Blackbright News - Obama is elected as president

Issue 10

The Barack Obama Edition

The Root of Greatness

Free online issue

Black - B r i g h t

I pondered further, what makes a man (or a woman for that matter) stick with something without getting distracted, without giving up? I remember in the earlier interviews when Obama was promoting his book ‘The Audacity of Hope’ on the Oprah Winfrey show – well over a year ago, and how unsupportive his wife seemed them. She was concerned that his senator-hood would distract him from his family obligations. In public he reassured her that he would not neglect her nor his children. He then put his arm around a half-convinced woman who managed a quivering smile. He openly apologised for not being around enough, but this was something he needed to do and he needed her to support him.

Those were not his exact words of course, it was so long ago but that is the essence of his conversation that I took away from me. Was it just me who noticed an obvious challenge – or did the rest of Oprah’s viewers see it as well?

I sat there one morning in late November, contemplating my inconsistencies. My mind ran on Barack Obama, fighting it through to the finish – unwavering and committed to his values. What makes a man think and behave like that? I watched him curb McCain’s ‘insults’ with subdued arrogance – a smirk or was it a smile? Smart, handsome, clean, a bit of white, a bit of black and it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a bit of Asian thrown in as well – did his colour matter? Only to the degree that he seemed to represent our multi-dimensional and cultural society.

“… Time is just a collection of human experiences combined so that they make a long, flowing stream of thought.” [Barack Obama, aged 14]

by Myrna Loy

Editorial

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Barack or ‘Barry’ as he was known, was always a confident teenager and spoke out when he felt the need, as his quote at the beginning of this editorial attests. So back to my question, but put another way - how does the background of one’s family implicate a child’s future? Well, at 26, Barack’s Kenyan father Barack Snr was already going

Let me analyse it this way - what has one’s background got to do with the way our children turn out or, indeed, the way Barack turned out? Apart from being educated, albeit through financial aid and endowments at one of the biggest private schools in Honolulu, Barack came from a relatively poor background. In an age of temptation, greed, superficialdom,. selfishness and other challenges, Obama has managed to maintain his integrity, a marriage, the role of a father and now the role of President-elect for the United States of America. In any day and age, no easy accomplishment!

What motivated Barack to resist settling for what many of us would have been happy to settle with - a spouse, children, a nice home and a secure job? Here is a man who is not afraid to assume the largest responsibility in the world. Some men run from paying household bills, alimony/child support, normal relationship challenges, yet Barack feels capable of running the world, responsibilities and all! Why? because he has the audacity of hope!

He believes in himself, his potential, his capacity and capability. I wonder what or who gave him that selfbelief ?

I started to think about the level of ambition it requires to become President. I marvelled his willingness to accept the challenges inherited from his predecessor.

The next thing I realised, the months had passed and rumour had it that he was a serious candidate for the presidency – and where was Michelle? Right there beside him – with a genuine smile! That’s my girl I thought.

I prayed that night for Michelle. I prayed that as a black woman, with a prominent black man, not to let him down.

I prayed that Michelle would not be afraid or feel the need to sabotage his potential success. The prayer went up and out and I left it there.

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Since ‘Barry’ would never be considered ‘white’ by his white counterparts, he claimed a black identity through sport, taking up basketball. Barack suffered a lot of the systematic and institutionalised racism that many of us suffered but somehow it didn’t make him feel that he

The refined, articulate, charismatic man we see before us, is not without a history. He has retaliated and cursed when felt threatened or intimidated like any self-respecting teen or adult would do. He has gone through his teenage years doing what teenagers do and labelled as a black man, has been a victim of racism.

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In my opinion, Barack got where he is now speaking out against inequality, and proving that we can be judged by the content of our character and not the colour of our skin (Martin Luther King).

