By Wayne Drash CNN.comCOMO, Mississippi (CNN) -- Seconds after Barack Obama was declared the winner of the presidential election, the countryside of Como, Mississippi, erupted in celebratory gunfire. It was an impromptu party on the black side of the railroad tracks -- a joyous moment as African-Americans raced from their homes and fired into the air to celebrate the first black president in our nation's history.
I knew then that it was time to head back to my home away from home to do what I'd long wanted to do: Cross the railroad tracks to meet with blacks on the other side of town. To ask them about their lives, their struggles and what it's been like growing up black in Mississippi. And most of all, to ask them what this moment in our history means to them.
The unsung heroes of the civil rights era, to me, were the ones who I saw in my youth: The blacks of Como and the surrounding areas who remained behind, living quiet, unassuming lives when the odds were stacked against them. They worked their tails off, often for mere pennies, yet rarely complained. Grown adults would call me "sir," even if I was just 14 years old.
The unsung heroes of the civil rights era, to me, were the ones who I saw in my youth: The blacks of Como and the surrounding areas who remained behind, living quiet, unassuming lives when the odds were stacked against them. They worked their tails off, often for mere pennies, yet rarely complained. Grown adults would call me "sir," even if I was just 14 years old.
What video below: Grandson of Slave says: "Obama, He Come Up Just Like Me."
AND DON'T MISS THIS FEATURE STORY: Grandson of slaves: Obama is our Moses
Editor's note: The n-word appears in this piece because CNN feels the context in which it is used is pertinent to the story of James "Little Man" Presley.
SLEDGE, Mississippi (CNN) -- James Presley stands amid chopped cotton, the thick Mississippi mud caked on his well-worn boots. A smile spreads across his face when he talks about voting for Barack Obama and what that might mean for generations to come. His voice picks up a notch. He holds his head up a bit higher."There's a heap of pride in voting for a black man," he says.
At 78, Presley is a legend of the past living in the present and now hopeful for the future. A grandson of slaves, he's one of the few men left in America so closely tied to his slave past, still farming cotton on the same land as his ancestors. He's picked cotton since he was just 6 years old. Full story here
No comments:
Post a Comment
We appreciates all comments and fosters free speech, however, keep in mind that we have young readers who peruse our site. Having said that, please refrain from using profane language, and know that flaming will not be tolerated. Spam will not be tolerated.