Colored people in the White House! Colored people in the White House!!!

[Empowerer]

When I was a kid, it was so rare to see black people on television in any capacity that when a black face did show up, my sister and I would run around the house yelling, "Come quick! Colored people on tv! Colored people on tv!" Sometimes my parents would even call their friends (or vice versa) and tell them, "Turn on Ed Sullivan (or Red Skelton, the news, etc.)! So and so's on! Bye!"

Now everytime I read or hear about the Obama family moving into the White House, I can't help feeling that same unbridled joy, excitement and pride that my sister and I felt those so many years ago when when we saw one of our own on television and had let everyone within earshot know about it.

And when I watch that beautiful brown-skinned family walk into the the White House in January, I might not be able to refrain from running around the house yelling, "Black people in the White House! Black people in the White House!!!"

[graywarrior]

1. LOL!

I feel your joy!

[azmouse]

2. I'll probably cry for joy more on Jan 20 than I did on Election day

and that's saying something.

[JuniperLea]

28. Me too...

I'm just now able to hold it together when I see pictures of Obama and family! I'll have to start my "suck it up JuniperX!" campaign all over again come 1/20/09!!!

[azmouse]

29. I plan on giving in to those tears.

After the last 8 years they're therapeutic.

I've got plenty of tissues and I'm willing to share.

[JuniperLea]

32. Amen, Lady! Amen!

I knew I should have bought stock in Kleenex!

[Jackeens]

3. Love it!!

[genna]

4. On local news I'd look for the black person with rollers in her hair or missing teeth

:crazy:

[zbdent]

5. what upsets the Reichies is that

they're not dressed in maids' outfits and carrying mops ...

[DavidDvorkin]

6. Lock up the silverware!

Or did Bush already steal it?

[Fire_brand]

7. . . .

[annabanana]

8. I hope there are dozens of photographers around of that day.

I know I sure will want pictures.

A wonderful day.

[JohnnyLib2]

9. You've made the point better than any pundit I've heard or read.

Thank you.

"Joy, excitement, and pride. "

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Rec.

[sandnsea]

10. I bet if you can expand on that

You could have a published article.

[RichardRay]

11. The White House staff is predominantly black.

Not the folks who run the government, the ones who keep the place working from day to day and serve each new president as he comes along. I keep thinking of what it's going to be like for someone who's served in that capacity for the last couple of decades when the Obama's arrive to take up residence. From what I've seen of our president-elect I expect he'll know people by name in a matter of days, and having Sasha and Malia growing up there is going to be pretty incredible, too.

[Sheltiemama]

22. I watched a PBS show on the Queen of England last night.

I believe it's a sort of series called "The Royal Family at Work." It was about a visit to America. She came to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, and she also went to the White House for a visit and state dinner. You remember it. It's when George fumbled and said she'd been around in 1667, and she gave him a withering look. It was a fascinating show. You got to see behind the scenes everything that goes into such a visit. One shot showed two members of the White House staff, both black, in what was being used as the dining room for the state dinner, listening to George and the queen give their speeches. They were overseeing the dinner service, from what I gathered. And I thought about those two men, and if they're still there in January, how they're going to feel when they're standing there for another state dinner, listening to President Obama welcome his distinguished guests. It gives me chills.

[JuniperLea]

31. Some of those people have had those jobs for their entire adult lives...

And some "inherited" their position from other family members before them. They take great pride in what they do, as well they should. The level of excellence they maintain is amazing. There was a PBS documentary on the White House a few years ago, and it was a real eye-opener. I expect the next four years will be very, very happy for all concerned:)

[Sheltiemama]

34. It was unbelievably impressive.

"Excellence" is the right word. It was impeccable. It's almost like it's choreographed. I kept thinking that I wouldn't want such a high-pressure job! I think I saw that documentary, too, now that you mention it. I imagine there will be many tear-filled eyes inside the White House as the Obama family walks inside their new home on Jan. 20.

