Updated: To the spirits that drive us... Dr. Violet Onyeji

UPDATE:(We are at $700 COME ON FELLOW KOSSACKS!  Celebrate the RBC Ruling and end of this Primary with a Donation to Obama.. let's hit $2008)

The Skinny:
I was down in Indiana helping the Obama campaign wrap up the nomination.  The man who put me up in his house for 5 days lost his wife to cancer in 2005, So I dedicated my fund raising page on BarackObama.com (HERE.) to her memory, and the memory of all the others who left us too soon.  
Full story below the fold...

MAY 6th 2008:
After canvassing today I sat down with Benson Onyeji the beautiful man who was generous enough to open up his home here in Fort Wayne Indian to  four complete strangers from NYC.   This diary is a dedication to his wife, who lost her battle with cancer on June 9th 2005.      

On the night of our arrival in IN he had told me, almost in passing, that his wife had died of cancer in 2005.   I offered a brief condolence at that time,  but having known him for only a few minutes, I let the conversation quickly shift to more pedestrian topics like the logistics of our stay at his house.  

When you enter the Onyeji home you can not help but notice the pictures of his deceased wife, Violet, as they hold a prominent place in almost every room.   Today in the course of discussing yesterdays "Picnic" event here in Fort Wayne, I read on his face a tinge of sadness that did not quite fit the conversation.   I could sense that something I had said, had reminded him of his wife, and having bonded with him over the last three days I decided to ask a personal question... "What would your wife think of this Campaign?"

I could see I had read his reflective gaze correctly.  His head fell for a second as he gathered himself before pushing out "She was very political..." with a broken meter that belied the emotions he was feeling.   After a long pause..  "She would have loved to been there..She would have been a big part of it." he stated proudly.  

It was then that I realized the man who had been waking up early in the morning to make us volunteers peppers and eggs, and laying out coffee and juice for us (as great a guy as HE was) much like Barack, he too had "married up".   Choking back his emotions he finished with "I wish she could be here".   Benson took me over to the portrait of his lovely wife for a better look,(The same portrait you now see in the intro above) and told me the story of a proud Nigerian who loved both the country of her heritage and the country of her residence.  She was a  Registered Nurse and PhD, as well as a progressive thinker who involved herself in politics.  Again he stated with a sigh "I wish she could be here."

Perhaps remembering that old woman in Philadelphia and her sons hand on her shoulder, I reached out and put my arm on his shoulder before stating. "I think she is".
Benson allowed himself a tear and so did I.  

She was the reason he was cooking us eggs in the morning, and dotting over us as if we were his own children. Her memory, her loving influence on him over 23 years of marriage, drove Benson’s selfless commitment to this campaign.    Benson gave me a booklet filled with poems and loving memories of his wife.  Not only his words but those of the four beautiful children she is survived by.  The same booklet that was handed out and read at his wife’s funeral service.

In this tiny diary I can’t begin to do justice to the life’s work of woman of her caliber, but I will share with you the words of tribute that struck me the most:

From her Daughter Nkechi:  

From Benson Himself:

Tonight thinking about woman who had shaped my new friend, I had an idea...   and so I asked Benson:  "With your permission I’d like to dedicate my fund raising page on Barackobama.com to your wife’s memory and try to raise $2008 in her name.".  Again, he became emotional and said he thought it would be a great idea..  

So tonight even though I’m supposed to be up in 3 hours to canvass I stayed up to put together this diary.  
Please recommend it and donate what ever small donation you can in the name of Dr. Violet Onyeji and all the other progressive activists black & white & every shade in between, who did not make it see to this historic moment.  
They laid the groundwork for this campaign, and their spirit drives us..   Donate ->HERE.