The Night Obama Won at UC Berkeley

THE NIGHT OBAMA WON AT BERKELEY

Today I write as a new woman. A changed Woman. Obama says “Yes, We Can.” My reply is, "Yes, I will!" As tears gathered, watching Obama’s speech in my living room with my beloved 17 housemates; as I saw him gracefully take to the podium and give a most humbling and sincere acceptance speech, I realized this victory is not mine for the keeping. It is more for the history-makers the world over, not for simply African-Americans, and those who describe themselves as Black. It was for those who wanted to believe in democracy, and today I am one who happened to see it work.

With the idea of heading on a bus to a street party in downtown Oakland, a stampede of students were turning down our street waving an American flag, chanting "Obama!" We stood in line giving high fives to all of them, until we realized this was not a mere 50-person march. There were hundreds. By the end of the night, I would say nearly a thousand. We rode on the back of a truck playing loud mariachi music while screaming, “Yes We Can!” We then took back to the streets of Berkeley with a glimmer in our eyes, all of us knowing the intensity of the memory being set into our lives.

I have never been more proud to be a University of California Berkeley student. I have never been more proud than to have the friends who gave up class for a night, gave up studying to join and just stand in the streets to rejoice. We passed by the soccer stadium, the dorms; cars rolled their windows down and gave us high fives, honking in support as we stopped traffic, mid-street, even though the light had long ago turned green.

Our protest for peace in the world, and our march of pride for a beautiful, dark, ethnic man who took the highest office of our country.

We turned back to campus, headed towards the awesomely-lit centerpiece of our campus called Campanile, a bell tower you can see from the high points of San Francisco on an uncommonly clear day. There were people standing on cement roofing near the portal of the Campanile. I was hoisted up in my heels and dress, which I wore in celebration, complete with an "Obama" sash that I had made. Two friends at the bottom held my feet as I tried to catapult myself upward, realizing I was much shorter than the awning. A stranger ran over, and somehow with the grace of god I made it up, but not without scraping my elbow, which, I wouldn’t notice until I got home, was bleeding. After chanting “Si Se Puede “!” (Spanish for "Yes We Can!") and “Go Home Bush,” we heard word that the structure looked somewhat precarious. I was one of the first to get down. ( I want to be here for the next four years!)

Suddenly, as we descended the Campanile, we heard an amped-up guitar start his own Jimi Hendrix-like National Anthem. We rushed over there, competing with a mob of people for a good position. “Get Up, Stand Up, Stand Up For Your Rights!” These awesome and meaningful words hit the crowd, and several students' legs are jetted into my face and shoulder as I realize they are crowd-surfing, and I’m supposed to hold them up next!

The scene was electric. I could somewhat understand how so many countries in the last half of the 20th century must have felt, winning their independence. As a man of mixed heritage, a worldly perspective, and a man I can call “Brother” takes office, I know we have a long way to go.

California should have voted "NO" on 8. And the American Indians, and so many other peoples with with incredibly important and overlooked cultures, have still not been righted. But just like Michelle Obama, as I chanted "USA," I was for the first time a proud African, Native American, Irish Female American! I’m excited for the New America.

It was a long time comin’, but Sam Cooke once prophesized, “A Change Gonna Come.” And Yes It Did. And I’m going to be a part of that Change. Yes, I will! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

written by Brighton Lynscot Kimbell, a senior at UC Berkeley 2:30 AM,
November 5, 2008