I flew redeye into Richmond VA arriving at 8am. I now understand why those flights are cheaper. It kicked my butt. My dear friend Aleisha from photography school picked me up at the airport with her mother and beautiful 2 year old daughter. I spent that day trying to get my sleep schedule proper again, planning and visiting with Aleisha and Addisyn.
Friday we got up at 7:30am and I headed into the city of Richmond. Having a car and a reliable place/warm bed to stay at was wonderful, but the total comfort zone put me in a bit battle to maintain a high level of motivation and productivity. I decided I needed to start my day with a meeting to get grounded. I went to a 9am meeting where I was the minority at the meeting (this is what black folks must feel like coming to a meeting in Marin). A sweet man from the meeting walked me over to the Richmond Obama headquarters which was bustling with a lot of volunteers. I asked if they had another branch that was in a more republican area. They sent me over to the Midlothian Turnpike, about 20 minutes away (40 since I was driving... in circles). Unsure on what I wanted to do during my time in Virginia I called Jesse from the Ft. Lauderdale's Obama office. Whereas in Florida I could register people, in Virginia the deadline had already past. He told me to canvas. So Austin and Alice trained me to canvas. I asked for a heavily republican neighborhood. On my way out the door I bought 7 Obama yard signs.
I drove into this neighborhood where every 4th to 6th house had a McCain/Palin sign. I went to three houses, but something just felt weird about having their names, knowing their age and whether they were a sporadic voter or what not. It just felt invasive. So I called Grandma. She always has the answer. She asked me what I wanted do. I told her that I wanted to walk up to the houses that don't have McCain signs and ask them if they are Pro-Bama and would they like a yard sign. She gave me the go ahead.
The first house was a musicians house (note: guitar shaped doormat) which made me feel hopeful... she snidely said no. :( The second house I went up to was the only house in the neighborhood with an Obama sign. I got excited and knocked on the door. The woman was a really sweet white woman. I told her what I was doing. She was overflowing with love, invited me in and gave me a bottled water. I parked my car and walked around this one huge residential Virginia block writing down the house numbers of the people who said yes. Within 90 minutes I had given out all of my 7 yard signs. All of the people were surprised to find that their neighbors also wanted signs. It reminded me of something I learned in high school- that people will vote not necessarily who they want to win, but who they think will win. Imagine being unsure of who you want to vote for and only seeing signs from one party surrounding you. What was painful to see was that people were actually afraid to put out yard signs. Virginia was weird like that... I felt afraid of the white people.
Earlier that day I went to a cool boutique/thrift store near the Obama headquarters. One of the owners- Marshe was talking with a friend of hers. Through eavesdropping I pretty much concluded that her friend didn't drink or use drugs and probably went to meetings. So we all exchanged numbers and I made a dinner date with Evan. Marshe made reservations for us at this cute restaurant Black Sheep. It was total southern food- fried catfish, huge sandwiches dubbed 'battleships' and chicken rosemary dumplings.
Afterwards I headed back to the Obama office to drop off the canvasing goods. They were slighty dissapointed that I didn't go along with their plan for me. Jesse from the Ft. Lauderdale office teased "We just can't tie you down to do what we want huh?". A rebel I am. I headed back to Aleisha's house and crashed out.
In the morning Aleisha and I headed out to the Richmond headquarters to buy signs. They sent me to a company "GoBama USA". This gentleman found that no one in Virginia could get the signs quick enough- not even the democratic headquarters, so he purchased a couple thousand online and was supplying them back to the community. I told him what I was doing and he gave me 100 signs for $100. I also bought bumper stickers and Obama pins. Then Aleisha and I headed out. We went back to Marshe's shop- Rumors (www.RumorsRVA.com) and assembled 50 of the signs.
Aleisha then texted her co-workers to see if anyone wanted a yard sign- which was great cause she works outside of Richmond in a very republican county. We headed out to the house of these two other young women and on the way there we took the Midlothian Turnpike. We decided I would get out every mile or so at the stop lights and put an Obama sign in the grassy median. I would hop out, she would take photos, people would honk in support it was amazzzzzing! I wanted to cry.
At the third light a women drove up behind us and got out of her car and YANKED OUR SIGN OUT OF THE GROUND!!!!!! She walked up to the drivers side, put the Obama sign in the drivers side window and with a smirk said "You dropped this."