Many old-school Caribbean parents expected so much academically from their children but did they set similar standards for their children to follow? Where is their educational attainment that they keep insisting their children to aspire to? The excuse of many of our elders is that in England education is free, so therefore children raised in England should be grateful, take advantage of the education system and get their degree, but over 40 years ago, Barack’s father qualified and it wasn’t in Great Britain, so regardless of what country you live or what financial situation you are in, if you aspire to do well, you will do well.

Barack came from a relatively poor background remember! Barack Obama is a prime example of coming from a family who set a very high standard from the very beginning.

Yes, we can all cry poverty; we can all cry unstable backgrounds; but what is important is genuine love from those around you – a love you can feel (as John Holt would sing); and a love that many parents need to ensure they give to their children have regardless of circumstances so that our children can grow fit to be Kings and Queens!

So where does that leave me as I ponder how an individual’s life can change according to his or her passions and dreams? It leaves me looking at Obama’s life and sieving out the qualities in him that make him who he is and see if I can mirror some of them.

How many of us feel confident enough to speak out?

Sadly Great Britain still lags at least ten years behind America with regard real freedom of speech and it would seem, according to BBC News, that the only thing the UK is ahead in, is HD televisions and the number of mobile phones per person!

couldn’t be everything he wanted to be, in fact, it pushed him to not only say “yes I can” but realising success takes team effort but “yes we can”. Type ‘yes we can’ in google and ‘Barack Obama’ comes up!

to Harvard to work on his Phd in Economics – now is that ambition and fortitude, or what??

EXCLUDED FROM BRITISHNESS

Barack Obama

by Giles Speid

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Fea ture:

Barack’s national security team has been assembled to represent all elements of American power, diplomacy, and leadership that will be vital in overcoming the challenges of the 21st century

General Jim Jones, USMC (Ret), former Allied Commander, Europe, and Commander of the United States European Command, will serve as National Security Advisor.

Dr. Susan E. Rice, a Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Obama for America campaign, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, will serve as Ambassador to the United Nations.

Janet Napolitano, Governor and former U.S. Attorney for Arizona, will serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Eric Holder, former Deputy Attorney General and a former United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, will serve as Attorney General.

Secretary Robert Gates, the current Secretary of Defense, will continue to serve in that role.

Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator from New York and former First Lady, will serve as Secretary of State.

“Audacity of Change”

OBAMA’S TEAM ELECT (as at 11/08)

IN THIS ISSUE...

There was an eerie silence at the train station and again when I got into the office. No one said anything, no one congratulated anyone. Every now and again an email would come through saying, “isn’t it great?”, “at what time did you hear?”, “Were you up for the results?” There would be meetings in corners and a nod and the occasional wink from those in the know. We were jubilant inside but dare not show it. We were doing cartwheels in our heads but dare not say it. The butterflies in our stomachs were for a nervous expectation of his potential success and the sheer weight of expectation. You see it wasn’t our victory, it wasn’t our election but he was our candidate. It was the victory that we dare not speak of. There was a look of, “go on I dare you, I double dare you to say anything about this victory”, but we didn’t have to…he had arrived,”Barack Obama, The President Elect”. We had the audacity of hope thrust upon us and with it the belief that we too can believe in hope.

by Giles Speid

The Audacity of Change

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I freely admit that I have now become an expert on the term swing states, electoral colleges, Red States and Blue States, the importance of New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania, Primaries and the all important Super Tuesday.

Never before had I followed an election so closely. Even though it was an election I could not influence.

Four years ago an ex colleague whose brother lived in Boston, USA told me about a young Black senator who could go all the way to the White House. I asked for his name and when he said it I remember thinking it was unfortunate that it rhymed with ‘Osama’. I never thought too much about it until he won the first primary and beat Hillary Clinton.

At that point I said to my wife, “he might just do it”.

Tiger is simply the greatest Golfer in the world. Currently number one and so far ahead in the rankings when he is playing that he is also number two and three in the world.

