President Obama comes to The Champion City...
On November 2, 2012 a city was transformed. Springfield Ohio known as the Champion City also as the Rose City had its history permanently changed.
The same city that has a Heritage Center that proudly displays KKK uniform along side a picture of 40,000 Klan members parading through. The same city that has Public social clubs that openly exclude blacks. The same city where a black man was dragged out of Jail and hanged in the public square. The same city who elected the first Black mayor Robert C. Henry of any city in 1968.
All of the history good and bad all of the division that is set by a pair of railroad tracks was washed away in a sea of pride, for the First sitting President had come. A president who's hair texture was more like that of the little boy who in the 60's delivered newspapers on the south side of town. A President who's skin tone was like the that of the kids who played in the streets of Lowry Avenue. All of the animosity that grows between a local government that looks at one part of the city with contempt until its time to run for reelection . All that seemed to be washed away on this day in November for Barack Obama The President of The United States had come to Springfield .
And as If he knew that he was in a special place he gave a speech a fiery speech that was uplifting and delivered with Swagger. It was delivered in the gymnasium of the new north side school where south side kids are bussed to everyday. But in that crowd was a very mixed make up of race age and gender all coming together to pay respect to be instructed and inspired by our great President. At one point during the speech it was clear...This is Obama country... Thank you for coming sir ...We love you.