Ok, with Marc safely out of the country (in Tanzania) the blog is mine! So on this historic day when Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Presidency I can boogie all I want with no fear of my dear friend’s anti-Obama negativity.
I wrote my first post last night right after HRC’s speech and planned to jot off another after Obama’s. But I couldn’t. I just could not speak or write or even move for some time. I chose to be alone last night and watch his acceptance on my couch in my PJs instead of at a fancy party in the city. It was the right choice, because I was too overwhelmed with emotion to be social.
It took me until this morning to figure out just what moved me so much. Yes, the history. Yes, the work we have all done to make this happen. Yes, the reality that this is happening in my lifetime. Yes, the reality that the first President my daughter will remember is Barack. But something else too; I was moved because I saw us last night.
Did you see the pound? The moment before he took to the podium, Michelle and Barack did more than the traditional political spouse embrace; they gave each other the pound. It caught me right in the gut; that simple move of loving friendship and solidarity between black folks in the moment before he accepted the nomination. I read it as each telling the other “we got this.” Yeah, we do.
Then, as Obama spoke the camera kept catching those Kappa brothers in the crowd. I have always been partial to Alpha men, but I was moved to see those young, college brothers wearing gear that was so familiar to me. It evoked memories of my college days: step shows, parties, and broken hearts. It occurred to me that I can’t remember ever seeing black greeks on display in a nationally televised political forum before.
Suddenly we were visible. Our way of being in the world just may be going to Washington. To the White House.
When my daughter woke up I told her about the big win. She immediately did a re-mix of the Diana Ross classic and sang out, "Barack's coming up! We want to the world to know, got to let it show. Barack's coming up!" She and I did the Barack O'Boogie all the way to school.