His golf is what has made him acceptable and the talent that he so obviously possesses. Lewis Hamilton is the youngest Formula One champion ever - a year after his rookie season, where he came second, but again it’s his sport that gives him his status and the way that he carries himself. There is nothing that his critics can hang on him except the fact that he now lives in Switzerland. The fact that Coultard doesn’t live in Scotland hasn’t made him any less Scottish with the Scots.

However, Hamilton is being scrutinised for his lifestyle as it is possible that he can become the ‘Posh and Becks’ of the new world order, a pop star girlfriend and the potential to earn a billion dollars.

There was a time when Nelson Mandela was considered to be a terrorist, now he is lauded the world over.

He has done something that only a few people have managed to do: Tiger Woods, Nelson Mandela and possibly Lewis Hamilton…he crossed the racial divide. He refused to be defined by his race and he has forced the wider public to do that too. The difference here is that he had to undergo an election and be voted in; voted in by the white majority.

There was much talk about the Wilder effect, It was named after Tom Bradley, an African-American who lost the 1982 California governor’s race despite being ahead in voter polls going into the elections. Would white people vote for a Black candidate? Could they bring themselves to vote for this candidate? Are the polls accurate, are they just saying that they would vote for him but really they would vote for McCain? In the end the wilder effect did happen but against McCain!

They went into their voting booths promising to vote for him but ended up voting for Obama. They couldn’t bring themselves to vote for McCain.

The Wilder (Bradley) effect

The single most important factor about the election for me was the moment Sarah Palin was chosen. It eventually came out that her unmarried daughter was pregnant and was due to marry the father of the child next year. A reporter went to Obama and asked him what he thought about that.

With an open goal staring ahead of him he responded with, “we don’t go after people’s families”…priceless.

Statesmanlike and welcomed in a campaign that got more negative as it appeared that McCain was in trouble. It also put the McCain camp on the back foot. How could they seriously go after anyone in the Obama camp with any credibility?

As much as this rankles with her she eventually came on side and backed Obama, especially as it was obvious that she was going to lose the vote.

There was a real danger that America could end up being ruled by a dynasty of Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush and then back to Clinton. There was even talk that after eight years of Hillary in charge, Chelsea Clinton would be ready to run for the presidency. They never thought that after eight years of planning in New York that they could have been derailed in this way. Clinton is ‘one of us’; his office is in downtown Harlem after all. Hillary is ‘one of us’, but for Obama no doubt, she would have carried more Black votes than any other candidate, but we didn’t want someone sympathetic to us, we wanted one of us.

Inspiring, aspiring and the delivery of political oratory that reminded me of a young Baptist preacher in the sixties with a dream that one day even Barack Obama would only be judged by the contents of his character. The best thing about his candidacy was he was not bogged down with history. For all the talk of his inexperience, the fresher he looked. The endorsements from the likes of Edward Kennedy, political royalty, kept coming and so did the money.

At every stage we were watching history in the making, the Democrat candidates falling by the wayside as the primaries came thick and fast. The favourite Hillary Clinton was surprised and shocked that the candidate that she would have offered a V.P. position to would just not go away. Win after win left her with the one thing that front runners hate…he built momentum. It became a self fulfilling prophecy. The more he won the more we believed, the more we believed, the closer the dream became. The more he spoke at rallies then the more he reminded us of the person we either wanted to be or he reflected the world we wanted to live in.

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By Giles Speid Copyright 2 December 2008

As Sam Cooke said, ‘A change is gonna come’…change indeed.

Trevor Phillips was recently criticised for saying that the same thing could not happen here in Britain, in that a Black person could not rise to become Prime Minister. There may be some truth in that but who cares when the biggest and baddest man on the planet is an articulate and well educated young Black man who is about to move his family into the White House, that his wife’s family may well have helped to build – in effect coming home. Now we can all see that vision of the dream that has been so long in coming.

President George W Bush also played his part in making it possible with the promotion of several Black key figures in Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, to Secretary of State.

