Old men wept at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday as Barack Obama was nominated by acclimation. It happened again Thursday when the first African-American nominated for president by one of the major political parties delivered a powerful acceptance speech on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

It recalled for me young men I saw back then, their faces full of dreams but full of anxiety too. Young men with names like Rondall Buford, Larry Curd, Jerry Childress and Joe Billy Webb. They were walking up the hill of College Street in Glasgow, black teenagers headed for the first day of integrated classes at Glasgow High School located ironically on Liberty Street. I watched from the “Music Hall” next door where junior high classes met on the same campus.

Waiting for them were young white faces, a lot of them showing the same uncertainty as the black faces. Fortunately, there were some among the white faces, like Danny Alexander and Jerry Botts, waiting to welcome and help their new classmates. Unfortunately, there were others not so accepting or happy to see the newcomers. I doubt any one of those young men, white or black, or the young women who trudged nervously up that hill with their male classmates, thought they’d ever see what occurred this week in Denver.

This is not an endorsement of Barack Obama – or of his opponent John McCain. But one doesn’t have to support Obama or be a Democrat – or be an African-American – to see his nomination as a moment of history or to feel a little extra pride in being an American. (Maybe that’s what Michelle Obama really meant.)

Obama’s path on his “unlikely journey” was paved by people like King and others who faced fire hoses, lead pipes and dogs in Birmingham, marched in Selma and sat in at restaurant counters in North Carolina. But it was also blazed by people like Buford and Botts, Alexander and Curd, black and white. Many of those young men and women are now growing old – some like Curd didn’t live to see this week. But those who did must feel the promise of America is a little more real today than it was more than 40 years ago.

Our system was founded on perfect ideals amidst a very imperfect reality. The American story is about imperfect men and women who fought to bring the reality closer to the ideals. It is also knowing we’ll never perfect the American dream. But a lot of people now believe we’re a bit closer.

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Obama’s speech was different from others he’s delivered, but it was still politically masterful. He was specific about his agenda; he was tough; he took on McCain and was direct about his patriotism and social issues while effectively sharing parts of his biography in ways that should resolve at least some voters’ concerns his life is too different from those of most Americans.

He did something Democrats often have difficulty doing. He said individuals bear individual responsibility and while government must help, it can’t do everything. He showed passion when he said McCain promised to follow Osama bin Laden to the “gates of hell but won’t even follow him to the cave where he lives.” David Gergen and Pat Buchanan, two Republicans, each said it was among the best political speeches they’d ever heard.

Now it’s McCain’s turn. He’s got a tough act to follow.

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. He may be contacted by email at rellis@cnhi.com.