Sometimes we laugh; sometimes we cry!

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
TriceEdneyWire.com Columnist

During the past week, many of us were glued to our televisions. The National Democratic Convention was going on in Chicago. There was a lot of laughter. There were a lot of tears – but they weren’t sad tears. They were happy tears coming from men and from women. Some were from Blacks, Whites, Asians, Indians, Hispanics, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

Everything there was about KAMALA HARRIS and TIM WALZ! I could end this article with those two names, but there is a lot more to tell. Like many, I think I heard lots of speeches telling us who these two people really are and why they should become our president and next vice-president.

I just couldn’t get enough of the joy I was witnessing. Speaker after speaker were showing their love, pride, respect, happiness and their anticipation about what would happen next. Yes we cried a lot. We laughed a lot.

We Black women thought such a day would never come but there it was! We cried as we remembered what our ancestors went through to get us to this day – and we remembered what our dads went through, too, but as Malcolm said, Black women still are the most disrespected women in the world – and one of us is about to become President of the United States of America! It’s been a long time coming but it’s so close now we can feel it!

Each speaker told us a bit more than we already knew about Kamala and why she is destined to become our next President. Speaker after speaker told us about how she has always fought for others who could not speak for themselves. We were even told about the scar she still carries from protecting a little girl when she was a child.

We laughed and we cried because we were happy about being so near to having a twofer. Barack Obama was our first Black brother, but we are about to have our first Black sister and the first woman period! Michelle Obama had already reminded Trump that he should remember that the job he is seeking just might be one of those Black jobs he’s been talking about!

President Joe Biden, Democrats, Independents and even a good number of Republicans gave us a respectful number of reasons why we should vote to make Kamala our next president.

Night after night we saw truly happy people. Stevie Wonder performed his magic. John Legend, Sheila E and others made us want to dance whether we in the convention center or sitting at home just watching everything.

The Rev. Al Sharpton came on and made us feel good come rain or shine. He told us about Trump –a man he has known for a long time who just wanted to get ahead for himself but not for others, and how Kamala consistently works to help those in need. He said we are gonna do a job on those who’ve done a job on us! He talked about the things for which we have worked so hard and we won’t go back! At that point, the crowd was cheering with “We won’t go back!”

Those were not just Black people. White women were just as loud – especially when the words freedom and choice for women to be able to decide what to do with their own bodies! Others were cheering for reasons we may never know.

More than once we heard “If we stay together and vote together, joy will come in the morning.” I was pleased that he referred to the Rev. Jesse Jackson as his mentor, for it was the Rev. Jackson who taught so many the importance of getting registered and voting in every election.

A group of Black men said, “We are going to usher Kamala Harris into the White House on November 5th, and what a joy that will be!”

This article originally published in the September 2, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.