Well Written. Thanks for an important perspective.

Rec'd.

Truly moving, Jade.

Too often we talk about the firsts - first woman, first black man, first hispanic, as political milestones, but we forget about the people they impact.

Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for allowing us to share this intensely personal moment. Sometimes I am glad that my parents and grandparents missed the heartache of one thing or another. But tonight I am sad that not one of them lived to see this: a triumph of Obama's do-the-right-thing-even-when-it's-hard ethics they believed in and lived by. My father used to say that "straightshooters always win," even when his own life experience ultimately belied that. How delighted he would be to see his belief justified.
P.S. A mother of 79 who watches Keith is a remarkable woman. Thank you for so obviously making her life better, by being there.

O thanks for sharing that. It's so very wonderful to read.

Yes we can! Finally.

She's probably been waiting to see a woman President, but was too senile to remember.

Beautiful post Jade. Please check this out. It's much the same story told from the other side of the divide that we hope will finally be bridged

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/14/144654/918/838/371386

Jade, I know just how you feel. Well said.

Great post - thanks.

That was a three hankie post!

And, Jade, not just "running" for president.
This November should be historic.

Not to play Otto.

It's been only 36 years since George Wallace was splitting the ticket, appealing to the intolerant racist vote, and took a bullet - one that would change the election and one that would change his life - having his paralyzed ass wiped by a black woman who can keep a smile on her face can bring a bit of humility to the soul. And he did in fact change, quite a bit. He was a much better man crippled than when he stood in the door of that college and said only whites will pass. He was a much better man having made that humiliating journey from arrogant self-righteousness to complete dependence.

There's a city in northern Alabama called Huntsville. Many people don't know about it, because Selma and Birmingham got all the attention (MLK made a conscious decision to protest where they'd send out the dogs - no use spending a day in the sun for no story). But in 1963, 4 black students were kept from entering elementary schools in Huntsville, and then the federal government stepped in and they got to stay. And most people from Huntsville have no idea this happened, right there, in its schools. Huntsville is a weird town. It had a missile range there, and somewhere in the 1950's the government decided to locate the German V-2 scientists and the budding space program development there, so a sleepy town of 17,000 mushroomed into 140,000 overnight, many transplanted northerners, building the rockets for the NASA with the rumble of booster tests shaking the city. But still, black kids couldn't go to a decent elementary school. During the 1970's, Huntsville turned into a mini-technology boom that brought expansion and continued to change the face of the city, so that these days you see Indians and Vietnamese and Chinese and blacks and whites on the high-tech campuses, and hear much more than just the staccato of German voices. The surrounding redneck and poor black scrabble towns have steadily become suburbs as roads cut through the hills to produce Greater Huntsville, which is not quite the same thing as a northeast metropolis, but is still quite the change.

So in the 45 years since those little kids were told they couldn't enter the school, in the 36 years since Governor Wallace was shot, things have changed quite a bit in Alabama. Not perfect, but quite a move from there to here.

I appreciate the expression of identity politics in this thread. I think it's the most normal thing in the world, and something to be happy about. I think it's unusual to deny identity politics, as if it's bad to be yourself, bad to work for improvements for those closest to you, whether family, community, profession or other affiliation.

50 years ago, most black people in Alabama were resigned to a poor second-class existence. Now they can look at a black man, one of their own, with the real chance to be president, as symbolizing this new age where they can be anything they want to be. And it's refreshing for any minority - because once that color divide is opened up, there's not much essential difference in whether the person is brown or yellow or red. We all know it's been a white society since conception with horrible periods of racial intolerance to blacks, Native Americans, Hispanics, Chinese and Japanese to prove it. But even though there are problems of inequality that will likely always remain, you are now on a basic intrinsic level accepted and equal.

But I would ask that while you're enjoying your time in the sun, that you look across at the others who've been moving while you've been moving, whether it's those 4 Jewish boys killed protesting 45 years ago or the proud white southerners who've learned to adapt their concept of pride or those engineers who work every day in this melting pot and their kids who go to the new schools or the people who gladly move into mixed neighborhoods or those white voters who stepped into a voting booth and chose either of the candidates without worrying about what color they were.