Not just the economic timing of the situation but Hollywood had also put the idea into our psyche that America could serve under a Black Commander-in-Chief. Morgan Freeman in ‘Deep Impact’ and President Palmer in the series ‘24’ were both Presidents that you could fight to the death for. The series ‘West Wing’ with Jimmy Smits playing Congressman Santos, based on Barack Obama, made it possible for the world to believe that there could be a non- white President in our lifetime. I don’t believe I have ever seen a programme when there has been a Black Prime Minister.

As with most things it was about timing. The worsening economic situation and McCain’s lack of grasp of the seriousness of the situation was always going to count against him.

There is no point saying that Obama was going to spread the wealth around, like a dirty word, when that is exactly what people are going to need.

So back to election night, with the all important swing states up for grabs. I sat there watching CNN, BBC, Fox news and I also had my laptop on going between the various political websites. There was one state I wanted to see above all others, long after the election was won. A swing state that hadn’t voted Democrat since 1964...Virginia. The home of the KKK and Slavery. Months before I had logged onto a site where the leader of the KKK was urging their members to vote for Obama. Friends wouldn’t believe me; I also found a site called ‘Rednecks for Obama’, begging other rednecks to vote for Obama.

I am of a Slovakian origin so I am a foreigner in Britain myself. Having witnessed cases of racial or cultural prejudice and misrepresentation in real life as well as in the media, I realised the connection between them.

I found out that because of the misrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the media, race relations in Britain are flawed to a considerable extent; the way ethnic minorities are reported and portrayed in national as well as local papers, is especially biased, and the way negative views on immigration are presented, has a direct link to every-day life where many immigrants report to be discriminated.

merely the differences between us that make our neighbours enemies, or is there anything else worsening the already difficult multicultural relations?

According to an article published by the Daily Telegraph, multiculturalism is breeding intolerance in the contemporary Britain. Philip Johnston, the author of the article, believes that the British nation is at this Continued on Page 9 state unable to ‘embrace multiculturalism’ and the country is ‘in danger of breaking up’. But is it really 6

Although maybe not in an apparent large scale, most foreigners living in this country report being subjected to racism often in its hidden and subtle form. So how can racism spread in the nowadays democratic and just society? In what ways do racist images and prejudices get into minds of people?

Millions of foreigners, living next to each other, occupy Britain. As some rent the country for good and others for a few years, we are finding ourselves in an English world that strives to keep its Britishness. We also live in the world that resembles a mosaic of tiny pieces of cultural acceptability, political correctness and racism.

By Maria Kozarova

WHO FEELS EXCLUDED FROM ‘BRITISHNESS?’

Maybe . . . you should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of, and want to do.

Maybe . . . there are moments in life when you mis s someone — a parent,

Maybe . . . the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can’t go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures and heartaches.

Maybe . . . the happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Maybe . . we were supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.

Maybe . . . when the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, often times, we look so long at the closed door that we don’t even see the new one which has been opened for us.

Maybe . . . it is true that we don’t know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we don’t know what we have been missing until it arrives.

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Maybe . . . you shouldn’t go for looks; they can deceive; don’t go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile., because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one ths your heart smile.

MaybeLADY . LOY . you should hope for Promoting the best of Reggae enough happinessReleases to makeArtists you sweet, and enough trials to make on Jamrock Radio you strong, Every Sunday at 8 - 10pmto(GMT) enough sorrow keepwww.myspace.com/ you human, and enough hope jamrocksundays to make you h www.jamrockradio.com a p p y

Maybe . . . happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.

Maybe . . giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don’t expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but, if it doesn’t, be content that it grew in yours.

Maybe . . you should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.

Maybe . . you should always try to put yourself in others’ shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person, too.

Maybe . . . the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you’ve ever had.

a spouse, a friend, a child — so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around you appreciate them more.

