Photo: Tiphanie Edmondson

“Go on Barack, go on and tell ‘em,” shouted a single mother sitting in the audience at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. during the Stand for Change Rally with Barack Obama. “You got my vote!”

Her passion and her voice were heard over thousands of screams and her eyes displayed some sort of sincerity. Her children stood next to her, jumping up and down with excitement, in support of their mother’s vision.

“I love you Obama,” she yelled.

With all the love and sincerity, Obama continued to speak on his topics of choice: hope and change. Promises of better health care, quality education, better jobs and the discontinuation of the war in Iraq were some of the other topics discussed.

That same discussion brought a crowd full of brown skin, white faces, international students, children with Obama t-shirts that read ‘Yes we Can!’ and signs that read: Stand for Change, kept the momentum higher than the outer realms of the universe.

The energy was described by one supporter as “unbelievable,” and chants like, “We will, we will, Rack you” shook the Lee E. Williams Athletic Center. 

Prior to Barack’s anticipated arrival, thousands of fans and supporters cheered as the chairperson on the Barack Obama campaign proclaimed, “We’re so happy to see Jackson State University and Mississippi.”

“And when we win, he’s going to change the way we do business in Washington.” The crowd roared in support while awaiting the Senator’s arrival and his speech.            

Throughout the event, flyers, tickets for “change” and songs like “I’ll Take You There” by the Staple Singers and “There’s Hope” by India Arie had people of all colors and ages dancing and celebrating the potential 2008 President of the United States.

“There’s hope. It doesn’t cost a thing to smile, You don’t have to pay to laugh, You better thank God for that, There’s hope…” sung hopeful women with the babies and young men with smiles waved their flyers back and fourth.

Back and fourth, people paced the floors. Seats were full to the capacity and students with fitted baseball caps to Abercrombie & Fitch jeans, Obama T-shirts to V-necks sweaters and ties looked at Obama in admiration.

” I think it’s important that I cast my first ballot, for someone like Obama,” said Charles Stokes, a 22-year-old junior civil engineering major at Jackson State. “He’s been nothing but inspiration.” 

“It’s a lot of good people here, ready to get involved,” said Stokes.

Getting involved kept flashing lights flashing, volunteers motivated and politics floating in the center, as media people recorded, Obama spoke and the people shouted.

Jackson State University is a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). This event was the first time Obama visited the Mississippi school. With visions of change and progression, the Harvard graduate spoke about moving forward as a nation and bringing Mississippi along.

“You invest in America and we invest in each other,” said Obama, as he spoke about college students investing in community service and receiving $4,000 tuition credits. The event that started at 5:00 p.m. lasted well over three hours long.  Along with Obama, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and VH1’s I Love New York 2, “Pretty” also came to support the campaign.

 
Photo: Tiphanie Edmondson

The world could be a place that’s ‘Gangsta’ but difficult, that’s impossible to deal with, or it can be a place where we have any potential and any opportunity,” said Simmons during a Rally earlier in the day. “We can make a difference.”

“This is our moment and this is our time,” shouted Obama with might. “You will learn about hope here — right here in Mississippi.”

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