Because sometimes I get the feeling that people think of this as a zero sum game - for one group to get ahead, another has to get behind. But we know from economics this isn't true - everyone's pay can rise even if some pay rises faster. We know from society this isn't true - there's no happiness debit if a second group finds life easier and less stressful. But for 50 years people have been looking at Alabama whites as a bunch of backwards racists - you'd be hard pressed to find a movie about the south that doesn't show some stereotyped symbol of racial hatred or a quaint backwards religious family clutching the Bible as they say grace. And it grates, just like all the in-breeding jokes about the Appalachians. One-third of the white Democratic voters chose Obama, and certainly a good portion of the 2/3 who chose Clinton did so for good reasons that didn't include race.

So perhaps we can take a breather from the stereotypes about the South, to admit that we've all come a long way in these years, that the intolerance of 50 years ago no longer exists in that entrenched fashion even if we have loads of room for improvement, that all Americans of whatever color are working together these days to lend a helping hand, and that the days when kids were locked out of schools are gone and have been replaced with a process where most can find a hand up no matter how poor they are if they're willing to work hard. Because we've all worked hard these last 50 years to bring this chapter to a close - through our votes, our attitudes, our tax dollars and donations, and in a hundred other ways that make a difference. And the curious thing about this is that lots of whites worked towards this fairer society not because they had anything to gain personally, in many ways quite the opposite, but simply because it was the right thing to do. And it's not just about a single candidate - it's about where you can live, work, study, relax. It's about opportunity in America, and that's now open for all.

Jade that was a very moving article. I'm sure that Obama's success been very emotionally uplifting for you and your family.

This Democratic Primary has been very difficult for us as a party. I believe that it has been fatal to our chances of winning in the fall. I shouldn't say our, because while I am a liberal Democrat, I currently have no intention of voting for Obama in the fall. But my reasons for voting against Obama aren't why he'll lose.

I believe that he will lose because of the number of women Hillary supports who will not support him because they are feeling the opposite of the pride that you feel in Obama. They saw the opportunity to elect the first woman President, and fairly or not, they blame Obama for that not happening.

It's antedotal of coarse, but I'm suprised by the number of women who say that if they have to elected the 45th consecutive male president, it's not going to be Obama.

Wonderful post!

Here Here!

Didn't think I'd see in my life time, but I'm glad we're here in this time.

Hopefully Obama will reach t he magic number tonight 2,118.

This makes me think back to a story my mother often tells (our family is white). Her late father (born in rural Alabama, raised in rural Tennessee) was visiting us in Charlotte, NC. Watching the news, he was startled to see that we had a black mayor (Harvey Gantt). My mother noted "Yes, John (my late father) and I both voted for him." Granddaddy responded, with genuine curiosity and no malice "Did you sure 'nuff?" You see, it simply never occurred to him that white Southerners voting for a black person was even possible. One generation, his own daugther had not only considered it, but did it. And even he, despite being raised in some very racist places, knew it wasn't a bad thing. Mom was also still a Republican then, so she even had crossed party lines to vote for Gantt. Don't worry, she switched over in 1999!

Those of you not from NC may not know that Gantt came within a whisker of defeating the odious Jesse Helms in 1990, aiding by the infamous "white hands" ad. I was humiliated that such race baiting could still work in NC, but proud that my parents had tought me better than that (and both voted for Gantt).

18 years later, my home state of North Carolina effectively ended the nomination fight, handing the Dem nomination to a black man. I was a poll watching attorney, and saw a steady stream of voters of all ages and races vote over that long day. In a majority-white district in West Raleigh, Obama ended up winning by a magin of almost 3-to-1. At 3:30, a crucial undecided voted - my mother - called me on my cell phone to let me know that she prayed fervently in the voting booth, leaving the Presidential selection for last. She said that after praying, she knew that the only reasons not to vote for Obama were unfair to him, and so she voted for him.

