Today is President Obama last day being a sitting US President I would like to share my thoughts on him and what he means to me.

I was a seventeen-year-old young man who was a senior in high school. I was taking a civics class and was learning a lot about how our government works. So at this point I learned a little bit about politics and I knew since I was about to turn eighteen. I would be the legal age to participate is the election of the 44th president of the United States of America. At this point I’m eighteen and have graduated from high school, I’m looking for info about politics so I did what most do when they want to find something out about politics I turned on cnn. I watched and enjoyed cnn and continued to learn.

Senator Brack Obama Announcing He Is Running For President

During this time of the campaign season they talked about Hillary Clinton a lot, I thought that she was going to be the nominee. One day I got the surprise of a lifetime I turn on cnn and see this huge crowd the caption at bottom says “waiting for senator Barack Obama to announce his campaign bid for the presidency. I do not know who this man is and have never heard of him. I’m expecting a white man to come to the stage, so I walk away from the tv and come back a little later and see Senator Obama talking to the crowd. I say myself “OH MY GOD he is black” I wasn’t thinking that a black man couldn’t do the job but I didn’t think our country was the point to elect a black president. I remember sitting and listing to him speak and thinking in my head while he speaking to this huge crowd out in the open that they were going to shot him because it was just to open. As a young black I heard all the time growing up that America would never elect an African American as president, so it never crossed my mind that he could actually win. I thought he would give it a good try but the powers that be would do something to impact his chances.

He won the primaries against Hillary Clinton, this is when I started to think that this man is the real deal. At this point I’m watching cnn and other news channels to get as much info about this election and Barack Obama as I can. Remember I’m a first time voter I’m just learning about politics and government and as I’m going thru this moment in my life it hits me. The first presidential candidate I get to vote for is a black man. This is what the Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Malcom X and others fought for, people have died for this. This moment felt incredible this is a time that you tell your kids about. This made me feel proud and inspired.

I watched every debate he participated in and try to learn as much about him and his family that I could. As the election got closer I got nervous because I still had in the back of my mind that somehow the election would get rigged.

 

I’m all registered to vote and the big day has arrived. I go and place my vote for the 44th President of the United States of America around 10:00am. This day was going so slow, I had to work and couldn’t watch any news coverage so I didn’t know who was up in the polls. I get off of work and rush to a friend’s house to see the election results. I see that Obama is leading but all the states were not in yet. After about two hours watching cnn, Wolf Blizer says “Breaking news Barack Obama will become the 44th President of The United States Of America.”

 

The feeling I had was almost indescribable, so many people said that this could never be happen. Right after they announce the winner I drive home to celebrate with my family. While driving home I play a song entitled “My President Is Black” by Young Jezzy. I get home to my family and they are excited and ask me would I like to go to the inauguration I said “YES”. The icing on the cake was being present for his first inauguration, and getting to go on a white house tour it will be something that I will never forget. President Obama and his family has been so encouraging to a whole generation.

 

The Inauguration Of Barack Obama In 2008

The truest statement of this whole blog post is this “there will never be another Barack Obama.” I think he did a lot of great things for this country I do not agree with everything he said or did but he still represented this country like no other president has.

 

Thank You President Obama and first family for leading with class and integrity.