Though her mother passed away five years ago, Welcome wasn't about to let the moment slip by last week when Obama became the first African-American president. "It's good for all Americans that we bring other people along," Welcome said. "I think as African-Americans, we've always known we've had it in us. We can push forward and do more coming together." The black community in the county seemed energized by last week's election and is eager for Obama to officially take the reins when he is sworn in and becomes the nation's 44th president in January. "Definitely racism isn't over, but I really do have a strong feeling what we do now moving forward is a lesson," Welcome said. "I'm still shell-shocked." Indeed, another barrier was broken in this country. "I think we can move forward," said Truesdale resident Willie Devrouax. "I think the future is what you want it to be. You can tell your kid what you want to be." Devrouax is another local African-American who has waited his whole life to see a minority step into the nation's highest office. At 65, he had doubts whether a black man would be elected to the nation's highest office while he was alive. "I never thought it would have happened," Devrouax said. "I am so proud. Words cannot express what I feel about it." Both Welcome and Devrouax emphasized Obama's win will now be one looked back on for years to come and be remembered in school textbooks forever. "I think there is only one Obama," Welcome said. "I think this was his time. He was the right person to do it. Others could study his model, but not necessarily get the same results. It's him." For many of the Obama supporters living in Warren County, regardless of race, the conclusion of last week's election was bittersweet. When the Obama campaign opened an office in Warrenton in July, many volunteers said they were ridiculed in a predominantly Republican county for trying to drum up Democratic support. What started out with about 10 volunteers manning the campaign office soon caught on. In the end, over 200 volunteers completed at least one shift. On Sunday night at the El Jimador restaurant in Warrenton, the volunteers gathered one final time to celebrate the long hours of door-to-door canvassing, phone banking and registering voters. There was no racial divide. Party lines were nonexistent. Happiness filled the room. "We were all in shock when he won," said Warrenton resident Karen Havens, who estimated she worked 40 or more hours each week as the Election Day neared. "We wanted it to happen, but there were a lot of tears shed. It was amazing, absolutely amazing." While the state and county continued to bleed red, local Democrats saw a bit of optimism in last week's election as the gap between both parties began to shrink. "It's like we all became this big family," Havens said Coincidentally, on the night Obama gave his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, it marked the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Less than three months later, Obama stood amidst an enormous crowd in Chicago giving his victory speech. Once he was finished, Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden shook hands. On this night, the country was not defined by skin color. "I just always believed," Welcome said. "It is a great thing." 8