Nightswimming

There's something I do that I basically call "nightswimming." When I have too many complex thoughts or if I am emotionally blocked, I often find clarity by just walking the streets alone at night. I also do this when I am introduced to a new city or like this weekend during a major event. No pictures, no video, just me and my thoughts. It's amazing what you see in the dark when you aren't being shuttled down the street in a car, taxi or limo.

I strolled for an hour around 3 a.m. I started at Thomas Circle and 14th Street and walked all back to the house 13th and U Street.

It was about 20 degrees and the residential neighborhood was nestled snugly among all of the ongoing inaugural festivities. However, the only thing I could hear were the sounds of my own footsteps on the frosty pavement and the breeze whistling through the trees.

The thought of America's first black president became very real to me in the sense that this changes EVERYTHING. The world has forever changed. But what happens now?

10 minutes into my walk I noticed I was passing by the The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House: African American Women Unite for Change.

Like me, she was born in South Carolina and was the descendant of slaves. Without going through her entire history, Mary founded what is know today as Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. I couldn't help but feel a since of pride and responsiblity. It seemed as if my life had taken a similar path as Mary's. In the neighborhood surrounding the house is a diverse mix of residents who seemed to be living in harmony even though the front page of newspapers still showed images of a world plunging into a deep decline.

I felt a sense of responsibility, knowing there are things I should be doing to pull my friends, family and country out of this slump.

Before going home, I walked past the Chili Bowl where there lines of people including women in mink coats and ball gowns quietly shivering in the cold as the overnight crew frantically completed never-ending orders of hot dogs and sandwiches. Across the street families who drove in from Indiana, Illinois, Georgia, New Jersey, Connecticut and Alabama were lining up to get photos taken with a huge poster print of the first family.

I entered the house knowing that when the sun came up in two hours it would be MLK day and the masses would continue to arrive to witness history on Tuesday.

It started snowing as I closed the door.

Sunday Lincoln Memorial Concert - Tiger Woods

While watching the Sunday concert at the Lincoln Memorial from a warm location, I thought of famous contemporary black men who have played a significant role on my consciousness (outside of my father, my uncle Pete, my uncle Kenny, MLK and dozens of others). I've always known what I wanted out of life, all I ever needed were steering currents to point me in the right direction.

Here is my list of black men who came to mind:

1. When basketball player Len Bias died from a drug overdose in the early 90's, this single event frightened me away from even considering experimenting with hard drugs.

2. When Magic Johnson revealed he was HIV positive in 1990, this proved to me that HIV and AIDS were real.

3. O.J. Simpson's never-ending saga continues to show that fall from grace can be swift, unforgiving and unrecoverable. God has the power to take away the very gift he gave you if you squander it.

4. Shaquille O'Neal. I remember the first time I interviewed Shaq was when he played for the Orlando Magic. Despite all of the intense media, the gentle giant was soft-spoken, humble and grounded. I saw him again in Miami two years ago and he still remembered me.

5. And finally Tiger Woods. If I had any idea Tiger Woods would break from his image and make an appearance during the concert at the Lincoln Memorial, I would have rushed the stage. Tiger has had the greatest impact on me spiritually, professionally and intellectually. He is the epitome of excellence. He has complete obedience to his craft and broke through solid walls that shut out minorities for generations. I admire how he has handled every single obstacle and controversy in his life with tactical grace, skill and class.

Tiger Woods is TRANSFORMATIONAL and will go down in history as the best athlete EVER. In addition to inspiring me to take up golf (a sport that I LOVE), I have incorporated Tiger's professionalism into my every day life. I honestly feel I am successful and fulfilled today because in may ways he showed me how it's done.

True Story: When I was reporter at WFTV, Tiger Woods came into the newsroom because he was scheduled to do a live satellite interview for ABC. I kept a box of Wheaties with his face on it on my desk to inspire me to always push through and do my best. According to the weekend assignment desk editor, Tiger sat at the desk next to me and looked at the cereal box with great curiosity. I was working with such intensity on a story that I didn't even notice him sitting there.

I missed my chance to tell him "thank you" in person. For what it's worth, here's my chance now.

"Thank you, Tiger Woods."

The Obama Wall on U Street

There's an upscale restaurant on the corner of U Street across the street from the Marion Barry Center that has a European, yet bohemian feel about it. We are told that this is a Belgian restaurant fused with southern cooking. What stops you in your tracks is the outside wall that is blanketed with some dramatic posters of Barack and Michelle Obama. Art is subjective and you have to allow yourself to see the world through some someone else's. eyes. I believe this would be a bigger tourist attraction if more people knew where to find it.

The first piece that captures your attention is the huge Obama "PROGRESS" portrait in bold black, red and blue colors. Next to it is the highly-debated, yet thought provoking, portrait of Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama's faces merged together. The passerbys we spoke to had no idea until I pointed it out to them. Obama has said on many occasions that he feels a kinship with Lincoln. The other provocative print is the vision of Michelle Obama as a radical Black Panther.

In the photo with me is a woman named Janelle who I met on the sidewalk. She is from Tampa and now lives in D.C. She painted a picture of this mural. I will post it when she emails it to me.

If you want to see this wall for yourself, you have to view it soon. Bulldozers and construction crews are already there to construct a new building over the wall.

Intellectual Cafe

In the neighborhood where Mark and I are staying is a place called Busboys and Poets. It seemed to be the cradle for African-American intellectualism. The cafe has open mike nights, poetry readings, etc. What strikes you about the place is its diversity and inclusiveness on the same relative block as the center of the 1968 riots. We are told that this where the neighborhood Obama team met during the campaign. Here are photos inside and shot of an interesting portrait composed of newspaper articles about Obama.

Our History IS American History

Born and raised in the South Carolina, I am particularly interested in any type of history that details the role African-Americans played in the Civil War. On U Street is the African-American Civil War Museum. The images from the statue are compelling. The front side shows soldiers who fought on land and on the seas. The other side shows why these men decided to fight. I will update this post with more details later.

Vendors Part 2 - Obamarama

The number of vendors doubled in the neighborhood today. I remember when I was going up, both of my grandmothers had dishes with pictures of Dr. Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy hanging on their walls next to photos of grandkids and other family members. King and Kennedy were held in such reverence by my grandmothers that it seemed as if they were part of our family.
There's no doubt Obama has earned a spot on the family wall.

What Obama item would you hang on the wall next to King and Kennedy? Here are more photos of the available items being sold on the street.

BY THE WAY! We paid $30 for an Obama watch. Both hands moved at the same time. Not a good choice.

The Cab Story - Obama Saves the Night

Saturday night, I attempted to hail a cab to get back to the house. For some strange reason, not ONE cab would pick me up. A woman from Ohio was operating a souvenir stand behind me erupted into laughter. She said I needed Obama to stop a cab for me. I thought she was kidding until I saw a vision of Barack Obama standing next to her. He walked out into the street and hailed a cab for me. We took this picture with her camera before I left. Here is a picture of the picture on her camera. I will post the real one when she emails me. Is there anything Obama can't do? Truth be told, this person who got the cab for me is an Obama impersonator from Brooklyn, New York. He disappeared into the Velvet Lounge where people inside who were watching from the window applauded him.