I'm not known for my sunny morning disposition; quite the opposite, in fact. But give me a great cause...some powerful motivation, and I can rise and shine with the best of them. This Election Day, that’s exactly what I did.
I was up and dressed well before 6 a.m. so that I could get to my polling place early and beat the predicted crowds. Apparently, 100 or so of my neighbors had the same idea, and I arrived at the precinct to find a pre-dawn election party in full swing. There were stadium chairs and blankets, voters were sharing coffee and doughnuts with those of us who lacked the foresight to bring our own, and when that ran out, quite a few people made cappuccino runs to the convenience station nearby.
There was an energy and celebration in the crowd that made me finally get it…THIS is what 40 years ago was all about. I saw the elderly standing patiently with their walkers and canes, and then graciously accepting jackets or chairs from young black men in full hip hop regalia. Those same men, who asked awkwardly but without shame, how to operate the voting machines inside. They were there, baby, and there was no turning back. Now, watch them yugh!
And when it was time, when the 7 o’clock hour approached, every person there gathered their things orderly and expeditiously -- in a way that most think black people can’t -- straightened their shoulders and stepped through the polling doors, right into a place in history.
This is the day.
