George Rene Francis has waited 112 years to see an African-American president. Today, he's glued to a television at his south Sacramento retirement home to watch history in the making.
Francis is already a part of history -- he's considered the oldest man in America, and by casting his absentee ballot for Barack Obama, he's arguably the nation's oldest voter.
"President was the only thing he voted for," said one of his three daughters, Lelia Francis LaRue, who helped him fill out his absentee ballot. "He left everything else blank."
Asked why Obama, Francis replied emphatically, "I think he's great, because he's black! Because the white people thought a negro would never be promoted!"
Larue, 78, said, "As much as we went through" in the Jim Crow south -- forced to the backs of buses and movie theatres in New Orleans -- "he never taught us bigotry or prejudice."
To this day, Francis recites lines from the "The Black Man's Plea for Justice" by Ephraim David Tyler, the poet laureate of Shreveport, Louisiana:
I am a citizen. I'm loyal. Will you recognize my votes?
I pay dear for transportation over all of your railroad tracks.
I live up to all requirements, I always pay my tax.
When I don't fill blanks correctly, will you kindly teach me how?
Francis was born in Louisiana June 6, 1896 the grandson of slaves. During the years he grew up, African Americans had a hard time voting in south -- if they were allowed to vote at all.
"He voted for the first time when he was about 27 years old," said another daughter, Shirley Wade. Francis doesn't remember the first president he voted for, but that would have been Calvin Coolidge's second term.
In the Democratic-controlled south, African Americans often voted Republican, though Francis - an independent - recalls voting for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Richard Nixon.
Nearly all of his more than 70 voting-age children, grandchildren and great- grandchildren are for Obama, grandson Glenn Stephens said Tuesday morning. One of the few to break ranks is granddaughter Diana Thomas, 55, of Sacramento, who's registered as an independent and voted for McCain.
"I tend conservative and I believe McCain would be better for the economy and better for the security of the country," Thomas said. "I understand why my grandfather would vote for Obama -- he's seen a lot and been through a lot in his life time. It's an historic moment for him and he's going to take advantage of it and vote for a black man."
Asked if he'd been following Obama, Francis said, "I looked at him all night last night on my TV all by myself!"
When he didn't see Obama on the TV in the living room earlier today, Francis suggested his relatives -- about a dozen were visiting on election day -- take him back to the TV in his room.
Francis, who met Booker T. Washington, was friends with Louis Armstrong and saw Babe Ruth hit a home run in spring training, never thought he'd live long enough to see a black president. "I think it's beautiful," he said of Obama's ascendance.
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