His brilliance, his handsome charm and his tenacious and fervent epithet will continue to paint him as a heroic figure.

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His words: “The climb may be long; it may be steep; we may not get there in one term or one year but I promise you America, that we will get there together,” not only resonated with Martin Luther’s dream of the “promise land,” but they opened a renewed floodgate of inspiration that will continue to pour from the deep celestial recesses that rejoice in his victory.

Barack Obama’s words resounded with such immense poignancy that goose pimples pierced my entire being.

It was not only a historic moment for the black diasporas, but it was the real moment of definition and maturation of Martin Luther King Jnr’s great dream of black and white unification.

A surge of euphoria coursed through my veins on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Though I was not born in 1838, the period of black emancipation, I felt the ripple waves of jubilation and ecstasy that spewed from the hearts of my ancestors.

by Shawn Kay Williams

Barack Obama, An Inspiration

Let’s reach beyond the sky’s hovering astrology with the “righteous wind behind our back” and claim the rich fruits of our blackness, in the same zestful and adamant fashion that Barack Obama and many others before him did.

Let’s channel our freedom into awesome wonders and break the mental shackles that beset us.

I am free. You are free. We are all free.

Freedom indeed echoed through all the states of the United States- Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi and even our fair Jamaica land helplessly sang “Thank God Almighty we are free at last!”

The tears of happiness, streaming down their faces was a cleansing and liberating feel from years of discrimination, years of black struggle, years of segregation and years of brutal white oppression and suppression.

From my television screen, I witnessed blacks, whites. Japanese and Africans basked in a glorious and beautiful fanfare, as the black “badge of honour,” became consolidated.

He has shone with the flamboyant armour of magical colours. He has spoken with depth and passion and he has soared with the majestic wings of an eagle, in combating the battles against him and ascends to the highest order of government.

Similarly, those belonging to the cultural or ethnic minorities only discover prejudice, misunderstanding and a lack of positive media attention. Experiencing such misrepresentation on everyday basis causes separatism. As ethnic minorities continue to feel unwel-

Millions of the British, born and brought up in this country also struggle to find their identity in the country of so many faces, nationalities, languages or feel an instinct to preserve British identity.They are bombarded with sensationalistic and exaggerated media portrayal of immigrants as the cause of all social and economic problems, from housing shortages to terrorism

I believe, and hopefully I am not alone, that if the media bears a responsibility for its public and for society, then it doesn’t do an effective job if all the minorities in this society are continuously misrepresented and put down, because what spreads is even more xenophobia.

The enthusiastic stories about immigrants were mostly very minor, short stories, barely laid out to catch the attention of readers. On the other hand, the negative stories, particularly about the case of the Romanian children trafficked to Britain, or a case of the Muslim extremist who had planned to behead a British Muslim soldier, were on the front pages of national papers.

Considering the content analysis, the media coverage of foreigners who have immigrated to Britain, is unbalanced and unfairly negative, which is contrary to the codes on race reporting. The main topics linked to immigration that hit headlines in January 2008, were often sensationalized.

To prove my theory I conducted an extensive research in the national papers, collecting all the stories covering immigrants and minorities. My findings were that out of 166 articles on immigration that were published in the national newspapers in January 2008, 88% of them were negative.

The Media, as the most common provider of information undoubtedly shapes public opinion by the stories they run and by the approach they choose. Indeed, by the way they cover social affairs and represent them, the media creates their own reality.They decide which topics and issues are on the agenda; which individuals or societal groups are given broadcasting time or publishing space; which aspects and facts are presented; and conversely they decide which are not. The Media therefore has the ability to influence public opinion and those controlling the media are, to a certain extent, capable of swerving public opinion into their desired direction.

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and scenes of tragedy.

specifically at how the participants reacted to a multicutural Britain

The article continues with the experiment s findings, looking

response.

