Black Women for Obama for Change

Meet Our First Club 10 Members!

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Dr. Eleanor Renee Rodriguez/BWFO4Change/Hampton Roads, shown outside of White House

Conchita Baylor/BWFO4Change/Maryland, shown June 2011 at White House Tour

Mary “Bernie Tolson” shown modeling the exclusive BWFO4Change T‐Shirt

*Club Ten are BWFO Networkers who have recruited 10+ Members. Please join us!

President Obama Speaks to Supporters

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:24:00 +0000

From BWFO Networker in DC: President Obama spoke to supporters at a campaign fundraising event in Washington, DC. In his remarks he outlined the accomplishments of his administration and spoke about challenges ahead. He emphasized that it was going to be much more difficult for him in 2012 and that he needs his supporters now more than ever. He stated that he was going to need more time to accomplish what he set out to do and that he believed that he could win again with he help of his supporters.

GOP: Red, White and Racist?

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:58:00 +0000

By Barbara A. Reynolds

Recently GOP presidential candidates and leaders have so consistently showed their colors of red, white and racist that I wonder if they took a secret pledge to denigrate African-Americans. Or is this simply a matter of inverted Social Darwinism: the survival of the mega-maladjusted?

I raise this question because I don’t understand how logical well-adjusted people can continue to insult, condemn and ridicule blacks non-stop to the point that sometimes it is hard not to feel like a rag doll that people keep pricking holes in. The latest outrage du jour was Republican Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal forwarding around an e-mail poking fun at First Lady Michelle Obama. According to the Lawrence Journal-World, it said “I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Mrs. YoMama a wonderful, long Hawaii Christmas vacation—at our expense, of course. “YoMama?” Neal later apologized for the condescending remark, but the damage of this toxic hateful speech has been done. Could you see former first ladies Jackie Kennedy or Barbara Bush receiving this kind of disrespect without national outrage?

O’Neal is a little Kansas fish in a big pond and since he is not running for national office his remarks aren’t important, it could be said. Not so, because this anti-black ideology runs from the top down.

Tea Party darling Michelle Bachman kicked off the current trend of bigoted thinking last July when it was revealed that she had signed a pledge containing a statement inferring that African American children and black families were better off during slavery presumably because, according to her logic, they had both parents living with them. What ignorance to suggest people, children among them, being sold like cattle and separated from their families during slavery had virtue.

Flashbacks of racial insensitivity continue with Texas Congressman Ron Paul who finished third in the Iowa caucus. Who can forget his vote in Congress against awarding the iconic Rosa Parks, the mother of the civil rights movement, a Congressional Gold Medal? And then there are the anti-black statements that surfaced in a newsletter he published in 1980 which reportedly accused the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. of having sex with under-aged children and stated that 95 percent of black men in Washington, D.C., are either “semi-criminals or entirely criminals.” Paul denied having any knowledge of the statements, but his vote in 2006 against renewing the 1965 Civil Rights Act to remove voting barriers for minorities frames him as a foe of civil rights.

Even hot- to-trot former presidential contender Herman Cain tried to score points with his bigoted benefactors by bashing black Democrats as brain-washed and describing himself as a family member of the ultra-conservative billionaire Koch brothers: “I am a brother of another mother,” Cain professed.

It is intriguing to watch former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum duke it out to see who can become the Top Offender of Black America. The champion, perhaps, is Gingrich who said that he would appear before the NAACP conference to explain to the African American community why they should demand paychecks instead of food stamps.

The NAACP called Gingrich’s statement “divisive and problematic.” In actuality, however, it was a brutish attempt to target blacks as dependent losers based on erroneous information and history. First of all the majority of people on food stamps are not African Americans. So why is Gingrich singling them out? And why has he labeled President Obama “the food stamp president?” Gingrich is trying to create stereotypes of blacks as welfare queens as was done under the Ronald Reagan administration, while ignoring billion dollar bailouts and welfare handouts to corporations. Earlier Gingrich advanced the GOP’s repugnance for inner-city blacks with his suggestion that child labor laws be modified so that poor children can work as school janitors. “Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods,” he said “have no habits of working and have nobody around them who works … They have no habit of ‘I do this and you give me cash,’ unless it’s illegal.”

