Presidential election coverage is everywhere, and it should be. This is history in the making for America. Regardless of the outcome history will be made - the first African-American will be President or a woman will hold the office of Vice President.

The connections to this history to the community I now live, Rochester, New York, are strong.


Susan B. Anthony lived and tirelessly worked for the rights of women here. Her modest home just off Main Street is now a museum. She spent her entire life working to obtain the right to vote for women. This came true in 1920. Sadly, she did not live to see that day.
 
Frederick Douglass, the father of the civil rights movement, also called Rochester home. He published his antislavery newspaper called The North Star from a building less than a mile away from Susan B.'s home. Incidentally, Kodak's African-American employee network is named Network North Star after FD's publication.


I have a book by Frederick Douglass from 1856. Slavery still existed when it was published. Years ago I found it in my Grandmother's attic in Rome, New York, about 130 miles from Rochester.


These two giants in American history imagined a future where the events we are now witnessing would be a reality. There is a long, hard trail of work and struggle that led to the historic nature of the Election of 2008.

Fast forward to the present - The other day a fellow Kodaker, Vince Young, was describing to me the historic significance of this election to him personally as an African-American. He has formulated a "plan" for capturing that event as a significant moment in his life. As history unfolds in the coming weeks revel in it but pause to preserve those memories.

Vince will be sharing his ideas on the subject here on Monday. Kristin Calabrese from our Washington, DC office will be also be sharing her views on the significance of this election here. Stay tuned!

So, what is the picture with a historical connection that I didn't get that I wish that I had?

On July 20, 1969 the whole neighborhood gathered in my Grandmother's house (the same one where I found the F.D. book) to watch Neil Armstrong take the first steps on the moon. She had the only color TV on the block so we all gathered there. There were dozens of people there, people I grew up with - family, neighbors, kids, adults. 500 million people worldwide watched this event live, the largest television audience broadcast at that time. I wish I had a photo of that collection of people that meant and mean so much to me from that historic day. We needed Vince's "plan!"

Have you captured some special Election 2008 moments already? Be sure to share them with us here.