After canvassing to get out the vote in Indiana, Mr. Galavanting and I were among the lucky few (hundred thousand) in Chicago's Grant Park to welcome a new chapter in American history: One where freedom means more than middle-aged white men running the show. One where forgotten voices are heard, diplomacy is valued, and the lives of the disenfranchised are changed. It was a crowd full of energy and sincerity.
The mood was almost more like a wedding than a victory rally. People cheered when Obama said certain things, but were mostly quiet and pensive. He was right that this victory comes with humility, as we have a lot of work to do to get this country back on track.
My favorite parts of his speech were these:
"And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand."
...
"And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope."
...
"For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow."
I also noticed on the television footage, several things were not captured: 1) The seriousness of Obama's mood, 2) The fact that certain cheers from the crowd were exponentially louder in some parts than others (it all sounded homogenized when played back), 3) The vastness of the crowd.
As the hundreds of thousands of people exited, there was a great sense of joy, but again, it was pretty quiet. Many were walking in small groups of people of color were happily saying "Yes We Did" as they walked away from the park. It was very moving.
And I for one, was tearfully happy to have some of my undeserved white priveledge be diminished as we elected our first African American President of the United States. We are that much closer to being a truly equal society.