This script of casting blacks as villains, either surviving by illegal means or on the public dole has also been commandeered by ex-Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. “I don’t want to make black peoples’ lives better by giving them somebody else’s money,” he said in Iowa. Has he somehow forgotten that blacks are taxpayers and like millions of other unemployed Americans would be working if the failed policies of the Bush administration had not created massive unemployment?

So that leaves Mitt Romney, who should also be judged by what he has not said. Romney served as a leader in the Mormon Church whose doctrine until 1978 stated that people with black skin were cursed by God, could not enter heaven, nor serve in the Mormon priesthood. It seems a fair-minded person would have condemned this policy but Romney apparently did not.

So far this election year has unleashed a constant stream of bigotry. Is this a requirement to run for high office as a Republican or does it just happen that way? To think that among this bunch could be our next president should surely keep most of us awake at night.

Barbara A. Reynolds, the author of six books, including “Jesse Jackson: America’s David.” An ordained minister, she is a former columnist and editorial board member of USA Today.

Source: Washington Post

From the White House

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:30:00 +0000

In a speech in Ohio last Wednesday, President Obama appointed Richard Cordray to be the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Cordray, a career public servant who most recently served as the Attorney General of Ohio, followed through on the President’s message of “We Can’t Wait” by taking steps to increase oversight of “non-bank” financial services on his second day in office. Prior to his remarks, President Obama met with William and Endia Eason at their Cleveland home. The Easons were victims of predatory lending by a mortgage broker and almost lost their home.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy at Shaker Heights High School,Shaker Heights, Ohio, Jan. 4, 2012. Richard Cordray shares the stage with the President. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

The appointment gives Americans a powerful advocate in one of the places where they need it most and is a critical aspect of the President’s plans to reform Wall Street. This empowerment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau came on the heels of another significant victory for the middle class: The extension of the payroll tax cut.

The President reiterated his “We Can’t Wait” message last Thursday during a presentation before business and community leaders at the Summer Jobs+ event held at the White House. In light of Congressional Republicans blocking the American Jobs Act, President Obama is doing everything he can to get results now. Through the 180,000 summer jobs already pledged by the public and private sectors (with an additional 70,000 jobs expected), and the handy summer job bank, the Administration will connect young people with employers that will provide meaningful work experience.

Summer Jobs+ is an extension of President Obama’s plan to win the future by cultivating America’s human capital and making every American the very best that they can be. Early on the job experience will teach the youngest generations the skills that they need to get good, secure jobs later in life.

Blog Highlights

Learn more about

President Obama Outlines a New Global Military Strategy

Regional Roundup: Richard Cordray Will Protect American Consumers

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012

Investing in Puerto Rico’s Transportation Infrastructure

State and Local Officials, Colleagues Support Cordray Appointment

From the Archives: President Obama Signs the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act

Helping Small Businesses to Drive Innovation

Department of Homeland Security Releases U Visa Law Enforcement Certification Resource GuideLearn more about Immigration

Weekly Address: Working Together in the New Year

White House Champions of Change Program

Judit Camacho reflects on the December 9^th “Champions of Change” event that honored the work of her and eleven others who have made exceptional strides towards getting women involved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She herself is the executive director of SACNAS, an organization dedicated to promoting Hispanic/Chicano and Native American participation in STEM fields.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/05/champions-change-latina-stem

Get Involved

The application for the Summer 2012 White House Internship Program is now open, and the application deadline is January 22, 2012. The mission of the White House Internship Program is to make the "People’s House" accessible to future leaders from around the nation, and to cultivate and prepare those devoted to public service for future leadership opportunities. The programs and opportunities of the White House Internship Program make for days filled with unique learning experiences, thought-provoking conversation, and unforgettable events. Visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/internships to learn more about the White House Internship Program and to apply.

The White House Fellows program is the nation’s most prestigious program for leadership and public service. Founded by President Johnson in 1964 to engage emerging leaders in public service, the Fellows Program provides exceptional young men and women with first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. Fellows spend one year in Washington, DC working in the offices of Cabinet Secretaries, White House staff, and other high level Executive Branch officials. The Fellows Program is non-partisan, highly competitive and seeks people who have distinguished themselves through their work and dedication to public service. To learn more, we invite you to view the White House Fellows video chat in which the Program Director Cindy Moelis and former Fellows Anish Mahajan and Erica Jeffries recently answered questions about the application and the Fellowship experience. Applications for the White House Fellowship can currently be found online atwww.whitehouse.gov/fellows. The deadline for completed applications is January 13, 2012.

