By Ivan Pereira
America may have elected its first black president more than a week ago, but the news is still sending chills of elation through southeast Queens neighborhoods.
Throughout streets in Laurelton and Jamaica, like Merrick Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, pedestrians have been proudly walking the sidewalks wearing Barack Obama−related apparel while store owners proudly display posters and newspaper covers of the Illinois senator’s victory on their windows and doors.
Adoja Gzifa, chairwoman of Community Board 12, said the neighborhoods, populated with minorities and working−class families, have been riding high on a feeling of pride that she predicts will not ebb until Inauguration Day.
“In my lifetime, I never expected to see an African−American as president,” the grandmother said. “To be able to witness it in our lifetime is cause for celebration.”
City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D−St. Albans) said the jubilation stemmed from Obama’s personal story, which she said appealed to all generations and races in America. In a statement released on Election Night, Comrie said Obama’s victory was important for his younger constituents because it would inspire them to continue to work for civil rights for minorities
“For our youth, like my own children, it sends an important and powerful message that this is the greatest nation on earth and if they work hard enough, they can truly realize their dreams,” the councilman said.
Shoppers on Jamaica Avenue agreed. Donna Gayle, 43, said Obama’s growing presence on the national stage is awe−inspiring for inner city communities.
“I can now tell my child that there is someone who looks like her that’s in the White House,” the immigrant from the island of Jamaica said.
The celebrations of Obama’s victory began immediately in southeast Queens after he won the presidency. Around 11 p.m., outside the president−elect’s Farmers Boulevard campaign office, people took to the streets, chanting Obama’s name and campaign slogan “Yes We Can,” according to Donovan Richards, a district manager for City Councilman James Sanders (D−Laurelton).
Richards, who like his boss actively campaigned for the Democratic senator for months, said many of the revelers saw the win as a milestone for civil rights.
“A lot of them were from the South. They witnessed the dogs, the firehouses and the lynches, so this was amazing for them,” he said.
Gzifa noted that Obama’s election victory was one for American citizens of all races. His campaign promises of helping the middle class economically and improving the nation’s foreign standing will be beneficial to all Americans, she said.
“He doesn’t have to do anything for African Americans — he has to run the country,” she said. “If he runs it the proper way, it will help all of us — black, white, Hispanic, everyone.”
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e−mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 146.
