Last year, OK WASSUP! covered a story about Ann Nixon Cooper of Atlanta. The 106 year old African-American woman said she had lived a full and wonderful life. But if she could only have one more wish, it would be to live long enough to vote for the first African-American President.
Not only did Ann Nixon Cooper get her wish to cast the ballot she lived a lifetime for, but she lived long enough to see him win AND be inaugurated. President-elect Barack Obama honored her in his election night victory speech, saying she came from a generation that was denied the right to vote and likely could have never imagined a black man as President of the United States. “At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot,” he said. When Mr. Obama was sworn in as President, Mrs. Cooper called it one of the greatest days of her life. “There was a time when they thought they could just kick us around,” she said on Inauguration Day. “Now, it has changed.”
Mrs. Ann Nixon Cooper passed away yesterday, just 19 days shy of her 108th birthday. When asked about the secret to her longevity, she told CNN’s Don Lemon, “I don’t know how it happened, but being cheerful had a lot to do with it. I’ve always been a happy person, a giggling person — a wide-mouthed person!” To young people, Cooper offered this advice: “Keep smiling. No matter what, you get out and vote. Vote your choice.”
You lived a full life. You saw a changed world. Rest in Peace Ann Nixon Cooper!
"You lived a full life. You saw a changed world. Rest in Peace Ann Nixon Cooper!"Well said DJ! Well said indeed!