Last night I had the great privilege of attending the Obama rally in Grant Park, Chicago with one of my favorite people, my sister Djougine. I was especially excited about spending the night with DJ because I expect to see her on a stage someday accepting the Presidency of the country of Haiti (I'll have a FRONT ROW seat for that). My amazing sister has already done so much during her youth-- she's the youngest member of the Haitian Consulate among so many other things. In fact, her great work got both she and I 2nd tier tickets to the Obama rally.

I didn't really know what to expect from last night's events but I was overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells I experienced. I took a train to the rally and was greatly amused as I watched 4 gang bangers swap Palin jokes with 4 white women in their 50s for the duration of the ride. One of the young men was deemed "the informant" because of the news updates on his phone and when he announced that Obama won Indiana the entire train car erupted in cheers. It's amazing how these sorts of events bring even the most unlikely people together.

I definitely didn't anticipate walking through a long corridor of street vendors on Michigan Ave with their tacky t-shirts, buttons and purposeless paper fans ("McCain-Failin"?). I was only slightly intimidated by the row of policemen on their horses guarding Congress St and more annoyed about trying to avoid horse poop mountains while being corralled through checkpoints like cattle. One hour and four checkpoints later, I was thankful for the security and know it was for good reason.

I did suspect that Obama would win the election and the electricity in the crowd suggested that they felt it too. It was the most diverse gathering of people I have ever seen. When Rev. Cousin spoke the opening prayer, the crowd (which was an obvious mix of religious and political views) did not complain and instead offered supportive "amens". When McCain offered his concession speech, the crowd applauded and whispered accolades. The people in the crowd around me were positive and gracious. With a broken rib on my right side, I was a little bit nervous about the large number of people in the crowd and the potential for additional injury. As the crowd pressed forward to hear Obama, the sweet couple behind me did their best to protect me from getting squished. :D

On POTUS '08 this morning I learned that the spot from which Obama spoke last night was the same place where tear gas and police violence met hippie protesters during the 1968 Democratic Convention. The story gave me goosebumps and the symbolism was not lost on me. Despite the arguments and animosity I am getting from some individuals, I am proud that I attended the rally. Proud to watch our President-elect give his acceptance speech. Proud to be a part of history in the making.