My grandfather (pictured left) had fought in World War II, but that didn’t necessarily mean I’d follow suit.
This man had been born in 1911 in Mississippi, and had fought in a war to ensure freedom and that the dignity of all life would be respected.
The only problem is that he didn't receive the same treatment at home. That is what I call "patriotism in spite of."
Somehow, somewhere along the way, those same feelings within me flagged. The Fourth of July had been a day for a cook out, not necessarily one where my heart swelled with pride.
Veterans Day might just be another day off work. Ditto Memorial Day, which in my life simply marked the advent of the summer movie season.
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The most important thing for me was that the inauguration of Barack Obama has caused in me a sense of ownership.
I had always categorized myself as one of the "least free." Not to say that things have magically changed overnight, but I do feel that I can finally say: This is my country.
For the first time it feels like there are no longer limitations, boundaries, places we cant go, things we can’t say, things we can’t do, or any other prohibited actions of any sort.
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In speaking with my father in January 2008 after Obama’s decisive victory in the Iowa Caucus there was an expectation and a joy that I had never heard before.
“Is it possible?” he asked.
This question was coming from a man from Mississippi, the same state that gave us the deaths of Emmet Till, Medgar Evers, and Cheney-Schwerner-Goodman.
“Well, this is America,” I had responded, hoping for once that America would be like the nation Dr. King dreamed of, not the harsher reality so many of us had faced.
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We are now permitted to imagine what was once impossible.
Never did many of us imagine two or three years ago that a person that looked like Barack Obama would be president or that a person who looked like Michelle Obama would be First Lady.
In an email dated April 9, 2007, I had written to my family about an Easter brunch I had attended at my friend David’s apartment in Brooklyn
I had such a good that I didn't leave until around 10:30. It was PERFECT--food, friends and fellowship. There was good conversation, which was something David called "real talk". Topics ranged from Barack Obama (most agreed that he wouldn't become prez and would settle for vp. I disagreed saying he would never settle for vp. He had raised $25 million already. "People wouldn't donate $25 million to a losing cause") to Beyonce (everyone loved her).
The question is: Why would Obama have to "settle?"
Did "real talk" really mean "get real!"
Haven't we done enough "settling" in life already?
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The First Lady
The President
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DC came alive over the weekend. So many events, so little time.
One of the not-to-be-missed events was "We Are One," the concert on the Mall on January 18. Along with my sister and brother-in-law, and about 400,000 other people, we enjoyed performances by U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Mary J. Blige.
But the most poignant performance came from an old favorite. “Shower the People” by James Taylor, who was joined by John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, and Arnold McCuller.
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By the time the big moment arrived on January 20, the tears I was expecting didn't' flow.
Maybe that's because I was frozen solid. My crew and I had arrived on the Mall at 5 a.m.
We were all pumped and excited. There was adrenaline and jubilation, but we were also very cold.
There was just a good feeling throughout. A group near us sang the theme songs to "Good Times" and "The Jeffersons," and there were the requisite chants of "OBAMA!"
To say "there were so many people" would be the understatement of a lifetime. But still I can say I would definitely do it again. Not tomorrow, but maybe in another four years.
The memories will forever leave me with a smile on my face.
Photos: Michelle Obama in Vogue, 2007, photo by Annie Liebovitz; Barack Obama via the Richard Avedon Foundation
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