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The First Black President: Barack Obama
Published by Pamela Gentry on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 2:14 pm.
By Pamele Gentry, Senior Political Producer
COLUMBUS (Nov. 5, 2008) – Throughout the night I received text messages, voice mails and e-mails from folks who couldn’t believe what was happening.
One text message from my niece in South Carolina was simple, “OMG” [Oh my God] and another from a niece in Michigan: “I wish toot could have seen this,” referring to Obama’s grandmother, who died Monday morning after suffering from cancer.
Cheers, tears and hugs are the only way I can describe the crowd’s reaction to the news that the freshman senator from Illinois had won Ohio.
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman told me, “He’s done what Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, and John Kerry couldn’t do,” win Ohio. The win in Ohio truly set the mood for the rest of night. While waiting for returns from other battleground states, the crowd gathered in downtown Columbus had an air of confidence.
Widescreen televisions became the focus of the night and as state after state turned blue, the crowd erupted into cheers.
Columbus along with Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton and Youngstown delivered for Obama, and he faired well with earlier voters, young folks and African-Americans is the state. According to polling by CNN, Obama landed 63 percent of 18 -29 year-old voters, 97 percent of the Black vote, and 50 percent of the undecided cast their vote for the president elect.
Ohio is an important state in presidential politics and Tuesday night it was one of the early signs Obama was on the road the victory.
yesterday nov. 4. 2008 was a historical moment in time. we the people of the united states elected the first afican american president . this is a moment in time that will go on in your childrens history books to come. we showed that race no longer played a part . Godbless Barak Obama and his family for he is taking on a load of difficulties. I say this now and in years to come, If you believe that anything is possible,, especially kids today you must remember this moment,and realize that you can be whatever you want to be in life for there are no more stones in your way and no one can say you cant! Godbless america and the millions that made this change.
BLACK AMERICANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE BODY POLITIC IN AMERICA BUT THEY HAVE NEVER FELT LIKE IT UNTILL TODAY.. its such a shame that it has taken them so long to get to that place in their heads where they can feel that they too matter … irony of ironies.. that it has taken a visiting african marrying a white woman and having a mixed race child , brought up by white grandparents to be able to do that… its all very convoluted… am not impressed by the racist comments of blacks who dont appreciate just what it takes for white americans to put their trust and vote for change rather than skin colour.. they have done it and they deserve credit for doing it…(obama took more white votes than mccain… bless him ). one thing that barack obama brings to the table is inclusion not confrontation…. only he could do it… he has broken the glass ceiling, proved that america really is the land of milk and honey and of course for all you pin heads still moaning and complaining.. you have just run out of excuses…. fix up.
I want to thank all the young voters that got up off there butt and really made a change, im 25 and this is my 2nd time voting, but The turn out from young people both white and black made this historic election possible. those 18-22 and 23 year olds stood up and made there voice be heard … as well as everyone else that voted for change. i dont know what to say this day, many black people thought would never come but its HERE there is a black president !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i couldnt be more proud of my black people .. i feel like nothing is impossible now
WE BAROCK THE VOTE NOW LETS ALL COME TOGETHER AND AND HELP EACH OTHER MAKE THE NEXT 4 TO 8 YEARS THE BEST EVER IN AMERICA
MY PRESIDENT IS SMART
MY PRESIDENT IS ABOUT CHANGE
MY PRESIDENT IS A HERO
MY PRESIDENT S BLACK !!!!!!!!
PEACE
Alex your right the race card is OLD and worn out and the white VOTE got obama in to office we all know that it was not the black vote there were not a enough of them to flash a toilet, and his mother did the right thing having white people to raise obama because if black people’s did he would have a criminal mind and would not were he is today.
Olounwa,
You are absolutely right many, many, many white people had to put race to the side and some crossed patry lines to vote for President elect Obama and they deserve credit for taking that step and to earned the right celebrate today as well. While our pride is somewhat different from others we all celebrate CHANGE FOR AMERICA!!!
finally at last the first black president i am very happy i am apart of this historic event . i live way in the Bahamas and let me tell u no one slept at all last night. it was a sweet victory thank you god at last cngrats Mr PRES. OBAMA!!
