Spreading Hope, One City at a Time

On Election Day the outside of Carol Mart, the flea market at the intersection of NW 27^th Avenue and 183^rd street in Miami, didn't look much different than it does on most days. Fancy cars with shiny rims were double parked in front of the building, boosters selling the latest music albums and DVDs crowded the parking lot and neighborhood children engaged in their familiar game of tag.

But one thing stood out. Smack dab in the middle of the parking lot was a man in a blue suit. A group of young men gathered around him as he spoke with authority.

"You have a chance to be a part of history," he said to the group. You have absolutely no excuse not to vote."

That man was 24-year-old Daniel Wilkins, North Carolina's Regional Field Co-coordinator for Barrack Obama's campaign who was in Florida to convince voters, particularly young blacks, to vote.

For Wilkins, Florida was the final stop on a long list of predominantly Red states including South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and Ohio.

"You will be amazed if you knew how many young black voters aren't registered to vote around the country," he said. "A lot of them simply feel like it will make no difference whether they vote or not. My job is to let them know that they have a voice."

Kenton Thompson, a 21-year-old Miami native said although he registered, he wasn't planning to use his right.

"I heard that the lines were really long and that kind of discouraged me," he said. "I didn't want to stand in line for 5 hours. But Mr. Wilkins reminded me today how important it is to go and do my part."

Wilkins believes a lot of young black voters identify with him because like a lot of them, he too had it rough as a youth. Most of his childhood was spent on a hog farm in North Carolina. At the tender age of three years old his father left, leaving his mother Orida to provide for him on her own. His grandfather Elsie owned a plumbing business and harvested corn, and his grandmother Jessie, made a humble living as a maid cleaning houses in the area, a background that molded Wilkins with the belief that hard work always pays off.

In every stop he makes, Wilkins tells the story of his past as a way to reflect the hopelessness he once felt. But it is not by chance, that he is now a vital part of a campaign whose main message is hope.

Thanks to his hard work throughout high school, Wilkins received a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina where he majored doubled majored in psychology and political science. After graduation, he landed a job as the special assistant to G. K. Butterfield, Obama's national surrogate. According to Wilkins, when the opportunity presented itself to work for the Obama campaign, he didn't hesitate.

"I wanted to make sure that as the pages of history are written, I can look back and say my fingerprints are there as well," he said. "I first met Senator Obama in the Halls of Congress. This was long before he made it public that he was running for President. He still acts the same way today as he did when I saw him in the halls that day. He is a very humble individual."

Today, Wilkins spends his time flying from state to state, all expense paid. His Face book page includes countless pictures of him sharing laughs with Barrack Obama and other high ranking officials. The collage of photos along the campaign trail, show Wilkins is a part of a bigger team striving to make history. But through it all, he too remains humble.

"I still see myself as that little boy on the hog farm to be honest," he said. "Obama definitely brought me to a place where I am proud to be black and proud of my country. It is truly a milestone and he gives young black children everywhere hope."

By Renaldo Smith