Hi, y'all. It has been a while since I posted but I am totally excited about our President and Vice-President Elects Barack Obama and Joe Biden.Had to go through campaign withdrawal syndrome. First, our local group, Barack Team Bessemer registered 2750 new voters in Bessemer, AL. This increased our city's percentage of registered voters by 18%. Our county, Jefferson County, had a clean sweep on November 4. For the first time in history, all Democrats won the seats they sought, including the African Americans. We, in Alabama, picked up one additional House seat. Bobby Bright, of Montgomery, AL is our newly elected US House Representative. State totals are 4 Republicans and 3 Democrats. For years we only had 2 democrats in the House.After our voter registration deadline ended on October 24, my sister and I, Angela, traveled to St. Petersburg, FL to knock on doors and encourage early voting. We stayed there a week and had a very exhilirating experience. Chris Haas (or CJ as he was called) had one of the most organized campaigns that I have ever witnessed. Our hosts, Millie and Bob, were very gracious and fired up. ON Halloween night, Millie had to attend a Halloween Party, and Bob asked me to hand out the treats. My sister and I are lower middle-class African Americans. Bob and Millie are upper income Caucasians. We live in one of the poorest cities in Alabama. They lived on the coast of the Gulf or Mexico in a diverse and upscale community in St. Petersburg. Imagine the looks on the trick or treaters face when I opened the door. I told Bob, "Look, you need to show your face so no one thinks we hijacked your home". We had a ball.My sister and I sneaked out on Wednesday to see and hear Obama speak in Sarasota, FL. I didn't see many African Americans at the rally or in the city, but everyone there welcomed us. Was told later that this was the hometown of Katherine Harris, former Secretary of State and one of the wealthiest cities in Florida. We left on Saturday, after receiving word that Birmingham was sending several volunteers for Saturday until the day after the election. I know that we made a difference in St Petersburg. I was thrilled to finally see the election results from Pinellas County.
On election day, another sister, San, along with her husband, Mitch, and daughter, Devin, had the unique experience of taking a 92 year old couple to the polls to vote. A little background: Before Angela and I left for Florida, I registered Mr. Pitts to vote for the first time in his life. He was 92 years old. I submitted an Absentee ballot application for him and his wife (she was already registered). On Saturday, November 1, he received his voter registration card in the mail. They also received a letter from the Absentee Ballot Election Manager stating that because I submitted their applications in the same envelope, they were not eligible to vote by absentee ballot. Mrs. P was wheel chair bound. Mr. P had a pace maker and was also on an oxygen tank. I felt extremely low because I thought there was no way they could make it to the polls. The couple's son was totally disgusted with us. After talking to the couple, we convinced them to go to the polls. Mr. P went to his doctor on Monday and received additional medication to enable him to wait in long lines if needed.
My sister said they were dressed in their Sunday go to meeting clothes and were thoroughly excited to go to the polls on this historic occasion. Mrs. P's name was on the rolls but originally they could not locate Mr. P's name. Finally, a clerk looked in the supplemental rolls and found his name. Mrs. P told my sister to go over than and help him because he had never voted before in his life. She said, "go help him fill that form out for that boy!" I believe this was one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives.
We spent the rest of the day going to Public Housing complexes in Bessemer providing rides to local residents to the polls. There was an elderly woman who had gone to the polls earlier and was told that she had to go to Birmingham to vote even though she has voted at this box for several years. Her son and daughter did not know where the new place was and she had reconciled herself to not voting. Two of our volunteers, natives of Nigeria and the country of India, using their GPS took her to the polls. She was very grateful and excited to be chauffered by these international volunteers.
Grassroots campaigning does work and is totally rewarding.
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