Harry serving in Afghanistan producing a particularly positive

winners were Princes William and Harry, with a scene showing

informal setting; reaction to Charles and Camilla was cool. But the

Queen got a warmer reaction if she was smiling and in a more

Their brain scans, however, revealed more mixed findings. The

mixed findings.

responses were correlated to their brain scans, it revealed more

saying how much they disliked it. But when their emotional

the group spoke positively about Britain s monarchy, with some

ring music and regal scenes of the Queen and her family none of

rooted in the brain. For example, after being shown a clip with stir-

emotional responses and their thoughts that were more deeply

The experiment showed some interesting results about people s

down.

graph which showed their emotional responses by spiking up and

As the participants watched the footage, a researcher monitored a

umphs to terrorist attacks.

from multicultural street scenes to far-right protesters; sporting tri-

news footage of everything from the royal family to cups of tea;

Britain, which mixed traditional patriotic images and music with

braincaps, they were shown a selection of images of England or

W ith the volunteers happily strapped into their multi-coloured

and reveal what they really think.

ment which aims to go beyond what people say they like or dislike,

A specialist market research company has carried out an experi-

DID Y O U K N O W...

The Editor would like to put a question to you. How many of you feel British and how many of you feel excluded from Britishness? How many of you feel Britishness depends on who you are and what you do, e.g. Louis Hamilton? Please write your thoughts and opinions to blackbrightnews@aol.com

This article was written by Maria Kozarova.

Are we the society creating the media or is the media creating our society?

I appreciate that the media is not the single determinant of adverse race relations and racism, however, the previously mentioned figures are alarming.

come and unappreciated, they tend to stick to their communities, barely mixing with the British neighbours. As a result, they continue speaking in their mother tongues and do not adapt to the British culture, mentality and values, which obviously strengthens media prejudice against them.

The album boasts 15 tracks including two collaborations with Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel. The album represents various genres of Reggae music and also captures the essence, journey and versatility of the artiste. “MY WORLD” was released in Japan by Pony Canyon Int., on September 20th, 2006 and is doing very well.

Kris Kelli has visited Japan several times doing promotional tours in the cities of Tokyo and Osaka as well as Interviews relating to her Album and photo shoots for several Magazines including a line of Winter Wear for Woofin and Woofin Girl Magazines.

The year 2007 started off very hectic for Kris Kelli with two videos being shot in the first quarter for “STEP UP” which is the lead single on her album and “We’re Missing You” (The Tribute) that was recorded after the album was released.

She again travelled to Japan in April 2007, for two

A decision was made in early 2005 that the time had come for Kris Kelli to focus on her debut album. She spent the next 18 months writing, recording and working with a number of top producers in Jamaica to come up with her debut album titled “My World”.

Kris Kelli, (whose liberated single ‘Noh Kotch Around’ which tells us not to be lazy and aim to achieve our goals), officially entered the music industry in January 2003. Kris, according to her publicist, “went through a very hectic two years of learning the business, writing and recording, performing at a number of major stage shows and charity events locally, going on an eleven-City tour in the United States as well as performances in Canada and filming some music videos”.

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In the next issue - What is Beauty?

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In 2005 she also had 3 chart toppers in Austria on their reggae chart. Her Debut Album “MY WORLD” was released by Pony Canyon Int. Japan the 20th September 2006.

Two songs, Uptown Top Rankin and Flip Up that were released in the first quarter of 2003 made it to the Number 1 spot on the Italian Reggae singles chart for the months of March and April respectively.

Discography

weeks where she performed at the Reggae Fiesta Concert which is held annually in Okinawa as well as doing more promotions for her debut Album and signing a 12 months endorsement deal with GLAD NEWS clothing line.

She launched her fully FLASH and Interactive Website www.kriskelli.com, on November 01, 2007 and did her third and last video for the year for her new single “Sweet Intro” which was released in December 2007.

Her video “We’re missing you” was on the MTV’s Tempo Cross Caribbean Countdown Top 10 Video chart for 13 weeks and peaked at the # 2 position for 5 weeks, it has also been nominated

by The Reggae Academy Awards with 3 other videos for the Best Video for 2007 in the Reggae category.

2008 has started out as planned with a lot of studio work and the release of five new singles (Can’t Take This No More, Breaking Point, Back To Black, Bring Your ‘A’ Game and Stronger). Kris Kelli continues to work on the tracks for a possible Sophomore album for release in the latter part of this year.

In January 2008 negotiations were completed with Publishing House “WESTBURY MUSIC” in London and Kris Kelli is now signed to their rooster of Artiste.

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength.

Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on. One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate. One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs

Dear Brother Obama,

A Letter from Alice Walker

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© 2008, Alice Walker

In Peace and Joy, Alice Walker

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people’s enemies.

Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely. However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, “hate the sin, but love the sinner.” There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people’s spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to “work with the enemy” internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies. And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

for Obama

The colourline has been broken This is absolute liberation We are breaking free Those who voted for Obama, supported Obama And those who had given their lives In the decades and decades of fighting against oppression The years and years of fighting for freedom

The colourline has been broken It has been broken!

And all communities played a part In electing Obama Blacks, Whites, all communities played a part To get a Black man into the White house People of all colours and none played a part So united we stand

Many may still not see the need for the Change that’s Gonna Come And that the Change, that has been coming Ever since the idea of Black Liberation is Our Liberation Whoever we are, whatever colour we are Ever since slavery’s abolition We are moving into liberation

Did you know of what significance You all are, inside and outside of America This is a step for the whole world Even though some are still not aware of it Some still think they can get away with being racist

Rosa Parks, did you imagine that?

Martin Luther King, did you dream of that?

The colour line has been broken Broken at last! Broken at last!

Yes you did dream of that So arise, your spirit is already here

Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, Bob Marley Wake up and arise from your graves: There’s a Black man in the White house And Kenyans, a part of you is right up there Africans, a part of you is right up there And all those, from all communities Who voted for you, supported you

Poem

12

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© Ursula troche, 11.08

Let’s think how we can keep up the liberation How can we dismantle racism?

And how can we get everybody to join in?

Continue to break the colourline Until it’s gone How can we all be One With all inequalities overcome?

Yes we have to think how to keep it up Because remember Mandela in South Africa Who tried his best for South Africa but it is not as free As it is supposed to be There’s still a lot of White Supremacy The old regime is not yet dismantled

but remember, we don’t just want moments of freedom we want the whole lot we want what we need, and what so many of us deserve so we have to keep it up, keep up those moments keep up the momentum!

The colour line has been broken!

It feels like South Africa in 1994 The first multiracial elections And then I heard it by the BBC I saw it on TV They said it was the ‘Mandela Moment’ Yes it is!

And the Nkrumah moment too When Ghana achieved independence The Toussaint ‘Ouverture moment when Haiti achieved independence so many moments to remember

And here we are, moving From slavery to civil rights to Obama!

Most special and noteworthy is the fact that the wife he has beside him is black and this also is a testament in itself as to what a woman of substance can also achieve with determination and true character for acknowledgement is due also for her role in the journey of that family.

We all have to say a little prayer to keep the Obama Family safe for the arduous task ahead is ‘just beginning’ with his inauguration in January and taking the helm of one of the most powerful countries on the planet, left in a state of worse disarray.

I give thanks to have witnessed this moment, and I know my Father who was a Garveyite, must be pleased also if he’s looking on from the realms of spirit. This is a momentus event in the struggle of our people, most particularly for the African Americans stemming from the era of the civil rights movements and the Right Honourable Martin Luther King, for there are some of those voters who could remember the days of Segregation and beatings.

Just a few lines to mark this moment in time where we see now a new Dawn in the election of the Right Honourable Obama as an American president of African descent with his beautiful wife and children of African descent as the USA ‘First Lady / Family’.

Greetings Beloved Friends,

by Coz Tafari

Statement on Barack Obama

13

A Dream?

Myrna Loy © 11/08

Have now witnessed how it all began.

Old and young

Everyone...

Obama is more than a man, He has changed the world With the words “we can”

“I can”, I whispered “We can” rang through Everything I planned to do..

I went to work A buzz in my stride Eyes alert Mouth smiling wide

Could it be true?

Could Obama win?

Or was it all Just a dream?

I called my daughters And then tried my mum all at around 5:00 a.m.

When I heard that you had won I clutched my head Tears began to run..

One Love, Coz Tafari.

May Jah continue to be with us all in this new Liberation chapter for as the saying goes ‘Aluta Continua’ (the struggle continues), until all of us are truly free in mind body and spirit.

I had the experience when Director of Education in Hackney in the 1990s of my son losing his zest for learning and becoming utterly miserable at the very thought of yet another day at his local primary school. When I went to see the teacher whose teaching was for him a total turn off, she said she saw him becoming disinterested and talking with his friends more and more, but she ‘just left him’. I took up the matter with the headteacher and was promptly accused of abusing my power as director of education and harassing the teacher. My son soon moved to another Hackney primary school where he rediscovered his love of school and of

Forty years ago, the very first parliamentary select committee report on race relations and immigration charged that West Indian parents had too high aspirations for their children and a tendency to equate length of time spent in school with the quality of schooling outcomes they could expect for their children. Little has changed since. Indeed, now that three generations of Caribbean heritage people have been through the British schooling system, teachers’ professional socialisation with regard to teaching Black Caribbean children has been largely influenced by expectations about challenging behaviour, unfocused learning, low aspirations and underachievement. Hardly surprising, therefore, that less than fifty per cent of newly qualified teachers feel they have the competence and cultural awareness to deal with black students, especially in urban settings. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Steve Strand’s report (Guardian 5 September 2008) is a timely reminder to government and schools of what Black Caribbean parents and many black teachers have been protesting about for years. His research based evidence has been preceded by the findings of black supplementary schools and the experience of frustrated parents up and down the land for decades, ie., that teachers’ low expectations and stereotypical beliefs regarding the ability of African Caribbean children and the quality of their teaching that flows from those are leading to educational underachievement, low student aspirations and a disaffection from learning that encourages poor behaviour and discipline and low self worth.

The More Things Change…..

14

(For Ros Taylor, Deputy Comment Editor, The Guardian)

5 September 2008

Associate Professor London Centre for Leadership in Learning Institute of Education University of London

Gus John

I recently produced ‘Born to be Great’, a Charter on Raising the Attainment of Black Caribbean Boys, with the National Union of Teachers, based on a series of Round Table discussions with Black Caribbean students, parents and teachers. The Charter is a bold affirmation that if we are to halt the destruction of hope and the death of aspiration, the descent into hopelessness that Steve Strand’s research heralds for far too many of our young people, all stakeholders must own up to their responsibility and work individually and collectively to make a difference. That is why the Charter articulates the entitlements and the responsibilities of students themselves, of their parents/carers and of schools and teachers. That is why it deserves to be adopted by DCSF for use by schools and by Black Caribbean students and parents.

I suspect there are undisclosed issues to do with ‘race’ and ability and how Black Caribbean children learn which account for the decisions that many teachers make, however much they might justify those decisions on grounds of pupil behaviour or lack of application.

The Communities Empowerment Network (CEN) of which I was chair for some years, represents black students and parents each week in disputes with schools about discriminatory practices around setting, banding and streaming. Black Caribbean students’ experience of those arrangements often leads them to challenge teachers, stop applying themselves, indulge in disruptive behaviours or, where they can, drop a subject altogether.

learning. Many of his friends eventually transferred to secondary school ill prepared both in terms of their attitude to learning and their self management skills, neither of which had anything to do with their academic ability.

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