Ann Nixon Cooper: Voted for Obama at 106

Metro Atlanta

Photos of Ann Nixon Cooper, the 106-year-old Atlanta woman mentioned during Barack Obama's victory speech

On election night Cooper talked about Obama's presidential victory: "I never thought we'd see that happen. I always thought it would be a white man. Now I see that things can change and I'm glad to know it."

"She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky, when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin," the president-elect said Tuesday night.

At home the day after the historic election, Cooper was unfazed by all the worldwide media attention. On all the strangers in her home: "It's not that unusual. This has always been a house where people come to gather." Here, she is assisted by caregiver James Davis.

Is Cooper a celebrity? "Oh, no. I wouldn't think of myself that way," she said.

The Obama campaign became aware of Cooper when CNN featured her early voting with Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin in late October. The next day, Obama called her.

In Cooper's living room hangs a photo of her as a young woman.

Cooper points to herself in a photo that includes Coretta Scott King (center-right).

Cooper posed for this photo with former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young. "I've had all the excitement one could expect when something like this happens," Cooper said of her mention by Obama. "It's been real nice."

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On election night Cooper talked about Obama's presidential victory: "I never thought we'd see that happen. I always thought it would be a white man. Now I see that things can change and I'm glad to know it."

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