The morning I'd been anticipating, and dreading had finally arrived, January 20, 2001. To most people this was just an ordinary day, but to me it was a day to remember‹it was the day I would join the protest in Washington, D.C. against George W. Bush's inauguration as President of the United States of America. As I slowly climbed out of bed, visions of what the day had in store for me flashed in my head. It was the first time I would be part of an actual protest and I didn't't know what to expect. I figured my anxiety, which was growing by the minute, would be eased if I watched television; but to my dismay, the exact opposite happened. As soon as I turned on the television, I was bombarded with images of Black men, women, and children being assaulted by police officers‹all because they had the nerve to stand up for their rights. I quickly recognized what I was watching; it was the movie Mississippi Burning. For those of you who are not familiar with this movie, it takes place in a small Southern town during the 1960's. It is about two F.B.I agents who are investigating the disappearance of civil rights activists, while also giving a vivid depiction of the real-life events that were happening at that time.

I've watched this movie many times before, but never has it held such meaning. The graphic images portrayed in the film literally stopped my breath. I took this as a sign, and thought seriously about climbing back into bed. But I realized then, how many of my ancestors must have felt. If they had given into their fears, what would my world be like today? I know if it was not for their strength and persistence, I would not have the opportunities that I take advantage of today, such as using public facilities, riding at the front of the bus, and going to an integrated school. Although my reasons for going were not as politically momentous, it was important for me to attend. Once I realized that, I quickly began to dress so that I could meet up with the other HarlemLive members and get to Washington.

After four long hours on the bus, we finally arrived in Washington. Once there, we began to make our way to Freedom Plaza. I couldn't help but notice police barricades, which sectioned off the whole block, and ended at the corner where police were inspecting the protesters. After we were through the checkpoints, we began to interview the protesters and take pictures of their slogans and signs. Of all the signs we saw that day one of my favorite signs was, "The Grinch that stole Election Day." On it was a picture of George Bush's face altered to look like Dr. Seuss'sinfamous character -The Grinch. Besides the signs and slogans, the protesters also had some interesting sayings. Some were very vulgar, while others just shouted his name and made a lot of noise. The overall mood of the crowd was very tense.

Although, the day held alot of new experiences for me, what shocked me the most was the lack of representation from the black community. Ever since the beginning of this controversial election one of the major issues was racism. When I left my home that morning I expected the majority of demonstrators to be African-Americans protesting the unjust treatment of black voters, but how disappointed I was to find exactly the opposite. There were approximately 20,000 people in attendance and from my estimate I would say only one or two thousand were black. At that point I began to wonder, how seriously did the black community take this election? Or would this be an issue that everyone only cared about while it was in the spotlight, from the comfort of his or her own living rooms. Some how I can't help wondering the election hype to be a passing fad that only catches the eye of a handful of blacks, but I guess only time will tell.