Previously posted at barackobama.com
The sister, all of about 10 years old, marched right up to the folding table Andrew had set up near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for cherry blossom weekend.
Standing rod straight in her rose-colored t-shirt, 3 inches of braids sticking out, one to left and one to right, and with her chin up, she demanded of us in a brassy, matter-of-fact tone, "What are you DOING, here?"
Her younger brother, about 7 years old, crushed up behind his big sister and peered around at us.
"We're registering people to vote", Andrew replied gently, looking eye-to-eye with his young inquisitor, who then declared to Andrew in the same clear brassy tone, "I can't vote". her statement wasn't wistful, not in the least, but rather in the vein of "So what use are you to me, then?".
Andrew said, "We are part of a group who supports Barack Obama for president".
Little Miss Brass, instantly: "Who's THAT?"
There was a substantial pause as Andrew and i contemplated how to describe our candidate to a 10 year old. I scrambled about, looking for Barack's image on something, found him atop a copy of the banner atop our website [1], a bit distorted from being stretched and thinned, and said, "This guy, right here".
Little Miss Brass braced herself with both hands on the table and leaned over toward me to make out our candidate's picture. A moment of silence ensued, as it registered that the candidate sported her same skin hue.
Then, that tone rang out again, this time with earnest, delighted desire: "I want to vote!"
At hearing this clear-eyed note, Brassy's brother overcame himself and jumped forward to see. His eyes widened at the sight, but he didn't say a word.
Filled with energy and glowing with this new-found concept of a different world in the making, the sister and brother team departed, exuberant. A few steps away, brassy's younger brother bounded into the air, twice, and loudly proclaimed to his big sister, "I'M going to be PRESIDENT!"
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