For more information about ways to get involved now, check out the Office of Public Engagement’s blog, which is updated daily with upcoming engagement opportunities. Follow Jon Carson, Director of the Office of Public Engagement, on Twitter @JonCarson44. Also, take time to browse our Engage webpage. Also check out Serve.gov for opportunities to personalize your long-term service.

Get Updates

For more information, visit the White House Office of Public Engagement website and blog and sign up for additional opportunities.

We welcome your thoughts and feedback at public@who.eop.gov.

Stay Connected

Job Description: Organizing for America Deputy Field Director

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:21:00 +0000

Organizing for America – WI is beginning to expand and gear up for
2012. The President needs your help in Wisconsin – a key battleground
state in this important election. We are hiring for the positions
below. Please submit your application to: OFAWIJobs@gmail.com if
you're interested in joining the OFA-WI team.

Organizing For America
Field - Deputy Field Director
Field – Wisconsin – Full Time

Overview

Deputy Field Directors (DFDs) work to advance President Obama’s and
the Democrats’ agenda and grow the grassroots movement for electoral
success in 2012. DFDs work in select states across the country to
assist the Field Director with the management of Organizing for
America field staff and programs.

Responsibilities

A DFD manages, coaches, and supports the activities of Regional Field
Directors, ensuring that they have the tools and skills necessary to
execute their regional plans with their staff and volunteers and
achieve their goals. Specific responsibilities include managing and
training multiple staff, supporting them to develop and execute
regional plans that reflect the needs and opportunities of their turf,
input into state plans and initiatives, hiring and training new staff,
and facilitating the sharing of best practices and lessons learned.
DFDs report directly to the Field Director and work closely with state
and national leadership.

Requirements

• Experience managing multiple staff (preferably remotely)
• Skilled in coaching and empowering staff to improve their
performance
• Team player attitude who can create that culture
• Willingness and ability to take and carry out directives
• Familiarity with team-based organizing and campaign technology
platforms
• Comfortable with excel, data management, and field numerical
analysis to manage from metrics

Organizing for America is committed to diversity among its staff, and
recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment
to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best
quality services to supporters and constituents. Organizing for
America is an equal opportunity employer and it is Organizing for
America’s policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any
and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color,
creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation,
gender identity or expression, ethnic identity or physical disability,
or any other legally protected basis. Organizing for America will not
tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such conduct is strictly
prohibited.

Organizing for America
Field - Regional Field Director
Field – Wisconsin – Full Time

Overview

Regional Field Directors (RFDs) work to advance President Obama’s and
the Democrats’ agenda and grow the grassroots movement for electoral
success in 2012.

Responsibilities

The primary responsibility of an RFD is to manage Field Organizers
(FOs) who recruit, manage, and train volunteers. RFD responsibilities
include but are not limited to developing regional organizing plans
that reflect the needs and realities of their communities; hiring and
training FOs; coaching FOs to develop neighborhood teams; coordinating
field management and ensuring data integrity; facilitating and
evaluating region-wide events; orchestrating earned media
opportunities; grow their digital presence by meeting pre-determined
metrics; and building relationships with local political and community
leaders. In these states, RFDs report directly to a Deputy Field
Director.

In states without FOs, RFDs build and grow neighborhood teams of
volunteers who conduct the campaign’s voter contact in line with their
regional organizing plan. They identify and train team leadership and
support them to hold phone banks, canvasses, house parties and other
activities to increase support for President Obama. They hold
volunteers accountable to goals set in the field plan and are
responsible for ensuring data integrity. They facilitate and evaluate
region-wide events; orchestrate earned media opportunities; grow their
digital presence by meeting pre-determined metrics; and build
relationships with local political and community leaders in their
state. RFDs report directly to the Field Director and work with other
State Leadership.

Requirements

• Experience managing and coaching multiple staff
• Skilled in team-based, volunteer-led organizing
• Comfortable with managing from metrics and has an understanding of
field data
• Familiarity with campaign technology platforms
• Attention to detail and strategic viewpoints
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines

Organizing for America is committed to diversity among its staff, and
recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment
to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best
quality services to supporters and constituents. Organizing for
America is an equal opportunity employer and it is Organizing for
America’s policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any
and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color,
creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation,
gender identity or expression, ethnic identity or physical disability,
or any other legally protected basis. Organizing for America will not
tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such conduct is strictly
prohibited.