Oh hell no! Don't you know who I am? (This is more or less what my ego was saying). I got out of the drivers side, grabbed a bumper sticker, peeled it and walked up to the hood of her car. I looked her in the eyes as I stuck the Obama sticker on the hood of her car. (Then ran back in to Aleisha's car).
Now this is not one of my most spiritual moments. And in retrospect it totally freaked me out. If I had allowed myself a second to think I would have behaved very differently. I would have gotten out of the car and put the Obama sign back in the ground... but instead I saw red and behaved from my primal ego self.
Anyhow... she chased us with her car writing down Aleisha's license place number... (mind you... my dear friend that I am putting through all of this is 7 months pregnant). We pull over into an car dealership and she starts taking pictures with her disposable camera... so I grab my big camera and start taking photos of her. She says that what I did was illegal and I informed her that her removing my sign was a violation of my freedom of speech and she replied that she did not remove my sign... but it "fell". I offered her the bird for one of her photos and she left.
I then called the police to tell them what I did. I told them that she removed the sign and in an instant without thoroughly thinking I applied a bumper sticker to her car and I knew that it was wrong. They did not seem too concerned, but were appreciative of the call and said they would call back if they heard from her or needed any more information.
We arrived at her friends house and these two sweet girls with proper Southern accents
were totally supportive of my craziness. The young angelic looking girl had a political shirt to show me. Minutes later she hopped down the stairs in a baby pink shirt with black writing saying "Sarah Palin is a c_nt". I thought it was a great shirt... maybe mostly because the girl wearing it didn't look like she could nor ever would ever utter that word.
That night we went to Aleisha's fathers house and her husband Anthony made us amazing enchiladas. Her father was so sweet too, talking about how we just can't do another term under the republican party. I struggled that night with the feeling that I should be out in the street promoting Obama, shouting from the roof tops or something. I felt like I just wasn't doing enough. I called my mentor and she told me that I took a lot of risks going to Florida not knowing a soul and I took risks volunteering in a densely populated republican area and I should just allow myself to stay in and stay safe. It felt good to hear that.
The next morning I woke up and drove to Petersburg- the next biggest city South of Richmond before the North Carolina border. This was an amazing town- primarily black residents who had already voted or were definitely absolutely 100% going to vote, and definitely for Obama. It felt good to give out signs and put them up in public places, however I felt that I had to get back to the county in between Richmond and Petersburg... where there was more conflict and what I like to call 'confusion'. I searched with my iphone for a Starbucks (a common place to find a plethora of confused white folk... it's a joke people...) and headed over there to assemble the 50 other signs.
People went through the drive through and saw me assembling signs outside. A lot of people asked for them and the workers there were so lovely and supportive and interested. One of the more interesting kids I met was a young republican who is voting for Nader however wants Obama to win... did I say confused... yes. very.
I finished up my trip by driving around and hopping out at totally trecherous parts of the highway and street attempting to put signs in places where no sane republican would tear them down. Then I went back to Aleisha's and her and Addisyn brought me to the airport.
On my flight home I sat between a lawyer on my left (who is one of 1600 lawyers volunteering on the day of the election at swing state polling places to make sure no illegal activities- turning of people away etc. are going on) and on my right was a VP of Operations for a cosmetic surgery company that has 34 locations world wide. The VP is a republican who started out strongly for McCain and after the Sarah Palin decision, the debates and Colin Powell's endorsement etc., is now an adamant Obama supporter. That is what I am talking about! Republicans for Obama!
All of this makes me grateful. Grateful to all of you who have read my blog, supported me emotionally and financially in doing this. I still have a little money left over and I asked Jesse where he thinks I should go- he said Boulder Colorado. Honestly I am tired of traveling, but when else in my lifetime will I get to be a part of something so amazing. Of course, you will all know if I do end up going.
I also just learned about the inaugural ball... (remember I am not a 'political' person... although you all probably disagree with that by now). Anyways, Grandma and Grandpa said something about the inaugural ball and I told Jesse (Ft. Lauderdale Obama office) that we should go... I guess we have to get invited still... but I can't wait! Jesse has now met Obama a bunch of times (like 3 times) and he said he will tell him about me. I can't wait to meet the President! I have never wanted to meet a President before now! I am thrilled!
Francesca
