Why Barack Obama’s election is personally significant to anyone who has encountered racism in this country.
It has been nearly two months since Barack Obama was elected to be the 44th president of the United States of America, and I am still overcome with emotions when I think of what this means to/for me personally. I grew up in poverty in a single-parent, welfare-dependent home in one of the most dangerous cities in America. Although I was always told that I could be anything I wanted to be, I never really believed it. But at 11:01 p.m. on Nov. 4, 2008, I could relate to the words that have been used to cast Michelle Obama as unpatriotic: For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country. And I finally believe that this is my country too.
One of the first people I spoke to after learning of Obama’s victory was my 22- year-old nephew, Deon. He and I have shared many milestones in our lives, and so it was no surprise to me when he broke my “no phone calls after 10 p.m.” rule to share his elation with me. We talked about a lot of things, including the time when he was 10 and a friend he invited to a sleepover in Minnesota cried when it came time for him to shower. The friend said he didn’t want to use my sister’s wash cloths or water because he was afraid he would turn Black and grow a tail. A tail? Seriously?
Deon is a military brat who has lived in many places, but he has only felt rejection here in his own country. In the middle of our conversation on election night, Deon asked me how long I thought it would be before the first assassination attempt would occur and whether or not I believed the backlash in the Black community would be limited to increased hazards of DWB (driving while Black). I was saddened by the realization that even in what was a great moment of joy, these questions are not his alone. I tried to get him to live in the moment and let the future take care of itself. Instead of worrying about the future, I, too, was haunted by the past.