Merry Xmas!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 03:39:00 +0000

First Lady Michelle Obama reacts while talking on the phone to children across the country as part of the annual NORAD Tracks Santa program. Mrs. Obama answered the phone calls from Kailua, Hawaii, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

White House Christmas Address

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:42:00 +0000

White House Holiday Card

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:03:00 +0000

When the Obamas wanted an artist to create their annual holiday greeting card, they turned to someone whose work they knew and trusted. Mark Matuszak is an artist, illustrator and concept designer based in Los Angeles who has worked for the first family before, creating illustrations for the White House interior design.

Matuszak said in a phone interview Thursday that he was contacted a few months ago by the White House social secretary, who asked him to create this year's holiday card.

First Lady Sets A New World Record!

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Michelle Obama has earned her family another place in history. This time, Mrs. Obama will share the honor with more than 300,000 other participants on Sunday who set the record for most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period.

On Sunday, Mrs. Obama led about 400 kids from elementary and middle schools in the Washington area on the South Lawn of the White House. Other jumping jack events were held around the world to reach the world-record mark.

President Obama's Economic Address

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

President Obama in his remarks at Osawatomie High School in Osawatomie, Kansas said, this is not just another political debate. This is the defining issue of our time. This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and for all those who are fighting to get into the middle class. Because what's at stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, secure their retirement.

Snapshot! President Obama During the Carrier Classic

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 06:31:00 +0000

President Barack Obama leaves the court to be interviewed by ESPN during the Carrier Classic NCAA basketball game between Michigan State and North Carolina on the USS Carl Vinson, Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, in Coronado, Calif. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Link

President Obama Honors Veterans at Arlington National Cemetery

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:37:00 +0000

MLK Memorial Dedication

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:02:00 +0000

President Obama Designates Fort Monroe A National Monument

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:48:00 +0000

BWFO4Change Networkers Encouraged President Obama to Designate Fort Monroe, VA as National Monument

We are pleased to celebrate President Barack Obama's use of his authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act, to establish Fort Monroe as a National Monument, in the National Park Service. We are proud that our Networkers Virginia Senator Mamie Locke, Gaylene Kanoyton, Vice Chair of the Virginia Democratic Party and Virginia playwright Sheri Bailey were in the forefront of pushing this effort forward. Congratulations Gaylene, Sheri and Senator Locke--we are proud of you!

Having President Obama designate Fort Monroe as a National Monument is an historic act that we believe will be one of the most significant cultural, historic and job creation acts of the Obama Administration. Now, Fort Monroe---which many people know little about--will finally showcase the important history of Black people as they progressed off the plantations, out of slavery, into the Union Army and onto the march towards freedom. We believe that over time, Fort Monroe will become a National Monument similar to the Statue of Liberty, and other national monuments that celebrate freedom. And, history about the arrival of indentured Africans in 1619 who were not slaves, will finally be told. In the near future, jobs will be created and new opportunities for small businesses will result as well.

On behalf of BWFO4Change, we thank President Obama for his leadership and commitment to the historic contributions of Fort Monroe. We also thank our visionary Networkers. We look forward to the nation and the world learning about Fort Monroe's role in the history of America and the 3,000+ jobs we hope will be created in the future.

Yes We Can!

Stephanie E. Myers, National Co-Chair Daun S. Hester, National Co-Chair

Check This Out! President Obama Joins Tumblr!

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:21:00 +0000

The President's Plan to Reduce Student Loan Debt

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:16:00 +0000

Members Of BWFO Attend First Lady Michelle Obama’s Fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:51:00 +0000

Hosted by Gen44 DC, Tuesday, October 11, 2011, Marriot Wardman Hotel

Chifornia Cox/DC, Amelia Ross-Hammond/VA, Karen Mulhauser/DC, Stephanie Myers/DC Mary Bernadette Tolson/DC, Sondra Henderson/DC and Mary Clark/VA

First Lady Michelle Obama greets guests at Gen44 Fundraiser at Marriot Wardman Hotel

President Obama Delivers Remarks at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:03:00 +0000

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:55:00 +0000

Commentary: President Obama: My Champion!

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:55:00 +0000

By Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Chair, Journalism Committee

This week, when I heard President Obama speak boldly and resolutely against the Republicans and Tea Party's devastating war against the middle class and poor Americans I slowly moved from my chair and then alone in my room I stood up and cheered.

