Adrian McWright, 17, is inspired by Barack Obama’s historic victory. (Photo by Wiley Henry)

Many young, first-time voters who believed they could change the course of history will be in Washington DC on Jan. 20 to witness President-elect Barack Hussein Obama take the oath of office.

Tens of thousands of youth worked on the ground and across the Internet during Obama’s grueling, 21-month trek to the presidency. Even some who were too young to vote campaigned for him as schools nationwide held mock elections.

“Before they declared him president-elect, I knew he could win,” said Adrian McWright, 17, a 12th-grade student at Frayser High School. “After the speeches and when he won over the crowd, it was pretty obvious he would do it.”

McWright’s views are shared by other children and teens. Though they could not vote,  many watched from the sidelines as he made his gargantuan leap to the White House.

“I was interested (in the election) because a black man was running,” said 13-year-old Brandon Jordan, an 8th-grade Collierville Middle School student. “They said a black man couldn’t be president, that it wasn’t going to happen, and he proved them wrong.”

Entrance polls and exit polls indicated that Obama was the overall favorite among young voters under 25 who rallied for him in mass numbers.

According to CIRCLE, a non-partisan organization that promotes research on the politics of Americans between ages 15 and 25, young voters preferred Obama to Republican John McCain by 68 percent to 30 percent.

Also, the number of young voters who participated in the American political process more than doubled since 2000 and 2004, research suggests. They used the Internet to rev up support for Obama and to voice their concerns.

A new chapter

Eric Smith

It’s now time to turn a page in history, said 14-year-old Eric Smith, who said he will endeavor to do his best in life now. He said having an African-American president has restored his confidence.

A ninth-grade student at Booker T. Washington High School, Smith feels a new door has opened.  “It is the first time that a black man has won,” he said. “It makes me feel like I can do anything if I just put my mind to it.”

Eighteen-year-old Tiffany Haynes said she hasn’t had much confidence in the political process. A 12th-grade student at Craigmont High School, Haynes felt that Obama would have a better chance of winning the popular vote rather than the Electoral College vote.

“I didn’t believe he could win, because I learned in my history class that he could win with the popular vote, but not the Electoral College vote,” she said.

Haynes was happy to be wrong. Obama won both the Electoral College vote and the popular vote.

“I didn’t think he could win based on the fact that the Republicans didn’t want a black person as president,” she said. “But that didn’t stop him. He didn’t break down when it seemed everything and everybody was against him.”

Haynes was upset that she wasn’t able to vote for Obama and help usher in a new era in history. “My birthday was a month later, so I stood on the sideline and hoped and prayed that Barack would become the president.”

One of her teachers, she said, didn’t have the same political views that she and her African American classmates talked about in class. “At my school we wore everything Barack. Mostly everybody wanted him to win. But this one teacher, a Republican, cried after he won.”

Some of Jordan’s white friends were disappointed as well when Obama won. “They said they were going to Canada,” he said. “They were pulling for John McCain. They didn’t expect a black man to be leading this country.”

However, in Jordan’s social studies class, “the teacher said it didn’t matter who wins. He said if Barack wins, it would make history. But he would support whoever won.”

The glass ceiling

Now that Obama has broken through another glass ceiling, young African Americans like Jordan, Smith, Haynes and McWright said they feel empowered.

“It empowers me in a positive way,” said McWright, who wants to attend Morehouse College or Washington University and become a corporate attorney. “As African-American men, we have no excuse to be the best in America. For me, he (Obama) helped me set a vision and goal in life.”

“I feel if I want to be president, it could happen,” said Jordan, who sees a future in professional basketball or as a detective. “Now I can do anything if I put my mind to it.”

Everyone should make the effort to do his best, said Haynes, pointing a finger at herself. “I always wanted to go to Vanderbilt University, but I don’t do well on tests. Now I’m going to make the effort and try. I’m going to believe and have faith that I can do it.”

Smith believes he has a chance now to teach school or become a principal.

“I’m much more motivated now that Barack is president,” he said.