Published at 6:27 PM on November 5, 2008

By Althea Legaspi, with Kent Green; photos by Althea Legaspi

Oh, What A Night: Chicago celebrates with President-elect Obama in Grant Park

Last night, the United States elected Barack Obama as its 44th President, making him the first-ever African American to hold that position. Your Paste:Local Chicago editor, Althea Legaspi-- along with a quarter million other supporters-- witnessed history as Obama delivered his first speech as President-elect at Grant Park in his hometown.

The electricity was palpable in Chicago on Nov. 4th, and anticipation of Obama's election night rally at Grant Park built throughout the day as people citywide crafted ways to get in. I was wait-listed for tickets, then rejected; after some pleading phone calls, a bit of begging and a little crying, I finally grappled with the idea of viewing the rally from the “public section.” Questions abounded: Could we even get in? Would it be safe? What if Obama lost? Would there be a riot? (Though it happened before I or any of my friends were born, thoughts of the 1968 Democratic National Convention riot in Grant Park are still fresh among Chicagoans, and we didn't want to put ourselves in danger.) Finally-- thankfully-- I scored someone’s plus one, and we were off to see history in the making. 


First, we stopped at the packed Plymouth bar for a viewing party, where united Chicagoan cheers erupted every time an election return in favor of Obama came in. Meanwhile, Paste:Local writer Kent Green was already queued up at Grant Park. He texted me reports. At first: “Not too bad - think airport security meets Lolla.” Then, minutes later, “O.K. Maybe a little worse - airport at Christmas eve x 5.” My friends and I departed Plymouth and were met by a ridiculously long line on Michigan Avenue: It was at least a half-mile out from the park entrance, and it wasn't moving. 
 
MichiganAvenueLine.jpgIn line I met Kate, a recent transplant to Chicago. We used her phone to tune into a radio broadcast that reported the latest states going blue. Others in line were antsy. “I don’t think we’re gonna get in,” one woman said, defeated. We saw another line, running parallel to ours on Michigan Avenue, but moving faster than our own. A police officer at a roadblock cleared things up: “It’s the overflow. If you have a ticket, you’re in the right place.” Later, when we rounded the bend to Congress, which leads into the park, we saw people from the “overflow line” cutting through and getting in before us. Others had tried it earlier in our long wait, but a very determined woman near me was having none of it. “I've been waiting for two hours. I don't think so!” she politely scolded the line-jumpers.

ObamaTshirt.jpgWe were patient, but anxious. Vendors nearby were selling Obama victory wares; a car drove by boasting a fresh "OBAMA" paint job. Kent texted from inside, “It’s weird-not much happens once you’re in (Maybe cause it’s early?) kind of a giant CNN watching party.” Finally, we arrived at the entrance to Grant Park and passed through three check-points: One for tickets, one for bags, one for photo IDs. We all made it inside, and just as we did, began to run across the field towards the center of the action. CNN had just projected Barack Obama as the President-elect.

CheckpointGrantPark.JPGOur fellow attendees embraced one another, cheering, many openly weeping. I ran down a small hill in the field, jumping up and down, screaming, “I can't believe it!” A woman-- a stranger-- grabbed me and said, “I can't believe it either, but we're here. It's happening!” 

The crowd was abuzz but relatively subdued; happy, but graceful. McCain's speech was broadcast throughout Grant Park, and though the Chicago crowd booed at his mention of Sarah Palin, through the rest of the speech there was applause and cheering. Then they broadcast the same Obama campaign ad shown at the DNC in Denver, back in August, featuring The National's “Fake Empire” as a soundtrack. Celebratory music played over the loudspeakers to the waiting crowd, and people danced to “Sign, Sealed, Delivered,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” and “The Rising.” 

Soon came the mic check. “Check, check, check.” The crowd started to cheer a little. “Check, check, check.” The crowd got a little louder. “Check, check, check. Final mic check for the next President of the United States!” The crowd erupted; I teared up. A prayer, and then minutes later President-elect Barack Obama emerged to deliver his historic acceptance speech. 

BarackRally.jpgLast night, in that park, with that man, the faith of Chicago, America and the world was renewed. For me, as a first-born, first generation American who knows all too well the sacrifices my parents made to give me the great gift of American citizenship, it especially resonated. I told my friends, my eyes watering, "I never thought in my lifetime that we would have the chance to elect an African-American as President." But last night in Grant Park, all ages, races and creeds united for a celebration of a promising future. 

Faces beamed with happiness, children ran around reflecting the hope we all felt, strangers hugged one another and traded high-fives, while many openly cried for joy. Kent reported that, after the rally, all through Grant Park and up Michigan Avenue, that he too witnessed everyone smiling across the board. 

Change has come, and his name is Barack Obama. And I have never been more proud to be an American.

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