I can now say it:
PRESIDENT OBAMA. It feels nice. Thanks to everyone who voted this time around! We did it! Black turnout was unprecedented this time.
But our work has just begun. We need to work with our new president to change our communities and get our children better educated. It will be HARD. But we’ve proven that if we do things collectively, we can accomplish anything. It’s our time to step it up…and I feel like we have an advocate (who will appoint other advocates of all races and creeds) who both understands the ailes of our communities and has an insight into how to begin to fix them. It will take some time. We should work with him and continue to support him.
Thank goodness for a return of competency and intellect into the White House!
And I cannot wait to see the First Black Family in action!
I’m so happy to have been apart of this historic event, the tears just keep on rolling. God has shown favor on us as a people, we are proud, beautiful people and intelligent people capable of accomplishing anything, the world saw this last night! I’m proud to be a black woman and I’m proud, so very proud that Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and any other black person that fought for our rights did not fight in vain. God bless Oboma and his vision and may God direct his decisions. God bless AMERICA! The door has been opened at last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God is soooooooooooooo great , we should all use this and always run to God cos Obama ran to God and he really heard us. After God its Obama for me, Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
OMG (Oh, My, GOD) a change is going to come!!!! This is great for ALL Americans!!!!!! WE did it!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS IS SO EXCITING, I CANT BELIEVE IT!!! CONGRATULATIONS OBAMA! YES WE CAN! CHNGE IS DEFINTELY HERE
I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW PRESDIENT!!!!! IT WAS TIME FOR A CHANGE!! I KNOW OBAMA WILL HELP US ALL !!!! GOD IS SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD ALL THE TIME, WE NEEDED THIS CHANGE IN OUR LIVES. THANK GOD FOR MR. OBAMA!!!! THIS IS COMING FROM LA.
I really like the quote that S.Tavares posted!!! Obama didn’t win this election though people….WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES WON! His race has nothing to do with it…as you all saw…the sea of spectators were of may races…He is about change and he will need all of us(Individual Presidents) to bring America back to the way it should be!
This is a VERY joyous occasion. But we haven’t “”did it” yet. Obama will be the next President but please don’t think this world will change overnight and please don’t think that he can do it by himself. Like he said, it’s time to get to business. The black community needs to stop all the hatred and killing, same with the Latino community, and the WORLD needs to unite as one for this thing to “keep” its significance. If we don’t help, Obama becoming the first African-American President will be nothing but another page in our childrens history books. It needs to be more than that. We should be able to not only say that Obama was the 1st black President, but that the country pulled together and patiently molded this country back into what it should have been all along. OBAMA!
Olounwa:
Shut up you monkey, you know nothing about african american’s your opinion is just plain silly. I have know respect for monkeys like you who make such cowardly statements about a culture that you don’t even belong too.Obama does not even relate to his roots in africa “sorry” he started his
polictical career here where I live Chicago he relate more to people like
me and the black & white community who put him in the senate before he
became our president. He went to our community churches, he played
ball with the brothers here in chicago, so how dare you make statement
about the american black community and give your freaking opinion when
you don’t even live in america, you monkey……
Having Obama as president is such a historical turn on everything having him of all people for president is such a life touching event thank the lord for once we as being black can let our voices out yes obama is black and yes he has power and yes there will be change but only for the good and better of our society !!!!! obama !!! obama!!!! obama!!!
I never thought that i would see the day that this nation come into one and elect someone who we need the most. i have came to realize that my vote did count and we made a change.I love this man and I dont even know him.Good job Barack and show the people that did not believe “YES WE CAN”. thank you so much
I believe that Barack Obama will do a excellent job at running the country. Time for a change has finally come and was long over due. We needed that change and it is finally here. Someone who is young, energetic and
vivacious to bring us through. Barack Obama is an example of what we
as African Americans can accomplish. Both myself and my 18 year old
daughter voted for Barack. Barack Obama you have made history and
we are excited and happy that you have one.
Man we are @ Rust College in Holly Springs, MS. WE Marched to the polls to vote. the whole college. Later that night when Obama was announced the president. wooooooooooooooooo. We had a gigantic pep rally all round this small town. GET N DERE OBAMA YEEEEEEAAAAA
.CONGRADULATIONS.