Mavis' Hope Rewarded

Mavis Staples's first-ever live album, Mavis Staples Live: Hope at the Hideout was released today. Recorded in Chicago in June, when Mavis was 68 years old and the presidential race was just beginning in earnest, the album captures a lifetime of hope, heartache and musical joy that might be said to have culminated in the election of an African-American as leader of the free world.

Now that fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States, Mavis reflects: "To come up in a time when there was racism, the KKK, and Jim Crow, I'm just so grateful to still be here to enjoy this historical time in our lives. It is so surreal, so completely overwhelming. This young black man has inspired and brought the country together. There's something about him that makes me feel he is the chosen one. There's something about his leadership that makes people feel calm and safe. He has inspired hopes and dreams of all people--black, white, brown or yellow. Doctor King and Pops I just know are so happy. 'The Dream' is alive."