THE PRESIDENT-ELECT IS. . .

BARACK OBAMA, the forty-fourth president of the United States of America and the VERY first African-American president in our countries history. This, as many can imagine, has a special significance to African-Americans because this is not just another run of the mill white president. For a change he is one of us, a black man. I will never forget the feelings that ran through me when I found out. I had fallen asleep waiting for the next president of the United States be announced and of course I turned off the television but that did not matter. I remember waking up and rushing to turn the television on for no reason in particular and Comedy Central was on broadcasting the John Stewart and Stephen Colbert special of the 2008 election. It was only 11:00pm at this point and did not think they had even counted all the votes. But just as I was about to turn off the television John Stewart stopped Stephen Colbert as he was in the middle of a sentence and told him and his audience that Barack Obama was elected president. At first I was ready to celebrate but then I sat back down on my bed and told myself that I was watching Comedy Central, how could this be true at all? I quickly changed the channel to Fox, nothing, then to C-Span, nothing again, and then finally to CNN where they displaying the electoral college votes in the lower right-hand corner. For anyone who knows about the presidential elections the person who reaches 270 electoral votes first is usually elected president. When I looked at CNN's display of Barack Obama's electoral votes I really was besides myself. He had two-hundred and something, I do not remember the exact number because I ran out of my room and down the hallway in joy and pride. I was screaming in celebration and running with my hands above my head. I was just proud that he had done it. I called my mother and we congratulated each other, I could tell she was smiling over the phone because of the way she was speaking. Soon after the riots and celebrations that ensued could be heard from my window, and of course I had to add to the chaos by yelling from the window. If I were to regret anything about that night it would be that I did not leave my building and join the celebrations. Nevertheless, I feel a great deal of pride and actually feel like I made a difference, especially being that it was my first time voting. This is still hard to believe and it is a dream come true. Again Barack Obama is the next president of the United States!!!!!