Thursday, January 22, 2009

Inauguration Day!

Jan 20th is Doris' birthday & she turned 73! Wow. She still looks so damn gorgeous, it is amazing. I tell ya, 'black don't crack,' it's true, & if black folks (Doris does not like the term "African American" - like Whoopi) don't get fat, they look SO YOUNG! Younger than me, that's for sure & I am 12 years younger than my honey. I do not look it. Even better, she is healthy & vibrant. It's a blessing.

Other than being given a couple million dollars, I don't think Doris could ask for any better birthday present than Barack Obama becoming president that day!!! It was SO exciting, & we watched the whole day on TV, laughing & crying on & off. It was beautiful.

Of course for Doris born in '36 & growing up thru so much prejudice & pain as a young black child & adolescent, then young adult single mother of 3 children working 2 & 3 jobs a day to make ends meet & getting paid less for the the same thing as the white girls, constantly being harassed for sex then being fired for resisting, etc - She never thought she would live to see this day!

As for me born in '47, growing up in the segregated south (Dallas & Richardson,) I definitely remember the 'colored only' water fountains & bathrooms & 'whites only' restaurants, & I was always supporting 'The Cause,' the black equality flight. And then of course there was the experience of getting kicked out of college in 1968 my Jr. year for dancing with a black student at a school dance...

Well needless to say we were both jubilant! President Obama! It was extraordinary to witness such a historical day in history on Tuesday, it was the most Excellent, Uplifting Wonderment! What a FABULOUS day, what a Great birthday for Doris!


6 comments:

eb said...

"Black don't crack"....LOL

I've never heard that before but it's so true. Maxine worked with this one black hair stylist who is in her 60s and her skin is pitch perfect. Not a wrinkle on the woman. It's amazing.

Doris is damn gorgeous.

I know many of us are very happy about Obama becoming president but I can't even imagine what it must feel like for Doris and so many older black people who went through so much racist shit. I'm glad she got to see this day.

Middle Girl said...

It was indeed a glorious day!

Happy belated B-day to Doris. Happy, happy, joy, joy to all those who survived those days, those rejoicing in these days and those striving for even better days.

YaY!

Val said...

Happy b'lated b'day to Doris!
How come EB knows what Doris looks like????!! Secret rendezvous, ladies???!!!

Anyway.. it was INDEED a glorious day!

yankeegirl said...

Happy Belated Birthday Doris!
So many of us were thrilled to see President Obama. My favorite story on the news was of the black woman who lined her coat with pictures of her sharecropping ancestors and opened her coat when Obama walked by so they could see him.

JulieB said...

What a glorious day for us all. Even more than him being black, I think he is such a decent honorable man. How many of those are around???

What a great birthday!! I can't imagine living through all of that awful racism..and not that it's not still here, cuz it is. What a great time to be able to see this day.

KMae said...

LOL Val,-

Elizabeth & Maxine were in NYC 2 yrs ago & we met them for lunch at Manatus in the West villsge!

Loved 'em!