I sat alone in a small hotel room in Ottawa, Canada. It was brutally cold outside. I was alone. Traveling. Directing a movie. That’s what I did in my previous life. Before Russell. Before GlobalGrind. I made a whole bunch of movies. I sat on my bed with my computer next to me, glued to the television. It was really, really cold outside. It was four years ago. The results came in. It was a blowout. Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States that night. I cried. Stunned. We had accomplished the impossible. A lot of people cried that night.
After watching his victory speech in Grant Park, I laid my eyes to rest, but before I fell asleep, I knew my film career was over. I knew that whatever this movement would become, I had to be a part of it. We had waited our whole life for this moment. We were hip-hop. We dusted the dirt off our shoulders. We leaned back. We were so illmatic, that we already knew we run this town before Rihanna even sang the hook. The moment had arrived. Our generation had spoken loudly. We delivered the vision for a new America. A new President.
For four years, we have worked tirelessly to move this country forward. We have triumphed, we have stumbled, we have laughed, we have screamed, we have cried, we have worked together, we have fought, but most importantly, we have kept our promises. Through it all, we have worked with a single goal of moving our country towards a more perfect union. We are certainly proud of what we have accomplished, but we know we are nowhere near done. This is just halftime.
And today is game-time. Election Day. It’s here. We’ve come a long way in a few short years. We’re out of Iraq, we reformed healthcare, we brought Osama bin Laden to justice, the auto industry is back, we protected Planned Parenthood and a women’s right to choose, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is over, Pell grants have doubled, and we’ve created nearly 5.5 million new jobs in the last 32 months. We have much more to do, but we’re on the right track.
President Obama has a clear, specific plan to build on that progress over the next four years. It’ll help create jobs, develop American energy, train the best workforce in the world, reduce the deficit in a balanced way and do some nation-building here at home. It’s a plan that moves us forward, not back.
President Obama fights for the entire country.Voting for Barack is a vote for all Americans, not just a lucky few. He’s always had our backs, and now it’s time to have his and help finish what we started in 2008. We can’t afford to go back, and you can’t afford to stay home. Wake up bright and early and run to the polls! If you want America to realize its dream, then we MUST show up. As long as you’re in line when the polls close, your vote will be counted. Do not let them move you. Do not let them tell you the wrong information. Do not let them intimidate you. You stand in line, until you pull that lever. And when you leave that voting booth, smile, cause we are gonna make history again!
If we vote, we win. It’s that simple. Do you want an encore? Do you want more? Or as Barack says, Fired Up? Ready to go!
~Michael Skolnik
Michael Skolnik is the Editor-In-Chief of GlobalGrind.com and the political director to Russell Simmons. Prior to this, Michael was an award-winning filmmaker. Follow him on twitter @MichaelSkolnik
