WilLaVeist.com

By Wil LaVeist

It was a time to cry.

A time for men who for their entire lives had fought stereotypes:

You’re lazy and shiftless. You’re dumb and violent. You don’t take care of your children. You’ll never mount to anything. You’re not good enough.

It was a time for men who had beaten the stereotypes, but for whom life in America remains a psychological wrestling match with their backs against the mat.

It was a time for men such as Benson Banks in Hampton who was among the frenzied crowd of hundreds at the Virginia Democrats’ election party at the Holiday Inn. As the crowd of some Whites, but mainly Black men, women and youths cheered at the announcement that Sen. Barack Obama, a Black man, had been elected President of the United States of America, Banks’ emotions flowed.

“I’ve been voting for 12 presidential elections,” he said, his eyes welling.  “This is the first time that I’ve been in an election that I could vote for one of us. I’ve been through a lot. I’m 66 years old.”

It was a night for Bruce Watts, a senior business development manager for the City of Norfolk. Normally poised, Watts walked towards me, his eyes streaming with tears behind his glasses.

“He brought it home for all of us,” Watts said. “America now knows what we’ve always known – that we can achieve anything if given a fair chance. The game has been changed. The game has been changed.”

And for Bill Grace, a successful businessman and long-time community advocate and powerbroker, this day of affirmation was especially personal.

“I was born Nov. 4 1929 during the Depression. After the 60s and Civil Rights movement and all that, I would’ve never believed this could happen that America would have an African American president,” he said as the crowd chanted “O-B-A-M-A, O-B-A-M-A...” “It’s going to change not only America’s, but the world’s view of America. Though America still has problems, the world will see us differently.”

Women are so much better at expressing their emotions, so we understand their tears of joy and pain better. But if you haven’t been reared as a Black male in America, it might be difficult to fully understand why Obama’s historic breakthrough is particularly deep for us.  For Black men who have consciously battled negative stereotypes, while feeling helpless when other Black men fulfill them, or endured the indignity of being called “boy,” though you’re skin is wrinkled and hair is gray, the emotion of Obama’s win hits to the core. Finally, America has voted to agree with what we’ve struggled to believe about ourselves – yes we can, if given a fair shot.

And to witness Obama’s achievement with his strong supportive wife by his side (and even out front at times on the campaign trail), it was hard for many to suppress the tears. A Black man had worked hard, proven himself, played by the rules that didn't change on him in midstream, and won the greatest prize of all in America.

So as the emotional crowd watched the coverage of the celebration at Chicago’s Grant Park, it cheered when the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s face, wet with tears, flashed on the screen. Criticize him if you want, but we understand.

It was time to cry.

Wil LaVeist, as publisher/editor of MIX Magazine, covered the historic presidential campaign of then Sen. Barack Obama. LaVeist attended the Democratic Convention in Denver and the inauguration in Washington.