I Hear You, Crazy Old Man
January 21, 2009 by Marona Graham-Bailey
Thanksgiving 2008.
“We need a socialist revolution!” declared my dad with all the fervor of a scholar who has spent the majority of his adult life studying the texts of Marx and Lenin, the theories of capitalism and imperialism, and traveling to Russia and Cuba when Americans weren’t supposed to travel to Russia or Cuba.
“Dad, you sound like a crazy old man,” I responded.
***
Inauguration Day 2009.
It was the day Barack Hussein Obama made history. And for many, as Mr. Obama swore into office, officially losing the addition of the signifier ‘elect’ to become the first black president of the United States of America, the world stopped. America took a deep breath as we silenced ourselves in preparation for President Obama’s inaugural speech.
At Wal-Mart, you would have to make your way past the Subway restaurant helping to complete your one-stop shopping experience, the glaringly red seasonal aisles in honor of the next big American holiday, sections of products that most say aren’t cheaper than other stores, and way back to electronics, all before you could finally begin to hear President Obama’s voice.
Obama’s historical moment is projected on six box televisions ranging in price from 134 to 236 dollars– not the flat screens. Ironically, all but two of the televisions on display to show their worthiness have static. Through the static, through shoppers engaging in their consumeristic chatter, through the squeaking creep of loaded down shopping carts, and beneath unnaturally bright fluorescent lighting, Amanda, Jesse, David, and Jay, in their can-I-help-you blue shirt and khaki pant uniforms, stand, eyes and ears strained to the screens.
Wal-Mart warehouses employees with low wages and no benefits. Amanda is the first to leave. She answers the phone. What does a formal gesture of a speech mean to the Wal-Mart employees? Is his voice reaching those he means to reach? David leaves to stock shelves. “Jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford,” Obama imparts. Four years from today, will these employees make decent wages and be living with job-subsidized health coverage? Jay goes to assist a customer. Is there disinterest? Or disbelief? Or both, that the words of President Obama may not touch their lives. Should there be? Do Obama’s “we’s” and “us’s” include them? Jesse, the youngest, is the last to leave, his extended presence reminiscent of the young adult-filled rallies that helped Obama pull in an unprecedented number of youth votes. The inaugural speech has ended.
“This concludes our live coverage of the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States of America,” says Wal-Mart Television Network.
Not everybody in America was able to put their lives on pause today. Reality for Amanda, Jesse, David, and Jay resumes. Yes, Obama made history. But will he be enough to change the course of history? Or are we in need of something more?
I hear you, crazy old man.
Great job! This was a great location choice, and it was surprisingly very thought provoking. One more reason to boycott the place.
Marona,
I liked the detail about the price of the TVs, the static and all the other noise that interfered with the reception of the speech in Wal-Mart. You really captured the reality that Americans’ consumerism (and therefore the working conditions of folks like Amanda and Co.) never stops. Nice job using their names, too. But in AP Style, it’s $134, not 134 dollars.
I think going to Wal-Mart was a great idea. Did you overhear the employees speaking at all during the speech? I know we weren’t supposed to conduct interviews, but it would have been interesting to get a glimpse of whether they shared the doubts you express in later graphs.
I like the way your piece reminds us that Obama’s election is not going to fix every problem our nation faces overnight. In all the election fervor, you did a good job of keeping the reader grounded without sounding cynical or pessimistic.
Rachel
I really liked this, I thought it was really well done. I think you did a great job illuminating the parallels between Obama’s campaign and the lives of the Wal-Mart employees, how they connect and how Obama might, or might not, influence their lives in a dramatic way.
What an interesting perspective! You did a great job relating the content of his speech to the people around you…
This was one of my favorites of all the articles because you can actually feel a personal connection with the employees there and the situation they are in. It was a really great location that I wouldn’t have thought of. Great job.
Amazing article. Your ability to pull in the reader to your environment is incredible. I really enjoyed your connection between the people around you–the Wal-Mart employees, mostly–to what Obama was saying, proposing, for the next four years. Good job.
Marona, that crazy old man and I have a lot in common. What a fresh approach! What talent you have! Reminds me a bit of Rick Bragg’s piece on Dale Earnhardt’s death as captured in a Wal Mart.
Dean Clark
Marona,
You know how much I identify with all of this. Exciting to read and see your thoughts. Your style really is a great fit for the commentary.
MEG