It was a great day for this North Carolinian. I think we can pull it off in November, too.

I'll be saying that alot in the coming years "I never thought I'd see (fill in the blank) in my lifetime" and "I'm so proud of my country". Thx Jade.

Thanks again for the kind words all... I am enjoying reading your thoughts and feelings about this day, too. They also bring me joy. Keep writing.

You know, we've spent a lot of this campaign ranting and raving about issues that are not really central to selecting a nominee. We've screamed at each other about a lot things. We've postulated on race and identity politics, sexism and class and more.

Sometimes in all of this bickering and cheerleading and snarking and cooing at each other we miss what politics is supposed to do beyond the day to day machinery of governing: bring change, bring hope, bring vision, bring direction.

That was what was -- is -- embodied in the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." It is the challenge laid forth in the Preamble to the Constitution: "We, the People, in order to form a more perfect union..."

So, today, tonight, tomorrow or whenever it happens, is not a day that just black Americans can be proud of this nation, but everyone can be proud of so many things we as a people have accomplished. Things large and small, things easy and difficult.

To remember another hero (awkwardly invoked by Sen. Clinton) whose sad anniversary will occur this week: We've seen wrong and tried to right it. Sometimes we have way too slow, and far too often, way too blind to plight of our brothers and sisters who struggle with injustice, poverty, bigotry, ignorance. Sometimes we have denied justice by delaying it. Sometimes we have shared it grudgingly.

This day is important to us all, without regard to race, color, gender or creed. We are all standing on that mountaintop. We can all see the promised land.

There is this phenomenom called the "tipping point," when the pressure on an object or in this case, an idea pushes it finally in direction or another. This nomination will be one of those points. For 143 years, this country has wanted to tip in a direction that will let us erase the terrible stain of slavery.

Selecting Obama as the Democratic Party's nominee will not erase the stain, but we will have starting bleaching it out instead of whitewashing over it again. There is work to be done. For about 30 of the last 40 years -- since Martin and Bobby -- we've stood still or in some cases gone backwards. We are moving again. It's slow, there is some resentment and resistance. Soon we can rely on physics of momentum to keep us propelled in the right direction.

Today we can all feel pride. This a good day for us all. It's a good day to say "I'm am an American. An American."

Thanks that too brought tears. I think I needed to cry a bit now that we are standing at the finish line for phase one.

Barack Obama's run for the presidency has been an awesome jolt. What a great way for America to really start the 21st century . God knows there are many challenges ahead.

Thanks!

As a 37-year-old white male, I am certainly not in the best position to talk about opression and the struggle for equality, but I DO feel the moment. It MATTERS to me deep in my soul.

I want to share a couple of experiences I had while in Africa. Back in 1991 my best friend and I spent several months in southern Africa doing volunteer work for our religion. I was blessed to live with some of the most beatiful, open, warm-hearted people I have ever known.

We landed in Johannasburg when aparteid was still the law of the land. My friend had been there before so I let him lead the way. Having just concluded a long flight, I needed to use arestroom, so my friend led to to one in the airport. After taking care of business, I stood at one of the sinks and noticed the peculiar looks of several men as they washed and left the restroom. It wasn't until we were done that my friend smiled and pointed to the "colored only" sign by the door. He smiled and said, "you just broke you first law in a foreign country!" Of course, I was struck by the realization that being white, I could get away with breaking the law, but the gentlemen who had stared at me would not be so lucky if they had gone into the "whites only" restroom.

My second story happened in Lusaka, Zambia. That is the capitol.I was walking down the street when a man called out, "muzungu." I stopped and turned to him. I knew he was referring to me. Muzungu is a not so nice term for "white man" and of course Iwas the only one of those walking around.