I began to think in delightful superlatives: No more Mr. Nice Guy, Here Comes the Demander in Chief, the rump-kicker. Perhaps the President has conceded that the elite Republican crowd can’t even spell fairness. The congressman who whined recently about how hard it is to live off of $400,000 a year represents their sense of entitlement and the rest of us : Be Damned.

The President announced a plan to cut $3.6 billion from the deficit over the next ten years. The Tea Party wants programs that aid school children, the homeless, those in need of medical care to bear the blunt of all the cuts. House Speaker John Boehner has insisted that not one red nickel should come from the rich and wealthy corporations. In the Tea Party view they are the entitled, the rest of us are not worthy of surviving.

President Obama however, came out fighting. “It is wrong that in the USA a teacher or a nurse or a construction worker who earns $50,000 should pay higher tax rates than somebody pulling in $50 million, the feisty president said. “I will veto any bill than changes benefits for those who rely on Medicare but does not raise serious revenues by asking the wealthiest American or biggest corporations to pay their fair share.”

The President’s Rose Garden speech Monday was a reminder to many of why we voted for the President and why he must remain for a second term. He promised change and so far his gentlemanly, professorial style has been gauged by the GOP and the mean Tea-Party as a sign of weakness. This group has only one often stated goal: To ensure our first black President fails. And as he crumbles, the life-lines for the middle-class and working poor crumble with him. There shall be no bootstraps for them to pull themselves up on.

Before the president spoke, the predictably negative Boehner argued that the president’s position was class warfare, which Mr. Obama argued “this is not class warfare. It is math.”

I suggest that the president re-think his argument because Boehner is correct--Boehner and the Tea Party are waging class warfare. They are destroying the vestiges of democracy and instituting an oligarchy, based on rule by the rich. This dangerous ethic if not stemmed by President Obama and other activists could well result in riots, such as have broken out in London. Class warfare has been raging ever since the Tea-Party rose to power in Washington. It is just now that our President has declared a vigorous defense.

In recent years, more working poor, middle-class and small business people have been pushed into an underclass. The Tea Party is attempting to undercut unions, cut government jobs, wipe-out small minority-owned businesses, destroy Obama’s health care reforms that aid college student and those with pre-existing illnesses, and gut programs that benefit children and their teachers. The class division between rich and poor, young and old and especially between black and white is scandalous.

For example, Tea Party proposed changes in Social Security would push benefits out from the federal umbrella and into the private sector, which could be devastating to those depending on the funds which they have paid into to support them in their aging years. Studies show that although Social Security benefits are modest, they provide a vital source of support to black women. Among black women aged 62-64, one in three (33 percent) relies on Social Security for more than half of their income and one in five (20 percent) relies on the program for all of their income.

The most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that One out of every six Americans, or 46.2 million lived in poverty in 2010, an increase of almost 3 million since 2009, and is now the highest number of people living in poverty since the Census started keeping track 52 years ago.

Income inequality increased from 2009 to 2010. Households in the bottom 20 percent saw their incomes fall by 4.5 percent.

Poverty rates among African Americans and Hispanics,27.4 percent and 26.6 respectively, are more than double that of whites, which is now 9.9 percent, up from 9.4 percent in 2009.

More than one out of every five children is living in poverty. For African American children, the poverty rate is nearly 40 percent, a stark contrast with the poverty rate among white children, which was 12.4 percent in 2010.

This decline, while mathematical, is about the reality of suffering. One more bold position the President should make: Get on a train or a bus and go across America and show real people who are experiencing real suffering. We need President Obama to demonstrate the fight is not his alone, but for all who believe in fairness and justice.

Snapshot: White House Jobs Act Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:34:00 +0000

September 12, 2012 Bernie Tolson/BWFO4Change/DC attends White House JOBS ACT meeting attended by President Obama.

President Obama Presents American Jobs Act (Enhanced Version)

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:43:00 +0000

Commentary: If Lincoln Had Lived & Obama Doesn't Get Re-Elected"

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:36:00 +0000

"If Lincoln Had Lived & Obama Doesn't Get Re-Elected"

By Sheri Bailey

Out on the battlefield, in the trenches, along slave alley and down in the ghetto for folks like Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln was incredibly slow in ending slavery. But from Frederick Douglass' vantage point as a presidential adviser, he knew of the overwhelming obstacles that faced the 16th president and understood that victory lay in getting the Commander-in-Chief to allow Black enlistment into the Union forces.

