Posted on 01/21/2009 9:32:48 AM PST by NormsRevenge
From one end of Oakland to the other Tuesday night, the city celebrated the inauguration of President Barack Obama with a sense of historical reverence and renewed national optimism.
The moment was sweet for Joel Davis, a 61-year-old Oakland schoolteacher celebrating at the Everett & Jones Barbeque restaurant in Oakland.
For years he told his pupils they can "be anything they want to be," Davis said. But the doubt always remained whether an African-American could be elected president. During the inauguration, the reality hit home.
"I felt that for the first time this was real," said Davis, who has lived through what he called the baby steps the nation has taken toward the election of Obama.
"Now I can truly say you can be whatever you want to be," Davis said. "I never thought it would happen in my lifetime."
But the day represented more than the rise to power of the first black president.
"This is going to be a movement like the civil rights and anti-war movements," he said. "I feel the same energy."
"I just feel inspired by the whole thing," said Jasmyn Carpenter, 24. "I never thought that the color barrier would be broken."
She and her family had been at Everett & Jones since early Tuesday morning welcoming in the new president. "He inspires me to have more hope that anything is possible."
In particular, the 24-year-old medical assistant was looking forward to seeing improvements in the economy, unemployment rate and better health care for children.
Her brother, Brian Randolph, 11, saw the inauguration as a new beginning for the United States. Between 1955 and 1970, people have been trying to break the barriers of equal rights for everyone, he said.
"It's been a long time since Martin Luther King Jr. passed," Randolph said as the new president and first lady could be seen on a TV screen dancing at the Home States Ball. "Now there is someone who understands his teachings who can unite us as one and make the community better."
Now it is up to people step up to the challenge, said Whitney Dwyer, 24. Without that, she added, there will be no change.
That change starts with combating racism and the "systematic violence inflicted on Oakland and the country as a whole," said Patrice Douglass, 24. "Those systems don't break down overnight."
Required, she said, is a complete re-evaluation of power, wealth, citizenship and a "redefinition of humanity. Barack Obama is a starting point."
The first step is how people look at a black man on the street, not just the first black president, Douglass said.
With that spirit in mind, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights launched its "Soul of the City" campaign at the Air Bar and Lounge. The campaign is aimed at increasing Oakland's political education, community service and local leadership.
"This is the perfect way to celebrate," said Heather Driscoll, 24, a former Peace Corps volunteer. "It's the future."
"It made me feel proud to be American," said Nicole Voorhees, 27, also a volunteer with the agency founded by President John F. Kennedy.
Another shining jewel of liberally controlled mayhem masquerading as a family healthy environment,, as long as you aren't a young asian, latino or black person, that is.
It's current Mayor , Ron Dellums, an avowed Marxist, who took over from Moonbeam Brown have done such a bang-up job keeping it an undeclared war zone.
.. and now .. We have one in the WH. and Oakland cheers. Go figure.
Sounds like MLK’s dream has been realized. Hope the Justice Brothers and their ilk finally shut up.
“...the violence inflicted on Oakland...” Yeah mostly by Your Black Muslim Bakery. Thugs, thieves, and hooligans but because they are the “proper” people nothing is ever done even after murder on the public streets.
Notice everyone they talked to is under the age of 30? Not one was around to have heard King or to know what it was like during the days that marked the Civil Rights Movement. they would not know what to do when faced with a snarling dog or fire hose. Best they can hope for is to have more gub,int money
Oh, the screaming irony. It was this steaming
pile of a teacher and all the others like him
that have so many dumbed-down enough to vote
for 0bama.
Sounds like MLK’s dream has been realized. Hope the Justice Brothers and their ilk finally shut up.
:::::::::::
The Justice Brothers? Shut up? Never happen. They cannot afford to let racism and victimization go away — it means too much money to them. And the libs will still tell the folks of Oakland, and similar social disasters, that they are still victims, and the second coming of Christ, a half-black president, is going to free them from the bondage of slavery, once and for all. Plenty of socialistic free tax money will be coming their way soon to ease their suffering and pain.
I think the Justice Brothers will be working overtime to keep the fires of ignornace, stupidity and selfishness buring bright in these communities of DemoRAT voters.
Bleah! Media continued love affair with anything demoncRAT.
We’ve learned that any half-baked leftist can become President.
Joel Davis has been lying to his students.
According to the State Controller of California, welfare checks arriving after February 1st will instead be IOU’s. How will that affect Oakland?
Great, it’s the end of racism. Can we now expect the extortionists like Jackson and Sharpton to now shut up? I didn’t think so. It’s a shame that my kids won’t grow up in the same country I did after the crooks and leftists plunder the treasury. Idiot voters!
I almost feel sorry for these fools. They are going to be so bitterly disappointed when their lots in life do not improve. The democrats have to keep their supporters poor so they can keep power. Poor idiots, that’s exactly whats gonna happen.
“...the doubt always remained whether an African-American could be elected president.”
Hasn’t happened yet. An AFRICAN, yes, but....
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