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Sunday, November 16, 2008

At historic election, editor recalls earlier pioneer

Steve Doyle, editor of The Sentinel-News in Shelbyville, Ky., found a good way to localize the historic presidential election in his column for the weekly, writing that Barack Obama's election made him think of the first African American he went to school with, in sixth grade at Simpsonville Elementary, between Shelbyville and Louisville.

"Integration was a topic that was recognized intellectually but hardly embraced socially," Doyle wrote, "so Delbert O’Bannon was sort of our version of James Meredith, breaking down a barrier at the local school. And he did so with panache. He was loquacious and friendly and tried to fit in. ... For some reason – I have no idea why – Delbert sort of embraced me. He would sometimes call our house to talk, which felt really strange and caused all sorts of concerns. ... I never really knew how he felt about being that first person of color to bring light to our classroom. But I can tell you this: In 2008 Barack Obama is seen as the agent of change in our world, an icon of progress for the our time and a light in a once-dark closet. And in 1964, Delbert O’Bannon helped enlighten the generation that voted for him." (Read more)

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