Once the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863 almost 200,000 Black men officially joined the Union ranks. Soon, the North was winning the war and on April 9, 1865 Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered. WE WON THAT WAR, FOLKS. The Civil War was won by those Americans who believed in truth, justice and freedom for all!

Abolitionists, Quakers, enslaved and free Blacks and Indians were among the diversity of individuals and groups who were excited to rebuild the country after a very bloody war, but after President Lincoln was assassinated there was no one to lead. Rather than build on what was started in 1776 via the vision of men like Jefferson, Washington and Franklin, in 1865 Lincoln was the lone politician with the intelligence, strength of character and command of language who could speak to the masses and had a commitment towards freedom for all.

Once Lincoln was gone there was no hope for Reconstruction and by 1870 the political leaders of the day had ceded power to the policies of segregation, Jim Crow and the KKK. Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind claimed to be ten-years-old before she realized the South lost the war. Where I live in Virginia there are numerous monuments and schools named after Confederate soldiers, but virtually nothing that recognizes that the Tidewater-Hampton Roads region was a major stop on the Underground Railroad because of its ports and the Great Dismal Swamp.

I am worried about what will happen if President Obama is not re-elected. If he is not re-elected, the healthcare bill that he used all of his initial political capital to pass could be repealed. Repeal of the healthcare bill would result in the loss of health insurance for 32 million currently uninsured Americans in 2014. I fear the healthcare bill will be stopped by a newly-elected Republican president and that’s one of the reasons why President Obama must be re-elected. Also on the chopping block will be public education, public employees and the very heart of the American Dream.

If Obama is not re-elected then America's future will be defined by the recklessness of politicians like Eric Cantor, Rick Perry and Sarah Palin. These are not people who could have founded a nation in the 1770s; or kept it from splitting apart in the 1860s; or pulled it out of a Great Depression in the 1930s. These are people whose sounds and furies signify absolutely nothing.

On the night of November 4, 2008 Barack Obama told us now that we had elected him, we would have to make him do our will. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but even he didn't realize how hard it would be to have so many pulling at him to save, not just a nation but the whole world.

I also have a request of President Obama--please sign the Antiquities Act and make Fort Monroe a national monument! This will create jobs for a significant under and unemployed population and secure Fort Monroe's unique role as the place where slavery ended in the United States. Fort Monroe, Virginia is where American democracy was first fully recognized for every citizen, regardless of race, color, creed or faith. It is a symbol of guaranteed rights to freedom, justice and equality for all.

Change comes slowly and it only comes if you stay the course, so faith is the key. Fort Monroe is where the history of Black people in America started on August 20, 1619 with the arrival of 20 or so Africans from Angola and came full circle on May 23, 1861 (at the beginning of the Civil War) with the first of the enslaved -- James Townsend, Frank Baker and Shepherd Mallory -- put on the path to citizenship by being declared Contraband of War by General Benjamin Butler.

This history is biblical as it pays homage to the unnamed millions who have suffered and survived enslavement. In 2019, 400 hundred years after Blacks arrived on the shores of Hampton, VA it will be time to reflect and look forward. Fort Monroe, the Ellis Island of the 19th century, should be the place where the world goes to understand how America ultimately triumphed over the legacy of slavery.

As a non-profit executive, I am trying to blend the creative arts and grassroots activism with the Juneteenth Movement and Collective Arts Theatre in partnership with many others. We are building a model that includes jobs creation and action solutions for entrenched social issues. Our methods include growing community gardens and documenting local history for presentation on live stages or film in venues ranging from schools to prisons. To do this work we depend on teenagers, senior citizens, skilled and unskilled workers and professionals for everything from accounting to wardrobe people (especially those who specialize in period clothing). We particularly invite our military neighbors to work with us, especially in the planning of exhibits and activities involving events on the Underground Railroad and the raising of a militia in August 1831 to quell the Nat Turner Insurrection.

As we move into the second decade of the 21st century, in a post-911 world it is the American people who must step up and demonstrate that we are an exceptional people. Frederick Douglass said, "Freedom must be demanded, with some ways being more effective than others." In addition to screaming at the President about jobs, the Congressional Black Caucus was also holding job fairs across the country. That's good. That's their job and they should keep doing that on a regular basis while respecting the unity we need to ensure the re-election of the President Obama.