George, as usual, looked and acted like a doofus. I'd love to know what was going through the queen's head, though you could see a hint of it on her face.

[JuniperLea]

35. I caught that too...

I love PBS:)

Yes, the Queen is on a whole other level than our doofus. I'm sure she'd never let on or say out loud what she really thinks of him. I'm just glad he didn't call her Queenie or try to give her a back rub!

I got a kick out of all the people who were getting such a kick out of meeting her. I'd be stoked, no question.

[JimWis]

12. Great post. Thank you.

[Born_A_Truman]

13. Isn't it WONDERFUL??

Not only did we elect a great leader, the youth and diversity they bring to the country is such a breath of fresh air. Our very own West Wing come true! I am going to be a sobbing mess on 1/20/09.

[blondeatlast]

14. GREAT post; thank you! I've been told that I should not celebrate the fact

that a man who happens to be African-American was ELECTED to the highest office in the land.

Nonsense. He was the best person for the job, unquestioningly, and that's more important, but to consider for even a moment that a person who, even in my lifetime, would not be allowed to sit by me at lunch could be president is damn well worth celebrating.

Watching dogs and hoses trained on people stays with one, even if I watched it when I was 3-4 years of age.

I'm delighted. I can't stop grinning when I think of it. The best man finally won--and he DOESN'T look like me. I love that.

[rateyes]

15. K & R just for the subject line.

[4lbs]

16. I grew up in the 1970s watching "black" shows.

"Good Times", "The Jeffersons", and "What's Happening?"

Those shows just seemed more realistic to me than "The Brady Bunch", "Eight is Enough", and "The Partridge Family".

[rvablue]

17. "Good Times" was such an awesome show

I don't know if you've caught any reruns or seen the DVD of the series in recent years, but besides being very funny and such a warm show, they dealt with so many subjects like unemployement, welfare, drug addiction etc.

[4lbs]

18. Yeah, I see the reruns of it a lot. It's on cable's TVLAND channel which features classic shows.

It's also on a local channel during the day. I record it and watch it when I can. I've probably seen each episode at least 4 times by now. :D

There's also a BETOne or TVOne channel that focuses on shows featuring African-American families and groups, like "Amen", "Martin", "Parenthood", etc.

[randr]

19. We need all to remember it was black people who built the White House.

[AnneD]

20. And their coming through the front door too....

:evilgrin:

[EffieBlack]

21. Sweet! n/t

[ThatsMyBarack]

23. My first exposure to Black people was when....

I first saw Susan and Gordon on Sesame Street!

[TheKentuckian]

24. A little theme from "The Jeffersons" action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGtFSTL1Nbo

Its been in my head for a couple weeks so I figured I'd share the love. We finally got our piece of the pie.

[cyndensco]

25. Remember checking the back page of JET

to find out which black actors would make guest appearances that week? And, before colors auto-adjusted, I remember my mother waiting for a black face to appear on tv to correct the hue/contrast. We would have to wait SO long!

Yeah, it will be marvelous to see the Obamas in the White House!

[EffieBlack]

36. I remember that, too!

Memories like that are one of the reasons that so many of us cried like babies last week and are still pinching ourselves. When you grew up in an environment in which you just didn't see anyone who looked like you in any positions of power or respect, experiencing the election of a black man as President of the United States is almost too much to wrap your head around.

I tell you, though, this girl who used to play with Caroline Kennedy cutouts is going to absolutely lose it the first time I see a little white girl with a Sasha or Malia doll.

[MadBadger]

26. I thought for sure this was a Lindsay Lohan Thread

[Nia Zuri]

27. I remeber that.!!!!! My little friends would say," there's going to be

black people on tv tonight!" We'd be so excited! Usually it would be somebody like Harry Belafonte, Lena Horen or Flip Wilson. When Good Times and The Jeffersons debuted we thought we'd died and gone to heaven!

[Raine]

30. It's going to be a BEAUTIFUL

sight! :bounce:

[DU GrovelBot]

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