THE NIGHT BARACK CHANGED THE WORLD

*All artwork by Shepard Fairey


Last night my life changed. Last night the world changed. Last night, my generation's voice was heard, and for the first time since we can remember, the opportunity for change has truly presented itself. There's no way one can overemphasize the magnitude of Barack Obama winning the presidential election last night. It was one of the biggest and most important events in history.

Although I will never fully understand how it is to be African-American, I am a minority and a woman, and more often than not a liberal, and do understand feeling underrepresented, feeling misrepresented, feeling unrepresented. Last night was a moment of equality, of redemption, not only for (but perhaps most importantly for) African Americans, but also for everyone in America. It was a moment where everyone celebrated together as just simply human beings, as people existing together on this earth. People cried, people cheered, people remembered how it felt to be proud to be an American.

I was in the Mission with my boyfriend and some friends in a local bar (O'Greenbergs). No one's eyes moved from the flat screen T.V.s propped everywhere, often meant for sports games. We saw history happening and when Obama spoke, we felt hope and faith--two of the basic necessities of life--surge through our veins. The pandemonium that spilled out into the streets was more ridiculous than any New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day and Halloween San Francisco has ever seen, as noted by our cab driver and everyone in attendance.

It wasn't drunken, superficial happiness--it was happiness from the heart, happiness from the soul. It's what I call that "warm and fuzzy moment" that touches your being and creates a natural high. People were so ridiculously elated, chanting "Yes we can!!! O-bam-a!!!," high-fiving each other, screaming "Woo!!!" at every random moment (inciting more random "Woos!!!") and dancing in the streets, to drummers and people banging pots and pans.

I always bring a camera with me, and I when I don't, it seems that some great photo op presents itself. As my battery wasn't charged, I didn't bring my camera with me last night, and missed taking many wonderful shots. But I think God wanted it that way. No photos can capture the feeling in the air, the palpable sense of love, brotherhood, equality and the excitement of a new America and a new world. It's those crazy stories (usually without pictures) that you end up telling your grandchildren as they roll their eyes and wonder if grandma had her meds today; it's later that they hopefully realize that someone in their family fought for a better world and lived a piece of history.

Hope won last night. Change won last night. From the dreariness of war, from drowning in debt, stress and anger without a life jacket, wallowing in despair, and feeling like we were ants yelling at one big, ancient, unshakable elephant, came a bright floodlight of possibility, of excitement at what our future holds. Last night, we really believed we have a future. Thank you Barack Obama, for giving that back to us.