Ann Nixon Cooper – 106 years of American history
Nov, 9, 2008
Posted by“This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight’s about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.”
Ingeniously (not only from a rhetorical point of view) Barack Obama in his victory speech at Grant Park mentioned Ann Nixon Cooper in order to illustrate the long way the black struggle had come in the last 106 years.
Seldom an ordinary citizen is mentioned explicitly in a political speech of that importance and even more unique are the the experiences Ann Nixon Cooper made in her lifetime. 106 years after being born to a former slave in the state of Tennessee she contributed to the election of the first Black President of the United States.
The dear old lady lives in Atlanta, Georgia, ever since the twenties of the last century, when she moved there with her husband. Usually, she goes to bed quite early, but Tuesday night she just didn’t make it. She knew change was coming and she was not going to miss it (also because she had somehow come to know that the president-elect would have talked about her). Beyond midnight, when Obama had concluded his speech countless phone calls do not let her get rest. Neighbors, friends, her numerous family, everybody wants to congratulate her for having been chosen as the symbol for America’s ability to resist and progress. Around 3 a.m the phone calls diminish, emotionally excited Ann decides to allow her body some rest. She is overjoyed when she walks up the stairs to her bedroom. Her only regret is that her deceased husband isn’t there to share this moment.
Posted in Presidential Election 2008 by |
