These two pictures say it all for me:

[volstork]

A DREAM DEFERRED
Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

-------------------------------------

Or maybe it is FINALLY fulfilled!

[wellstone dem]

1. proud to be the first rec.

thanks for posting, especially with the poem.

[iamjoy]

2. I'm Fahklempt

the pictures, the poem...
the hope that the dream may be realized, not deferred...

[Historic NY]

3. Tears of pure joy.....they earn it.

[I Have A Dream]

4. OK, you just made me cry...

but it feels so good. :cry:

I think that our country will be greatly healed when Obama becomes president. :)

K&R!

[Olney Blue]

5. Lovely post.

[npincus]

6. ...

lovely.

[Shanti Mama]

7. third reply about my son's 6th grade speech and drama class

First, he had to memorize the Gettysburg address, which was mentioned recently on DU.
Then I wrote about him acting as Martin Luther King Jr in a speech competition.
Now... the first poem they memorized was Dream Deferred. Powerful for an 11 yr old, but he got it to the extent he is able at this stage in his life.

[SallyMander]

8. K & R

:cry:

The hope in those pictures is just breathtaking.

[ThatsMyBarack]

9. Rec #22!

:patriot:

[Dragonbreathp9d]

10. K&R for Langston Hughes

great choice!

[Essene]

11. doesnt say much to me...

im fairly happy about obama becoming the first black president, but i think it would be a shame to turn that into a "black thing."

MLK and the civil rights movement was not just a "black thing."

edit:

i should add that my comments are driven by cynicism on my part, esp when i see daily posts on DU that focuses on photos of blacks and "how nice" they are, etc.

this election is being racialized for all the wrong reasons, so pardon my sour note.

[noiretextatique]

14. it's an historic event, especially for african-americans

really...get over yourself. to reduce this to a "black thing" smacks of the same type of stupidity coming from the mccain campaign.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

16. Coming from the same person who says we should ignore racism.

:eyes:

[noiretextatique]

20. maybe we should ignore racists?

and their apologists :thumbsup:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

21. Good idea.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

24. Maybe because

for a few hundred years the way black people were seen was:

[volstork]

26. Not intended to be a "racial thing."

My point is that I find it moving and heartening that people who have been given short shrift by our society are finally seeing one of their own come to power. It is, I imagine (I'm white), a dream fulfilled.

[goclark]

12. Hughes is my favorite poet -- Finally fulfilled R

[nini]

13. I love the one of the older lady especially

Makes me so happy she is seeing her dream come true :cry:

[EvolveOrConvolve]

15. I think in 13 days we will begin an era

of a very different America.

I'm starting to feel good about things for the first time since the Republican Revolution in '94.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. At our Obama acceptance speech watch party in August,

I sat next to an African American man and his 8 year old son. The man cried and the boy had the most amazing look on his face as he watched the speech. I will never forget it.

[TexasObserver]

18. Yes, it is the look of Hope realized.

[eshfemme]

19. I love that poem by Langston Hughes!

I'm not too into poetry in general but I love Langston Hughes for how succinct but vivid his language is.

[gabby garcia]

22. beautiful!

remember this pic?

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2008/03/19/W_OBAMA_narrowweb__300x413,0.jpg

[stuntcat]

23. oh!!

omg, I'm so sappy tonight :cry:

[treestar]

25. K & R

:kick:

I want those women's dreams to come true!