The charismatic young orator addressed an audience of black activists, and urged them to be objective, but vigilant regarding the future and possible legacy of the Barack Obama administration.
The historic symposium of government officials, educators and media personalities responded with a resounding vote of confidence.
–roz edward
What are your expectations for the Obama administration?
I think this administration had a lot on its plate. Not only were they facing the greatest economic crisis that America has faced since the Great Depression, they also had two wars that the president has been trying to manage and he has an extraordinary expectation on him from people of color, not just from the United States but from all around the world to try and do tremendous things. When I took a look at what the president’s done I have a lot of criticism about what he can do better in terms of how he communicates his policy, but when you look at the substance of the policies that the president is doing, he’s putting more money on the table to benefit people of color than any president we’ve had in 40 years.
How can the president better communicate his message to African American constituents?
I want to see him directly engage the African American media. I also want to hear him talk about not just the short-term crisis we face, but the longer term crisis we face in terms of competitiveness. How does the United States of America maintain this position of economic competitiveness over the next 50 or 60 years, understanding that countries all around the world are trying to catch up with us and pass us on [the] economic scale. I want every American to be able to participate in the wealth that this country has and be able to assure that [our] children have a greater opportunity tomorrow than [we] had today.
Why the disconnect between the president and African American voters anyway?
I don’t believe a disconnect exists between Barack Obama and African American constituents. A poll just the other day says 87 percent of African Americans still support this president. I do think the problems are so big and the expectations are so high that it’s a challenge to ever meet those expectations … I do think that some of these things are going to pan out over a long period of time.