Finally, thank you Black Women for Obama for CHANGE (BWFO4Change) for being that place where President Obama has complete and unwavering support no matter how severe the storm. From the first, BWFO4Change recognized that Barack Obama was a tremendously gifted leader and took a leadership role in getting him elected. And, we know that individuals in our network are working towards his re-election. BWFO4Change symbolizes the hope of all who believe that America's best days are not behind us, but still to come.

Sheri Bailey is the founder and Executive Director of The Collective Arts theater in juneteenthva@yahoo.com

September Profile: Tori Scarborough

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:55:00 +0000

Obama Appointee Tori Scarborough -- Shines Her Light!

By Ruth Marshall, BWFO4Change/DC

After scheduling and rescheduling appointments for over a month, Tori Scarborough and I finally hooked up for a refreshing, down-to-earth and heart-to-heart conversation. Tori is an Obama Administration “Schedule C” Presidential Appointee at the U.S. Department of Health And Human Services.

When we finally connected, almost instantly I knew I was talking to a well-grounded and self-confident young woman who has no doubt about what she wants and where she wants to go. I am sure that my sense of her over-all peaceful countenance is one of her outstanding qualities that most ardently register with everyone she encounters. Tori’s high energy created excitement as we delved into her professional background, educational pursuits and personal decisions that have guided her to attain and experience some of her dreams.

Tori took me step-by-step on how in 2007 she sent in a last minute, on-line application to work with then Senator Barack Obama and how that decision launched her into the political arena where she is now. As she moved from the Senator’s office to the Presidential Campaign she pursued logical steps that provided her a variety of opportunities and honed her skills as an organizer/scheduler for State and local campaign events.

For a year, Tori worked directly under Secretary Janet Napolitano at the Department of Homeland Security where she was the Secretary’s Advance Representative traveling all around the country. In this position, she worked closely with Secret Service agents, Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents as well as other DHS components. This path culminated with a Presidential appointment to the Department of Health and Human Services as Surrogate Scheduler for the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.

We laughed out loud as Tori described the close-knit family she grew up in and their focus on education. A southerner of Charlotte, North Carolina, she and her older brother played out the proverbial, yet healthy, competiveness characteristic of a sibling pair. Her undergraduate studies began at Bethune-Cookman College where she formed close relationships with other aspiring young African American students from across the country.

As with so many others who attend Historically Black College and University’s Tori found herself in an environment that fostered direct and personal relationships with her professors, who continuously supported and helped her to build a strong professional foundation. Her college education included a “Study Abroad” program in Madrid, Spain at Colegio de Mayor Antonio Nebrija. And, she earned a B.A. in Speech Communication -- Summa Cum Laude!

Super intelligence aside, Tori has an awesome outlook on life and exudes an overall sense of calmness and inner peace about her. I got the feeling that her self-assuredness comes from deep within her, a “sixth sense” that she listens to that directs her path. Yes, she has a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from Howard University but her aura goes beyond religion and rests more in the spiritual realm. She admits that a lot of major decisions come to her as a gentle push into her life’s purpose and this “spiritual push” omits the need for hand wrangling and late night meditations.

Having given her all in every position she has held, Tori is now looking forward to exploring other challenges. One of the current challenges on her radar is helping to revamp and rebuild a public education system that leaves so many children hungry for knowledge and craving doors to a brighter future. If her success in her previous endeavors is any indication, Ms. Tori Scarborough will be a major force in shaping her community and indeed the country into a more positive place for all of us.

Thanks, Tori, for sharing and continue to shine your light as only you can.

Happy Birthday Mr. President!

noreply@blogger.com (BWFO4Change) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 02:08:00 +0000

All The Details: Inside President Obama's 50th Birthday Party At The White House

Yes, they did the Electric Slide: Stevie Wonder, Chris Rock, Jay- Z, Charles Barkley, Tom Hanks, Emmitt Smith, Grant Hill, Whoopi Goldberg, and other celebs dine and dance with the President and First Lady...
President Obama and his A-list pals danced barefoot in the East Room on Thursday night, after dining in the dramatically lit Rose Garden to celebrate his milestone 50th birthday. Obama Foodorama was told by guests who attended the "fabulous" but "casual" five-hour party for more than 200 people that the President "let down his hair" and literally danced for hours, finally leaving his own party shortly before midnight.

Read More at Obama Foodorama