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Obama’s
Nomination: ‘A Testament to the American Dream’
A resident
reflects on his time at the Democratic National Convention and what
it means for a Black man to receive the party nomination
By
Allison Jean Eaton
Bulletin
Editor
It
was almost as if the world had stopped last Thursday night as the
Democratic presidential nominee gave his acceptance speech in Colorado
before a shimmering sea of supporters waving signs calling for “change.”
On the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legendary march
on Washington and his unforgettable “I Have A Dream” address,
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in many ways brought King’s dream to fruition
by becoming the first Black man to receive and accept a party nomination
by one of the nation’s two dominant parties in a presidential race – quite
a big change in the status quo of American politics.
“I was literally in a daze,” said Micah Ali, a Compton resident who
was at Denver’s Invesco Field to hear the speech and witness history in
the making.
Although he was not in Denver in a delegate capacity, Ali said he was invited
and “went because it was something I could not miss.”
“It was absolutely empowering, uplifting and invigorating to say the least,” said
Ali, who was last year elected to the Compton Unified School District Board of
Trustees.
“As a Black man, it was really just an awe-inspiring moment. To see the
party
circle around a Black candidate was awe-inspiring.”
Ali watched Obama’s 44-minute speech from a box suite along with Maryland
Congressman Steny Hoyer, House majority leader; South Carolina Congressman John
Clyborn, House majority whip; and Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel.
The sight of more than 82,000 Americans from all walks of life – of all
ages, colors and creeds – unifying in their support of a man they believe
will bring about unprecedented positive change in American politics was, to Ali,
a memorable spectacle to behold.
“Eighty-two thousand strong, most of us in the crowd worship some form
of religion,
but during yesterday’s event we were all of one faith: The faith of freedom,
the faith of equality,” he told The Bulletin last Friday just moments after
arriving back in Compton from his four-day excursion. “I think Barack Obama
embodies all of that.
“Him being Black fortifies my belief that we are truly equal.”
Ali, a Democrat with strong labor ties, said he is able to connect with Obama
on a certain level because he, too, was raised in a working-class home by a single
mother. But more than anything else, it is the color of their skin and the manmade
construct of race that unify him and much of Black America in the belief that
a new and unprecedented level of equality has been achieved.
Less than 50 years ago, Blacks fought and died for the right to participate in
the electoral process. Seeing an African American in the final running is something
many in the community thought they would never live to see.
“Every Black child has always uttered the words: ‘I want to be the
first
Black president,’” Ali said. “To actually see a Black man stand
in that moment in time – it is very much the pinnacle of accomplishment” and “a
testament to the American Dream.”
This year’s convention also made history in the record number of Black
delegates it attracted – 1079 of the total 4440, or 24 percent.
Although many critics lauded the young senator’s speech as full of substance,
a number of Republicans labeled it pompous, full of hot air and a sign of a push
toward a more socialized America.
Here at home, the city’s Compton Boulevard Obama ’08 Campaign Headquarters
hosted a speech-viewing event that drew roughly 70 eager and excited supporters,
all of whom were glued to the television set during the speech, said precinct
captain Emily Hart-Holifield.
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