Barack Obama

“Obama! Obama!”

The chants and the beat of drums overwhelmed the Harlem State Office Plaza last night on 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. When CNN declared at about 11 p.m. that Barack Obama had won the presidency , the crowd erupted in a glorious, pulsing frenzy.

“We makin’ history tonight,” said Sharon Farley as she danced joyfully on a bench. “No sleep for us! We’re gonna celebrate all night!”

From Times Square to Bedford-Stuyvesant, to livingrooms to church basements to bars around the the city, New York marked the election of the country’s first African-American president with dancing, horn-honking, hollering and tears of joy.

But the biggest display of emotion came in Harlem, where thousands – including big name politicos like U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel and Gov. David Paterson – gathered in the plaza to watch the election returns on a loud jumbotron.

Eugene Rounds, 61, four Obama buttons on his lapel, took in the crowd, breaking into a wide smile. “I could not be more proud,” he said.

Rounds voted early in the morning and talked about how his 96-year-old mother followed him to the polls later. “She said, ‘God allowed me to be alive to see this change in America,’” he said.

On the other side of the plaza, Maxine Murrell gazed toward the TV screen, her eyes welling up. “This make me want to cry because my father used to be a poor man porter,” she said. “This means a lot. Just standing here. And I know I’m going to cry.”

Amidst the crowd, Anthony Fleming, a 20-year Harlem resident, carted out his store-bought life-size cut-out of Obama to the sidewalk across from the brand new neon-lit H & M Department Store.

“America’s on fire and we have to put the fire out,” said Fleming, who parked himself just beyond the frenzy, charging passersby $5 to have a shot with his cardboard Obama. “White or black. If we’re in the same neighborhood and your house is burning and my house is next to yours, I’ll bring you water.”

The magnitude of the moment — and its impact on the nation — didn’t escape a family standing nearby. Jose Perkins, 42, took in the scene with his daughter Nicole, 25, and his son Julian, 17.

“I can see the hope, because now my son can become president,” said Perkins.

Julian piped in, “I sure hope so.”

“Obama! Obama!”

The chants and the beat of drums overwhelmed the Harlem State Office Plaza last night on 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. When CNN declared at about 11 p.m. that Barack Obama had won the presidency , the crowd erupted in a glorious, pulsing frenzy.

“We makin’ history tonight,” said Sharon Farley as she danced joyfully on a bench. “No sleep for us! We’re gonna celebrate all night!”

From Times Square to Bedford-Stuyvesant, to livingrooms to church basements to bars around the the city, New York marked the election of the country’s first African-American president with dancing, horn-honking, hollering and tears of joy.

But the biggest display of emotion came in Harlem, where thousands – including big name politicos like U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel and Gov. David Paterson – gathered in the plaza to watch the election returns on a loud jumbotron.

Eugene Rounds, 61, four Obama buttons on his lapel, took in the crowd, breaking into a wide smile. “I could not be more proud,” he said.

Rounds voted early in the morning and talked about how his 96-year-old mother followed him to the polls later. “She said, ‘God allowed me to be alive to see this change in America,’” he said.

On the other side of the plaza, Maxine Murrell gazed toward the TV screen, her eyes welling up. “This make me want to cry because my father used to be a poor man porter,” she said. “This means a lot. Just standing here. And I know I’m going to cry.”

Amidst the crowd, Anthony Fleming, a 20-year Harlem resident, carted out his store-bought life-size cut-out of Obama to the sidewalk across from the brand new neon-lit H & M Department Store.

“America’s on fire and we have to put the fire out,” said Fleming, who parked himself just beyond the frenzy, charging passersby $5 to have a shot with his cardboard Obama. “White or black. If we’re in the same neighborhood and your house is burning and my house is next to yours, I’ll bring you water.”

The magnitude of the moment — and its impact on the nation — didn’t escape a family standing nearby. Jose Perkins, 42, took in the scene with his daughter Nicole, 25, and his son Julian, 17.

“I can see the hope, because now my son can become president,” said Perkins.

Julian piped in, “I sure hope so.”

America’s presidential election is getting unprecedented attention overseas, and reporters from around the globe have descended on New York City to cover it for their readers and listeners back home.

John Martin of Woodlawn in the Bronx votes November 4, 2008, at a polling place near where he has lived his whole life. Photo by Indrani Datta

Harriet Christian is a lifelong Democrat and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) supporter who voted for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Az). Photo by Indrani Datta

Harriet Christian is a lifelong Democrat who works as a waitress in Manhattan. John Martin is a Navy reservist who’s always voted for Republicans.

They look like the stereotypical voters for their respective parties. And, for the first time in their lives, they voted for the opposing party’s candidate.

“I read the National Review, listened to Rush Limbaugh, volunteered for Rudy Giuliani,” said Martin, 30, who is in his third year at St. John’s University Law School. “Any sense of loyalty I had for the party has eroded in the last eight years. I don’t feel like I owe the party anything.”

Christian was a die-hard supporter of Hillary Clinton. But lately, she’s been clocking most of her time as a very visible member of DemocratsforMcCain.com. When the Democratic National Committee supported Barack Obama, the 65-year-old McCain convert very publicly aired her frustration. The scene was captured on video, and live on YouTube, where it’s gotten more than a million and a half views.

“I’m part of the core base of the Democratic Party, “ said Christian. “I fought very hard for Hillary. I was extremely disappointed at the stealing of the nomination from her. I realized it had become very corrupt, the Democratic Party.”

Two years ago, Martin founded Republicans for Obama, a grassroots organization that now boasts 2,500 registered Republicans from all across the country. Starting the group has raised his profile, but also had some negative consequences.

“Since I started, I’ve gotten some hate mail,” said Martin. “It’s always full of grammatical errors.”

With their heightened profiles, both Martin and Christian have become more careful about how they present themselves in public. Martin kept his black windbreaker free of campaign buttons on Election Day, but Christian entered the polling place with her preferences on her lapels: a “Hillary” brooch on one side and a “McCain” brooch on the other. Her navy blue blazer sported “Democrats for McCain” and “Nobama” buttons.

Neither Martin nor Christian plan on changing their party affiliations. Still, they are both disillusioned about the direction of the country and their Parties.

“My priority is helping the Republican Party back on its feet,” said Martin of his hopes for the conservative movement. But his work for Obama fits in with that view, he added. “I’m not under some illusion that he’s conservative. But I don’t want to see a Republican Congress that will hijack Obama’s efforts to get the country on track.”

Although Christian is impressed with John McCain’s judgment and character, she is also aware of his divergence from her core issues, such as abortion.

“My vote is primarily a protest vote against the Democratic Party,” she said. “Against a party that has told 18 million of us, the ones who voted for Hillary, that there’s no place for us.”