Hehe...sorry...speaking of restrooms, I was sitting in Starbucks and suddenly needed to use one, so I hit submit and ran...anyway, back to my story...so I turned to the man, looked first to my left hand, then to my right, feined shock and and said, "oh my god, you're right!" After a pause, we both fell out laughing and had a good chat. I was a great moment for several reasons. Mostly I am thankful for it because for that one moment I was the minority being called a name for no other reason than the color of my skin.

Anyway, those are my stories.

DevD:

The sentiments you express are for your own post, not Jade's. It is not the story she chooses to tell at this moment. Today is not about Hillary, its not about you and its not about the trolls. Go away!

Back at you!

I am misty party of one .... thank you for sharing your thoughts .....

"You know where the last lynching in this country took place? Not the south."

The latest lynching of which we know was of a black man dragged behind a pickup truck.

That was in Texas.

Texas is the south.

"There is institutionalized racism all over this country and anyone who fails to see that is fooling him or herself."

Exactly as there is also female sexism all over this country, though 90-plus per cent of women will lie about it.

"The south is not any more racist than Boston, Mass, which had riots for weeks over integrating the schools."

The South IS more racist than Boston -- which doesn't mean Boston isn't racist. There were riots in the 1970s against busing in Boston -- but there weren't any lynchings.

A bit of history:

The MA constitution was ratified in 1780. In 1783 the MA Supreme Judicial Court declared that slavery was inconsistent with the MA constitution. Shortly thereafter, African-Americans began seeking an equal education, knowing that that was essential to all other progress.

The history since then -- and this is all over the country, but in the south especially -- has been, in Boston, integrated schools, in which the racism was overt (bad behavior by white children was punished by making them sit in what was called "the igger seat").

Then segregated schools, because the abuse from whites was so egregious -- and at one point the Afrian American school had ONE book, while those for whites had HUNDREDS.

Then back to integrated schools.

I won't argue that Boston isn't racist. But throughout that history there weren't lynchings; but there were violations of the Fugitive Slave Act, and protection of runaway slaves from kidnapping by agents -- bounty hunters -- working for the slave-owners, which latter were in the South.

In short: its not so simple as "the South is racist and the North is not". It is: both the South and the North are racist, but the worst of the racism was in the South. And may still be.

Perhaps some here have heard Dick Gregory* speak of the "White Citizens Counsil"? That was the men-in-suits/pillars of the community which directed the KKK. They still exist; but because of the bad publicity they changed their name to "Conservative Citizens Council".

*"The KKK is out of style, because they don't wear colored sheets" -- Dick Gregory.

Otherwise: lovely story movingly told, Jade. There will be weepings for joy -- some of which weepers will by white (Dick Gregory's "pink people") -- when Obama wins, and again when he is inaugurated.

wow..........what a wonderful post. Thank you.

I was 19 and my mother had a breakdown after years of carrying excruciatingly painful secrets. She took off down the street without clothes on and started screaming. I wasn't home, but I heard that bunches of lights went on, but only one person came out to help her. That was Jackie Hoover, who was studying to be a nurse and later, a social worker. Her and her husband Willie brought my mother in with sweetness and warmth and called a doctor.

In a week or so, my mother flew out to Chicago to be with my father, who was starting a new job and preparing for her to join him. Jackie and Willie took me in too, fed me, and showered me with affection. To this day, she calls me son. I am an Irish American, white as a cotton field, and they are very dark blacks. They loved out of me most of the remaining, virtually genetic prejudice I had toward black people.

Perhaps that's part of why I'm so in love with the Obama in my mind, the guy I've researched for many days, hoping to prove what I initially saw in his books and in the words of people I know who know him personally. I've still got my doubts, but so far I'm thrilled by him. And every time I see him, I see my friends, Willie and Jackie. Things have changed one relationship at a time.

My mother started saying four years ago that what she wanted this year was someone really, really smart and really decent.

We both knew Obama was the guy who fit that bill.

I was the one who was afraid, afraid that other Americans would walk away from him and take second best because he wasn't white.

But this beautiful country has grown better, bit by bit and year by year, and this time we're going for excellence, rather than wasting it.

I thought that day was far away, and It is so wonderful to be here.