Congratulations, Mr. Obama
Barack Obama’s victory in our presidential election has touched me personally in two ways.
When I was a teenager in the Sixties, I participated in civil rights marches. We were thousands-strong as we swept down the broad avenue of Van Ness in San Francisco, carrying signs and singing “We Shall Overcome.” Words cannot describe the incredible feelings of unity and brotherhood in those days – we were not just hippies, we came from all walks of life, we were all colors and ages, rich and poor. Strangers who came together for a cause – it seems so simple now in retrospect: we thought black people should be allowed to eat at lunch counters and sit anywhere they wanted on a public bus. It was such a big fight, but we were determined. Some of us got clubbed over the head for it, many were carted off to jail. But we continued to paint our signs and march down streets and sing freedom songs until we got our voices heard.
And so I cried Tuesday night as Barack Obama gave his victory speech. For me, it was a personal dream come true.
But Mr. Obama means more to me than a man who broke an ancient color barrier. He is a man of letters, of books, of writing. Mr. Obama has the gift of turning a good phrase. His books are a pleasure to read. I feel a special affinity for all fellow writers, and now a writer is heading for the White House.
I couldn’t be more proud.
Image Source: www.barackobama.com
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