DNC: Obama’s Speech

DENVER – History streamed into Denver’s Invesco Field last night in all shapes, sizes and colors. Nearly 84,000 people stood in line for hours to witness something many in this country thought they might never see – a Black man accept the nomination for the presidency of the United States.

But they also came to hear, finally, a call for leadership for a country weary of war and angry at economic and social imbalances that the current administration refuses to acknowledge, much less address.

And in his historic speech, Barack Obama did not disappoint.

I watched as people around me alternately wept, shouted and stomped their feet as Obama pledged to be a voice for the millions of Americans who’ve been ignored these past eight years.

He spoke about his months of listening to – and actually hearing – the woes of union workers, teachers, doctors, working mothers, the old, the sick, and veterans who served our country.

And before Obama spoke, I watched thousands fall silent in rapt attention as a number of regular Americans related their triumphs and their troubles with education, healthcare and jobs.

Yes, Obama made history last night, and I, along with Americans of all color are so proud, not only of him, but for what his unprecendented nomination represents for the people of our country.

But for a nation tired of years of seeing the rich get richer and the powerful scorn the masses, Obama’s speech is much more than just a historical landmark, no matter how meaningful that landmark is.

It was a passionate, intelligent, detailed call. And for the thousands cheering at Invesco and the millions watching and hoping at home who listened hungrily to Obama’s every word, it was about the possibility of a future that’s so much different than the one they imagined yesterday.