We have been Enlightened!

As a Delegate representing my Senate District and Precinct in Tarrant County I traveled to Austin to vote my support for Barack Obama for President for the 4th of what will ultimately be 5 times (Primary election, Precinct Convention, District Convention, State Convention, and of course the General Election in November).

When asked what made this one of my most memorable experiences I can name more than a few. To see thousands of people excited about our candidates not only for President, but for Congress and other state and local elections as well. To meet and hear speeches from well known Democrats mayors, state representatives and senators, and even nationally recognized figures like Chelsea Clinton and Tim Kaine Governor of Virginia who may very well be our next Vice President. To see friends and family most of which I had no idea would be attending. To see almost 30-40% of the attendees were Black people excited about Obama and getting involved in the political process.

Let it be said Black people in Texas and across this country have been ENLIGHTENED. Even deeper than what Obama has accomplished. You could feel the impact of Blacks in every aspect of the convention. When I watched Texas become a laughing stock because of the kaos and dysfunction of the Precinct Conventions I thought this process needed to be abolished immediately, but after going all the way to the State Convention I now understand this is the way we get people involved in the process.

The convention is where candidates are selected, it is where the party rules are written. If you ever wondered how it is that the Democratic Platform has seemed to go astray from the fundamental beliefs of Black people. It is easy to understand, we have not been participants in the development of the platform. Black people united at the Convention and we now have a number of Black people on every Committee that sets policies and makes decisions on behalf of the Democratic Party in Texas. We voted out people that have been doing the jobs forever that have ignored our issues, and have watched the party reach an almost dismal state to the point we barely had a gubernatorial candidate in 2006.

It really makes you sick to the stomach to think that we have not had a voice in this process for many years now. Many say this is all about Obama and we'll be lucky to see 1/2 as many people as we did this year at future conventions. That is undeniably true, but that is still twice as many than we have ever had in past years! This year we set forth a new generation of leaders for the Democratic Party in Texas!!!