When I was growing up in the suburbs, inevitably there were times when we lived in areas with very few blacks. When we saw another one, I remember my mom would always smile and wave--and whoever it was would wave in return. I always asked, "who is that, Mommy?"
"I don't know, but we should say 'hi' anyway. Hi!" she would call out, even if we were in our cars and couldn't be heard through the windows. Mom's smile is infectious, anyway; they didn't need to hear us.
It was a time of unparalleled solidarity. No matter what else was going on, when you saw a black person you always smiled and were cordial, and could expect the same in return. There was a sense of, "We made it!" There were few of us, but we were proud and strong--and self-aware in the process.
Of course, white suburbs with few black residents still exist, but "we made it!" has changed to "I made it, now why is this fool smiling at me?!" But today was different.
Every time I go to vote, I carry my history on my back; all those riots, all those years when we couldn't vote (and that includes blacks and women). Even if the election doesn't matter to me, I vote because I can. And today, well today just might have been the last chance my generation has to vote for a black man for president. It's not supposed to matter, but it does.
And the hearty smiles and thumbs-up signs were shared liberally at the polling place, when the nice black lady greeted me with her Obama sign and saw the bumper sticker on my car. But in perhaps the best victory in this historic race, the nice black lady was joined by several other nice people, of various races & ages, all holding their Obama signs, proud and smiling.
The Hilary supporters, on the other hand, frowned most of the time. Ha! Resigned to their fate! Just kidding. :)
