Thu, Nov 26 2009
|
|
Published November 05, 2008 02:39 pm - DIAMOND, Mo. — Standing next to a statue of George Washington Carver on Wednesday, Paxton Williams couldn’t help but think about how far the nation has come since Carver, a child of slaves, made his mark on America. Black Americans: Election of Obama a major milestone w/ Link to MLK “I have a dream” speech videoBy Wally Kennedy wkennedy@joplinglobe.com DIAMOND, Mo. — Standing next to a statue of George Washington Carver on Wednesday, Paxton Williams couldn’t help but think about how far the nation has come since Carver, a child of slaves, made his mark on America. “Last night, when I watched Barack Obama’s acceptance speech, I felt extremely proud that an African-American could achieve this — that this day had come,” he said. Williams, 30, executive director of the George Washington Carver Birthplace Association, said Obama, in his acceptance speech, outlined the significance of the moment in U.S. history. “His allusions to Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln help us understand the momentousness of this occasion,” he said. “But because he was simply elected does not mean the work is done. We live, perhaps, in a time when we will face the greatest challenges of our generation.” Williams said he was amazed by what he saw when Obama spoke to an estimated 250,000 people Tuesday night in Chicago. Click the viewer to view a video excerpt of Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I have a dream” speech
“It looked like America when you looked out in that crowd,” he said. “He showed that he could bring a diverse people together on all levels. His campaign was a microcosm of how the nation could be and how the world could be, one where we don’t focus on the differences but focus on the larger issues on which we can find agreement.” Williams, who has written a play about Carver, said he sent a lot of text messages Tuesday night after Obama’s victory. “I called my parents in Mississippi, and I talked to my 5-year-old niece, Tia,” he said. “I asked her if she knew who Barack Obama was. She said, ‘He’s going to be the next president of the United States.’ She said her Papa — her grandfather — voted for Barack for her. I told her I voted for Barack for her, too.” The Rev. Harry Givens, 82, of Joplin, said it was good morning for America on Wednesday. 
![comment on this story](http://community.cnhi.com/eve/ubb.x?a=dl&f=55410432
&x_id=local_story_310143922.html&x_subject=<img+src="http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/extra.gif"+border=0>Black+Americans:+Election+of+Obama+a+major+milestone<font+color="#ff0000">+w/++Link+to+MLK++“I+have+a+dream”+speech++video</font>&x_link=http://www.joplinglobe.com/presidential/local_story_310143922.html)
•
Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
More from the Politics Presidential section
Obama sweeps to victory as first black president Oklahomans heavily favor all four ballot questions |
Print this story
E-mail this story
Post to del.icio.us
 |
 |
: Special Offer For New Subscribers
:
 |
|||||||
|
|||||||
 |
|
|
Published by Newspaper Holding, Inc. 117 East Fourth Street, Joplin, MO 64801 Using our site is your agreement to the terms and conditions. News: news@joplinglobe.com • (417)623-3480 Advertise with the Joplin Globe Copyright © 2006 The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO All rights reserved. 
|
Popular Business directory links - Joplin Apartments | Joplin Attorneys | Joplin Auto Dealers | Joplin Auto Parts | Joplin Auto Repair | Joplin Beauty Salons | Joplin Car Rental | Joplin Dentists | Joplin Doctors | Joplin Flowers | Joplin Hotels | Joplin Insurance | Joplin Loans | Joplin Mortgages | Joplin Movers | Joplin Pizza | Joplin Realtors | Joplin Restaurants | Joplin Storage | Joplin Tax Preparation | Joplin Travel | Joplin Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |
![Add a comment on this story](http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/zope/add_comment.php?section_id=presidential&story_id=local_story_310143922.html&headline=<img src="http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/extra.gif" border=0>Black Americans: Election of Obama a major milestone<font color="#ff0000"> w/ Link to MLK “I have a dream” speech video</font>&portal_url=http://www.joplinglobe.com&portal=joplinglobe){kind=link}