For a while, everyone was asking each other “where were you when you heard about 9/11″ “or what were you doing,” etc. While I was alive (11 at the time), I was too young to really appreciate what had happened, so the memory never really stuck with me. From what those older than me have said, I gather that 9/11 is one of those moments that not only define history, but literally make you think “this is important, this is an important moment in history.” You realize the importance immediately upon hearing about it.
Today, I think I witnessed a moment like that.
Barack Obama became the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. The bloggers, cable news reporters, everyone has been and will continue to talk about the historical and cultural importance of a black Presidential candidate, but it really never hit me until today. Hell, Obama has practically been the nominee days now, but today it’s different. It’s official. The Democratic party is nominating a black man for President.
It isn’t every day I get emotional about politics. Generally I tend to look down on it while simultaneously enjoying watching it fall apart, in the same way that someone might watch a car race just to see crashes. Even the civil rights movement always seemed so far away: decades ago, photos and dates in heavy history textbooks. Now, to me, it seems more real.
Of course, in the back of my mind, I know this moment will eventually be trumped by one of the greatest achievements in our country’s history: electing a black man. I believe Obama will be that man. Sure, it’ll be a tough road ahead, but we’re all in this together.
seems a bit early to be celebrating. wouldn’t a better moment be when he’s actually elected president? he can still lose to mccain.
This is absolutely a historic event, and you’re right that the bigger one is to come: when (not if) Obama is elected president. Bush has fucked up the country for 8 years, and it’s time for a change.
its just a matter of time now before obama is president… say goodbye to king bush and his cronies!
I think we’re starting to hear Obama 2.0 kicking into gear. Based on the facts at hand (and not a bunch of low life smearing, disrespect and fear peddling), JOHN MCBUSH DOESN’T STAND A CHANCE.
We just all need to be VIGILANT for any and all media/policitcal/war/attack slime that the GOP slime-masters are bound to start slinging…
We can never ever take our eyes off our country again!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe it is that times like these are lost on the young – or the US really is in a post-race time.
I was born in the 1960s, 61 to be precise. I have seen many historic things in those years, from the Moon landings to the first black presidential candidate – that is how important that this is. If the American people vote him to be their president it truly will be an historic moment and you are living through that history.
Excuse me, Mr. Rhodes, but this is an event that shouldn’t be celebrated too much. I’ve noticed that people are exceedingly happy that a African American is going to be president. African-American? When did that matter? It’s more like some people forget that voting for Obama because he’s black is ALSO racist – racist against the white man. Support a sense of anti-racism, not a state of black supremacy. Don’t vote for him or support him because he’s black, otherwise don’t vote at all. Vote for him, support him and talk about him because of his policy, not his skin color or this ethnicity. I’m not trying to attack you, Mr. Rhodes. I’m sort of… pointing something out to anyone who’s reading.
Anyway, I support Ron Paul, but I’d settle for Obama. Better than McCain anyway.
It’s not about celebrating an African-American president because he IS black. It’s noticing that he has made it despite being black in this country. To say that there is reverse discrimination is naive–for that to be possible, black people would need to have power, and that has not been allowed in this country. From slavery to Jim Crow…we’ve finally come to a point where we’re just now (with this historic nomination) moving to true equality. If the scales have tipped so far, I always wonder–would a white man trade places with a black man because of how much power that black man has?