As my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, I stirred sleepily and wondered what in the world I was thinking setting the alarm so early! Then I remembered what day it was. It was Election Day for my very first Presidential election as a U.S. citizen!
As I approached my polling site, I saw the line stretched down through the parking lot, around the corner, and down the street. Rather than being annoyed at the time I would have to wait in line, it only fueled my excitement! I was amazed that all of these people, regardless of political affiliation, were not only moved to vote and exercise their right to be heard, but they were committed to waking up early and standing in line to do so!
I was reminded by a quote from writer/activist Arundhati Roy who said, “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
I truly could not have asked for a better or more memorable experience as a first time voter.
And as I waited in anticipation as the day rolled on into evening, and I gathered with my friends to watch as the poll results started coming in, I was once again awestruck at the level of participation that this election generated. Young and old, African American, Caucasian, Latino, Asian, men, women.
As I sat and watched the news the day after the election, I was moved to tears yet again to see how many people all over the world had been tuned into what was going on in our election. The magnitude of the outcome of this election on the global stage just continued to echo the significance of it here within our own borders. The promise of a level of achievement that was previously unimaginable by so many boys and girls in our country. The recognition of dreams realized by so many older Americans who never thought they would live long enough to see such an event come to pass. The sense of community as total strangers hi-fived and hugged each other in the streets like long-lost friends. And the sense of hope reflected in the eyes and words of men and women all over the world.
As daylight turned to dusk on November 5th, some of the excitement gave way to the acknowledgement of the enormity of the task that lay before this historical President-elect. Through the realization that the weight of the world truly was on President-Elect Obama’s shoulders, I was reminded of something very important, that the President is meant to be a leader, not an island unto himself.
And that just as the weight of the world was on his shoulders, it is on the shoulders of every single resident of this country.
The symbol of hope that is reflected in the image of the first African American President of the United States, a man whose first job as a community organizer only paid him $10,000 per year, a man who was raised by a single mother who relied on food stamps to feed her family – this is also a symbol of the power of the individual spirit, and a symbol of the power of the people.
The power of youth, the power of unity beyond race, and beyond class.
We have no more excuses. We have made history.
It is incumbent on all of us to ensure that this is not just a page or a paragraph in the history books of the future, but the beginning of a whole new chapter of how we did things differently.
Just think, what would Sisyphus be able to do if he had a whole community of people helping him to roll that boulder up that hill?
As of November 6th, we all have a new call to action.
Look around you. Look around your community. What can you do to make a difference?
This is a legacy that we are all leaving!
How we contribute to it in our own lives every single day from now onward in what is ultimately going to make the difference in how others reflect on this achievement in the years ahead.
How can we ensure that the women and families in our own backyards living in poverty or on the brink of can see not only the new possibilities for a future for their children in 20 years, but right here, right now, today?
As of November 5th, I believe that everything has changed. The stakes are higher.
We can’t turn a blind eye or bury our heads in the sand. We can’t think in terms of “me” or “my” but as “us.” None of us can prosper if any of us fails.
Because our children are watching and the world is watching. They are watching to see what we are all going to do with this moment and the possibility that has been handed to us.
What are you going to do?
Nicole Cozier is philanthropic education officer at The Women’s Foundation.
