Host Bankole Thompson, publisher of the Michigan Chronicle and author of Obama and Black Loyalty, moderated the impassioned discussion along with Santita Jackson, daughter of civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson. The roster of national and local political observers, community advocates, business and political leaders was beyond impressive. The symposium’s agenda focused on President Obama’s domestic policies and the impact on the black community. While many participants voiced concern regarding a perceived disconnection from African American constituents, a strong majority conceded that the president had not forsaken African American voters and offered solid recommendations to address the most pressing issues for black Americans.
Among the noted speakers and panelists were Bernard LaFayette, Emory University professor of Theology and a close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Jamal Simmons, CBS news analyst; Munson Steed, Steed Media Group president and Madison Avenue Project director; and U.S. Congressman John Conyers.
The expectation among the group is that Obama has to be the president for everyone, but he also has to be sensitive to the constituents that elected him, which includes African Americans.
“There can be an initiative that includes [us] without making it a black issue. That’s where [President Obama] has to get creative and we have to give him the political cover to do that,” remarked John Davis, founder and CEO of PR Network, a Detroit-based public relations firm.
Thompson’s interview-based book, Obama and Black Loyalty, is volume one of a trilogy on President Obama and black America. It’s available in stores now. –roz edward
