I came to Boheminian Caverns — an historic and famous jazz club on Washington DC’s U-Street corridor — a bit late after class. Most people had been there since 6, drinking and stressing out about the election results. We were interviewed for Estonian television. When CNN announced Indiana, then Ohio, then Iowa, for Obama the entire crowd chanted and cheered. But with the announcement that virginia was turning blue, they went freakin nuts! It was only a few minutes after that CNN called the election for Obama.
There was free champagne, strangers kissing strangers, jumping, jubilation. A few minutes later, people poured out onto the street. Hesitant, at first, but jumping shouting and chanting all the while, they slowly came to dance in the intersection and block the streets. Big rig trucks blasted their horns and people all climbed up on top of them. Drivers stopped thier cars and got out and danced, hauling other people to stand on thier car rooves. A little boy carried a prizefighter belt with “Obama” written on it. Soon music was blasting, samba band were playing, and giant American flags waved. It was all races, all classes, all people hugging, slapping hands, and having a really good time.
America, you looked good last night. Really good.
-Erica
Quote of the day -
“This is the fall of the Berlin Wall times ten,” Rama Yade, France’s black junior minister for human rights, told French radio. “America is rebecoming a New World.” (Read complete story)
