The significance of this election is finally starting to sink in. Do you remember way back in the primary... one of Clinton's surrogates said something to the effect that the Democratic party could never win with a collection of eggheads and African-Americans. Well I am that dreaded demographic--a post-boomer egghead African American. Angered by this remark, I secretly felt it might be true...and low and behold, Obama has vindicated not just my tiny demographic, but so many Americans fed up with guns and butter culture wars.
MY GENERATION
My generation of blacks came up with grandparents, who escaped the south and Jim Crow. Men like my grandfather who had a brilliant mind--he could look at any building and draft a perfect isometric drawing from memory. This man wanted to become an architect, but couldn't, cause black folks were bared from most universities and few black colleges taught architecture. After serving in the Army he moved North and went into the building trades, fought to integrate unions and worked two jobs to make sure his sons went on to college--an engineer and a mathematician--my father and uncle. He died at worked, young 58--his Union buddies, Irish and Italian rushed city blocks to find a church and make sure a priest was by his side when he passed.
This election is for his generation, true. But my generation, that post-Brown V. Board of Ed generation who witnessed their struggles and witnessed their fear and joy, we owe them big. Obama is the first of my generation to begin the payback and I am so, so very proud and amazed. I know now why I've remained a democrat, even when the party made me want to strangle it. When I was about 12 I met Senator Kennedy, he really looked like a lion, huge head, he asked "Young lady what do you want to be when you grow up" I said, something far-fetched, an astronomer. He looked at me and replied "You know you can be anything you want to be". I have never forgotten those words and the confidence with which he spoke them. I'm an academic now, the science field and am a life long progressive and democrat. While I am thankful that Obama's victory marks the end I hope of the boomer culture wars, I still feel an obligation to those these great figure of my father and grandfather's generations, so many of whom are passing. I rarely lack words but I have no words to describe my anticipation for tomorrow. I'm still working, getting people to the polls tomorrow, but dare I say we are going to win this. Vindication, sweet vindication.