President-elect Obama... the day after.

There's those words again. "President-elect".

I feel like today is still "the day after" because yesterday, like most people I know, I was still in a haze of joy and disbelief.

Today the happy reality is settling in a bit. A smile is still on my face, and a "Hope" button is still on my jacket, but the reality is that no single person can fix all the world's problems. Still- this victory is a sign that great things are possible when a group of dedicated people share a common vision - and a little luck.

What's getting me today is what this means - the deeper meaning. This campaign was about way more than Dem vs Repub, Red vs Blue, or even the economy, Iraq, or Bush - it was a fundamental choice about where we want to go as a country. Do we want to make that leap into a 21st century America, a post-racial America where we give ourselves an opportunity to overcome our past and work together for a better future, or are we ok with the way things are? For Obama, "Hope" was much more than just a campaign slogan. Hope is what Americans see in Obama - hope that the future of America can be here, right now.

This week, all the thousands and millions of people that gave their lives to the evils of slavery and the struggles of the civil rights movement played a part. America came full circle. America became a symbol to the world again of the promise of justice and equality that every person deserves. Never before has a minority been elected president in any western country. That's why people cheered and cried. And if America can come together to overcome all this, what more is possible?


I wanted to give an impression of just how big this moment was. Strong words, but I think that never before has there been such a mass celebration across the country at precisely the same moment. It gives me chills thinking about it... and reliving it in my mind. Without a doubt, it will always be one of the happiest moments of my life.


Below are a few glimpses into the shared joy our country experienced Tuesday night.

chicago rally at the exact moment


spontaneous national anthem in portland, or


boulder, co


san francisco


seattle


east village nyc


harlem


times square


on the subway - nyc


dc


outside the white house


atlanta




and finally, in Kenya, which declared yesterday a national holiday in celebration