Excerpt from Chapter 16: The White House

My mouth fell open at the beauty of it all: the large chandelier glittering with light, the marble and ivory columns that separated one room from another, the intricate oil paintings of former U.S. Presidents with red patterned velvet chairs placed up against the walls, the ruby red carpet with golden trim that filled the entire hallway. Instantly I felt like I was somebody, which was the feeling I had been searching for all of my life—the feeling of being noticed, of being wanted, and of being valued and appreciated by others. We then toured the East Room, Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room, and the State Dining Room. Our guide pointed out that the Green and Red Rooms were personally designed and refurbished by former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. At this, Ma perked up with excitement, just as she had at Senator’s Kennedy’s office.

She leaned toward the guide with a half-joking-half-serious candor. “Are you guys looking for a housekeeper?” she asked, followed by, “How long does it take your housekeeping staff to clean this part of the White House?” Her questions went along with her expressions of approval at the former First Lady’s color and design scheme in each room. My only response was an eye roll, and I put my head down and chuckled as I watched her act as if we were in our own home.

We toured the museum-like public access part of the White House for an hour and then walked back outside, along the White House lawn, toward the West Wing—the entrance to the Oval Office. There, a single U.S. Marine stood expressionless and opened the door for us. I felt very official with the U.S. Marine posted outside the door. As we walked in, my palms began to sweat, and my knees threatened to buckle as our guide shared that when the President is working in the West Wing, a single U.S. Marine stands sentry outside the north entrance on thirty-minute shifts until the President leaves the West Wing. I was ecstatic with heart-pounding excitement to see the President again, now on his turf. In the West Wing reception room, where visitors wait to meet with the President, well-known politicians walked past us, sharing hellos or smiles. In the hustle and bustle, we saw Vice President Al Gore, former U.S. Surgeon General Charles Everett Koop, various members of Congress, foreign dignitaries, and other world leaders I had seen on television. After twenty or so minutes, we were escorted down a hallway just outside the doors of the Oval Office and were told to stand there until someone came out to get us. Everyone in our group was full of excitement and reverence for the situation. Although there was commotion, talking, and lots of activity all around us, we became observers, not saying a word.

White House Communications Director George Stephanopoulos opened the doors of the Oval Office, and the breeze it created brought with it the same confidence that came over me at the podium during my graduation speech. With his clipboard in hand, Mr. Stephanopoulos addressed us all.

“The President of the United States is now ready to see you.” Those words were music to my ears. The President of the United States will now see me. In that moment, I felt that if the President would give me the time of day, as he was right now, then the world was my oyster . . . I could do anything.

Mr. Stephanopoulos turned to the President. “Mr. President, I would like to present to you Doug Luffborough and his mother, Elsa Luffborough Mensah; President John Curry from Northeastern University; and Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts.”

The mystique of the Oval Office covered me, and it was just like it looked in the movies—but it was real. I was first to cross the threshold, and President Clinton greeted me and handed me an autographed photo of us from my graduation.

Right behind me was my mother, who by this time felt so at home that the first thing out of her mouth was, “Mr. President, it is nice to meet you, but my throat is dry from today’s tour, and I wonder if you would be so kind as to get me a glass of water?” Her straight face and polite demeanor incited laughter from everyone in the room, and an aide quickly met her request. My insides leaped in momentary humiliation that the first thing my mother did when she met the President of the United States in the Oval Office was ask him for a glass of water, but even though all formality was out the window for her, she was in her element, so I let her have her moment in the sun. After the life she lived, why not!

The President walked me over to his desk and told me that when he was sixteen years old and a part of Boy’s Nation, he met former President John F. Kennedy.

“That was the first time in my life that I knew that one day, a boy from Hope, Arkansas, would also become President. In fact,” he went on, beaming, “when I became President, I found out that each President has a choice of using another President’s desk during his term, and for me, only one desk would do. I chose the famous JFK Resolute Desk, recognized in the historic photograph of the young JFK, Jr. peeking out from its panel. See!” He pointed out the details of the picture, and being so close to modern history sent another wave of amazement through me. I vowed then to keep giving life my best.

After the exchange, we all sat down to visit, but I was so mesmerized that I can’t remember much of our conversation. A short time later, we gathered in the front of the Oval Office as what seemed like a drove of Associated Press staff filled the back of the room for a formal press conference.

Right on cue, the President commanded the room. “Hello, everybody. Those of you who travel with me regularly will, I think, recognize the young man on my right, Mr. Doug Luffborough. He was the student speaker at Northeastern University in Boston the other day. This is his mother, whom I introduced and got a big hand. They’re here with President John Curry of Northeastern and Senator John Kerry, his senator. I invited Doug and his mother to come visit me in the Oval Office, so they didn't wait long to take me up on the invitation.” The president paused as the room filled with laughter, and then added, “I'm glad to see them here today.

“You may remember also that he brought the house down. He not only gave a great speech, but he sang at the beginning of his speech. I thought to myself, if I could sing like that, I wouldn't be giving speeches today.”

Compelled to say something, I blurted out, “Well, it was a wonderful opportunity for me and a wonderful opportunity for my family and especially for my mother. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this, and I'm just really thrilled. And I'm really glad that Northeastern was the place you decided to come. It's been a pleasure and an honor to be here today. Thank you.”

Ms. Walker, the news reporter from Boston, chimed in. “Mr. President, what was it about Doug that impressed you so much?”

Without skipping a beat, the President eloquently answered her. “Well, first of all, that he had come from such humble circumstances to go to college and to stay in college and that he had made the most of it. He obviously never felt sorry for himself. He obviously had a mother who helped him to believe in himself, as many others do. And the fact that his fellow students picked him to be the spokesperson for their class showed that they identified with the values and the inner strength and drive that took him to the success that he enjoys. I was very impressed. And I just thought it would be neat if they could come down here and see me.”

After the President finished his statement, Mr. Stephanopoulos ushered the press out of the room and we said our goodbyes. I had hoped to have more time with the President, but I also understood how busy he must have been, and I knew that these moments would be some of the most memorable in my entire life.

President Clinton turned to shake my hand. “Thanks for coming to see me. By the way, Doug, have you ever thought about a career in politics?” “Not at this time, Mr. President, but I’m open to where my career will take me,” I said before I turned to leave the Oval Office. The President smiled and nodded, pursing his lips in a satisfied smile, which I took as approval for my politically correct response.

It was hard leaving the White House because I knew the realities I faced back at work. My supervisor, Diane, would be the pin to burst the White House visit bubble. However, deep down, I knew how real this experience was for me and my mother, and I knew that we would never forget it. To this day, I’m appreciative of President Clinton’s public invitation to visit him in the Oval Office. He honored my journey from being homeless to graduating from college in less than five years, but what impressed me the most was the way he treated my mom . . . like the queen that she is and has always deserved to be.

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