," one of them was saying, "still gonna be oppressed by the police. still gonna live in the ghetto." Then, as i was waiting to cross Madison, a solemn man passed, looking straight ahead said as he passed me, "Change has broken!"
I have several videos from my walk down 125th between Madison and Adam Clayton Powell Ave, where a rally/celebration was going on. But i can't seem to get them uploaded at the moment, while the rest of the country is uploading its videos to Blogger at the same time.
Oh. and also, I'm engaged.
At 10:45 i crawled into bed and turned on the radio to listen to the updates. Within a few minutes i was tired of the NPR blathering, turned it off. Then i heard shouts outside. I realized a state had been won. More shouts. Another state. I turned on the radio at 11:01. They announced Obama had won. Shouts. Shouts. Noise and shouts.
I got up and stepped out onto our balcony. Shouts. Firecrackers. Noisemakers. Honks. "I am living in Harlem the night the first African American is elected president!" So i did what i had to do: I got dressed and walked up Madison to 125th street.
Crossing Madison, i passed a group of three black men outside a church. "But you know it's gonna be the same shit tomorrow," one of them was saying, "still gonna be oppressed by the police. still gonna live in the ghetto." Then, as i was waiting to cross Madison, a solemn man passed, looking straight ahead said as he passed me, "Change has broken!"
I have several videos from my walk down 125th between Madison and Adam Clayton Powell Ave, where a rally/celebration was going on. But i can't seem to get them uploaded at the moment, while the rest of the country is uploading its videos to Blogger at the same time.
Oh. and also, I'm engaged.
posted by ceciliabrie at
11:32 PM
2 Comments:
Congratulations!
Marriage is hard work, but I love it.
By
ChrisB, at 9:38 AM
yesterday i felt some of the huge emotions of what it means for so many to have the first black president. i watched a little of The View and cried right along with Sherry when she was talking to her son about how he REALLY can be and DO anything he wants to do.
i wish i could have been with you--i was telling jon that i wanted to more in the thick of things and with people who were experiencing such a huge historical event.
can't wait to see the videos.
And where are y'all going to get married? and when?
By
amelia, at 8:55 AM
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