When President Obama Shows Up At Your HBCU | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

When President Obama Shows Up At Your HBCU

How my life changed in one glorious night.

8
When President Obama Shows Up At Your HBCU
theundefeated.com

Last week, news about Barrack Obama coming to North Carolina A&T State University traveled through word of mouth and all throughout social media. I was so excited to find out that I would be able to see the president himself. I figured it would be open to all students, considering this is a monumental day, but I was rudely awakened when they said it was invite only and the only people getting invites were athletes, SGA, and sports science majors, none of which applied to me.

I later found out there would be one more opportunity to see Obama. I got an email saying he would be at a rally supporting Clinton at the White Oak Amphitheater following his recording at A&T of Undefeated Convo on ESPN. The doors opened up at 3:30 and Obama was scheduled to speak at 6:00. My friends and I arrived at the Amphitheater at 12:00 and began our long and hot day of waiting to see Barrack Obama.

When we arrived, there were probably about 50 people there and we were at the front. As 2:30rolled around 50 shortly turned into more than 1,000. I called my dad at about 3:15 and told him "Dad, I'm at the front of the line to see Obama!" A phone call my father and I probably never expected to have. 3:30 hit and they begin to let us in, but before we were let in we of course had to be searched by the secret service. After being searched and patted down we ran to find the closest seat available. We were on the left side about 6 rows back with an awesome view.

After waiting 3 more long hours, my beautiful president came out and I've never been filled with so many emotions. The first thing I thought to myself was "Is this real life?"

He began to speak and I sat there and immersed myself into every single word that came out of his mouth. The basis of his speech was that we've got work to do and there's only one candidate that's going to fulfill this work. He went in depth about the respect he has for Hillary Clinton. He said despite her losing to him in the 2008 primary, she continued to work on his campaign, leaving behind her own motive and helping Obama instead.

He mastered wisdom and grace with every point he made while brilliantly mixing humor. When discussing Donald Trump, President Obama still remained respectful while making the audience laugh about Trump's incapable ability to run this country. He talked about his lack of stability, temper, and knowledge. He then sent the crowd into a roaring laughter when he said although Trump claims to be the world's best business man, Obama knows a lot of successful business people who didn't lose a billion dollars and pay their taxes. Although he didn't go into much depth about Trump's disgusting comments made in the tape recently exposed, he still made it known that Trump's misogynistic views are not acceptable.

The way he handled ignorance and disrespectful protesters was a sight to see. Despite two of them running down to the front of the stage with shirts that said "Bill Clinton is a rapist" he just stood there and smiled as the secret service removed them and the crowd swarmed with boos. He reminded us to not stoop down to their level by saying, "Don't boo...VOTE!"

As he began to make a point that he really felt passionate about he spoke faster, every word was intensified, and his voice filled the amphitheater. I became overwhelmed because I knew no other presidential family will probably effect me the way the Obamas did. As he finished his speech and did his final wave to us, he reminded us to vote and stand with her united not divided. I just smiled.

Who would've thought I'd be at a rally for our first female president conducted by the first Black president? This day, this event, this moment is something that will stick with me forever. President Obama I'm with her, but I will forever be with you. Thank you for inspiring young Black kids. Thank you for everything you've done for this country. You will truly be missed.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

3891
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

302738
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments