President Obama and Organizing

edited and supplemented 12/3/08

We asked organizers what how they thought the election of Barack Obama, the country's first African American president, would affect organizing and social justice in the U.S. If you have opinions, please send them in.

The most important thing is that people were organized and galvanized. The reason why he won was on a change platform. He won for taking progressive stances, for supposedly being against the war. That's important because someone had won on a different platform, that would have been very demoralizing. He said so himself that he's the President has to represent the whole U.S., including the 47% that were McCain supporters. He's telling everybody what his limits are, and if there's going to be meaningful change, it has to come from people pushing him and organizing. That he invites people to push him is different from a lot of politicans. Looking at the people that he's brought into his cabinent, he's not really that progressive. It's all Clinton people. It's disappointing. He went right-er than he need to.
- Amee in Boston, community

In Berkeley, there's been a lot of talk that the election can't save America because, if you look at all the propositions that were passed in states, gay marriage is continuing to be banned, affirmative is continuing to be done away with. There's still something profoundly different about having a Black man as the leader of country at least symbolically, no matter what he's able to accomplish. There's been a profound shift in the way that people are thinking about their inclusion as Americans. We had people running out into the streets after the elections after the decision was announced, and suddenly, there were all these Berkeley college students shouting "USA" and waving flags. Never before had we had something like that happen in Berkeley, like taking back patriotism maybe as a tool for social activism and progressive politics.
- Molly in Berkeley, student organizer

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It creates an opening that we haven't had for a long time. There were a lot of people in motion that had not been in motion before. He has introduced ideas like, "You should talk to countries instead of bombing them." It?s pulling the country back into the middle instead of the far right. It gives people a chance to move in that situation. People really need to because the conditions are so bad. He?s coming into office with people being very hopeful, wanting change. The situation is very difficult both in terms of the economy and war.
- May from Boston, long time community organizer>

It's an opening, but in some ways it was the cool thing to be on board. At first, people were actively engaged. Then it became this groundswell. People were tagging on without really understanding what Obama stands for because he's not the most progressive in terms of policy, there won't be a huge amount of change. I was listening to NPR. They were talking about the financial crisis and Obama picking his Treasury Secretary. Some of the people on the list included people like Lawrence Summers.
- Sophia from Boston, who works with youth

People have a new sense of optimism. The general population, they feel like they can make a difference, especially for young people. For a lot of people, it was their first campaign. It was a real energizing experience. They really came out and were really inspired and were really active in this campaign. For a whole new generation becoming active, it was a step forward. I feel that the mood is different now. People had felt so beaten down the last eight years. The whole thing has turned around. I don't think people expect him to accomplish everything, but if he can make some positive changes and if somehow the people who have become active remain active in some way, that would be really good.
- June, a member of Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress and volunteer for the Obama campaign

When I was in Hong Kong for the WTO protests, members from Brazil's Confederation of Workers told me about Lula, "We sat in at his ministries' offices last week, but this week we're here with representatives of his government." I think we have to do same thing with the Obama administration.
- Mark from Los Angeles, community activist and labor organizer