In Black America; President Barack Obama

From the University of Texas at Austin, KUT Radio, this is In Black America. On Tuesday, American stood in line that stretched around schools and churches, and numbers this nation has never seen. It didn't matter who they were or where they came from, what they looked like or what party they belong to. They came out and cast their ballot because they believed that in this country our destiny is not written for us but by us. We should all take pride in the fact that we once again displayed for the world the power of our democracy and reaffirmed that the great American ideal that this is a nation or anything is possible. Barack Obama the president elect of the United States of America. When Americans woke up on Wednesday morning of November 5th, 2008, a new political landscape was at hand, one that a few

thought they would never see in their lifetime. A historic picture that shattered racial barriers that once seemed unbreakable. Obama at age 47 will be the first African American president and one of the youngest. Surveys of voters after they cast their vote reveal why support for him among women, minorities, and young voters. His victory reshaped a electoral map that had defined American politics for generation. It's the first Democrat since 1976 to win a popular vote majority. In 2005, Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Illinois to resign from that position on November 16th, 2008. On January 20th, 2009, he will take the oath of office become the 44th president of the United States of America. I'm John L. Hanson Jr. and welcome to another edition of Black America. On this week's program, highlights of President elect Barack Obama's campaign and the nation responds to his election as president

in Black America. Oh, I was moved to tears. Number one, my father had told me that as a girl, I was about 16 when he told me and he said because one day a Negro will sit in the White House and of course I'm not ashamed to say I'm 78 years old now and my father's gone. He's an heaven. But it's something about time and being consistent with just doing the right thing and right eventually wins in manifestation. Now right is the winner of the time but you don't always see it, not physically. But if you have the patience and you cannot turn and become a part of the circumstances, you will get to your time. And when your time comes, nobody can keep you from your time. Legendary Blue Singer, author and minister, Dr. Mabel John. When president elect Obama accepted a democratic nomination for president of the United States in Denver,

he became the first African-American major party nominee in American history. The next day when he delivered his speech before 90,000 delegates and supporters at Invesco Field, some say it was one of the greatest political speeches of all times. Now only was it delivered on the anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till. But also on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I have a dream speech during the historic march on Washington. Born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961, Obama often talks about his multicultural background. His father Barack Obama Sr. was born and raised in a small village in Kenya. His mother Ann Durham grew up in a small town in Kansas. In 1983, he graduated from Columbia University. In 1985, remembering what his mother had taught him, he put law school and corporate life on hold after college and moved to Chicago, where he became a community organizer, seeking to improve living conditions and poor neighborhoods, trouble with crime and high unemployment. In 1991, Obama earned his law degree from Harvard

University and became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. After graduation, he returned to Chicago to practice law as a civil rights attorney and to teach constitutional law. When he was elected president on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008, sweeping away the last racial barriers in American politics with ease as the nation chose him as first African American commander in chief. But with that victory, it comes a great deal of hope and promise. Dr. J. Cummings is dean of education at Texas Southern University. He says Obama can't do it alone. Well, you're right. We're in Third Ward, Texas, in the middle of Houston and we're related about the outcome. We have made sure that we learned from things that must be done for one to overcome such great obstacles associated with things over which one has no control of race, economic situations, where you're from or your parents are. What this showed us, I think, is that

while we got a lot of work to do with people who still harbor resentments about people based on accidents or conditions of birth that they have no control over. The others who have started to cross over a little bit. So last night was historic and I'll tell you the truth. It was a very emotional time for me. About 25 years ago, good friend of mine had taken the wrong road in life and he started dealing on the street. He was in the drugs. He was just letting himself go. Didn't take care of himself. Nice brother, man. Good guy. When he passed away, I had to write a little piece and in that piece, I wrote, we used to call him Duck and that was Donald Wands. I said, Duck, Duck been die from the drugs. He didn't die from not taking care of himself. He didn't die from not having enough to eat, not having friends. He died because he found out that he really couldn't

be president and I thought about that last night. And then I thought about my parents and the people that knew someday that if they kept struggling, something would happen. They just didn't know that this would happen and how I wish that they could have seen this. But they are saying that they send it through me. They send it through you. The next step is important. What are we going to do with this opportunity? And I was going to heal some of these divisions such that President-Elect Obama can be successful for us and us for him. So it's a momentous occasion. I'm full of possibilities and hope and just awaiting the rollout. The celebration now is the time for celebration and given the economic situations that we have, given all the challenges associated with the war, with the hate groups, with all the stuff that the work for the President-Elect actually began today.

And so I hope that the people who were supporting him understand that you hired through your vote, a president. You didn't hire anybody that could walk on water. And so if you want to help him get across the water, then you've got to help build the kind of platforms, the kind of vehicles, the kind of ships, the kind of boats that can help him get across the water. Any final comments, Dr. Cummins? I just, you know, does a sense of hope today. I feel it in talking to the students as we go around. We have a saying, the dean and I were just over in sterling center. And yes, we can. It's been changed. Yes, we did. And I want them to understand that after they come three dots, that means you got a lot more work to do. And you will have to be a part of finishing the story. Dr. J coming, dean of education, Texas Southern University.

I also spoke with my daughter, Casey, a 32 year old health professional living in Atlanta. I have to say I was excited, a little concerned, just not knowing how the public would perceive him, but definitely excited. I feel like he was a great candidate. Didn't have a lot of controversy in his life and just wanted to see what I could do to support him. What do you think about the primaries with him and Senator Hillary Clinton? It got ugly, but I think he handled himself very well. I think he dealt with the attacks and really stood by why he thought he was the best candidate. And I think that he never disrespected her anyway. They did a really good job of helping us to see that they did have some separate issues, but we had to make a decision as to who we wanted to be the Democratic nominee. Having some connection with Chicago, what did you think about the controversy with him and Reverend Jeremiah Wright? I actually have been to Trinity before and my grandmother lives right down the street from the church and knew that there was definitely, there's a possibility

that there might be some things that would damage his character. But I think who he is as a person how he presented himself throughout the campaign period, it showed that he wasn't about that small thinking, if you will, that he didn't really, he didn't have a lot of prejudices. I don't think you can when you come from a mixed family. You accept people for who they are and people, you know, are people, but I do think that Jeremiah Wright did have some bearing in his life. He helped him find God, get a relationship with Christ and that was really his job, but politically, I don't think that he really had any effect on it, but it was upsetting to see. I will say that, that it was upsetting to know that a church would have such a negative influence in politics, but then also be leading people spiritually and that he was even affiliated with that. Have you lived in Durham Chapel Hill, North Carolina and now in Atlanta? What was the feelings among your peers? Durham and North, just North Carolina in general was a totally

different feeling. I think the people in North Carolina, they are, it's a different kind of state, you know, they vote democratic, vote, you know locally, but they typically vote Republican for big government. They are a Republican state, they are a red state, but I really did have a feeling that they were going to support Senator Obama. People there tended to talk about the issues, you know, talk about the differences between the two candidates. There was some debate between, you know, Hillary supporters and Barack supporters, but for the most part, I did feel like that we were going to win the state. Georgia, on the other hand, it's still the South, you know, there's a lot, unfortunately, there's a lot of prejudice. There's a lot of wealthy people that live there who really felt like that the economy would be better if it were under, you know, Republican rule, if you will. So not much discussion there, you know, nice little side comments and jokes here and there, but nothing like living in North Carolina where people were at least open to dialoging about what

some of the differences were. It didn't surprise me at all that that McCain won Georgia, that there was definitely a contest in North Carolina, but I'm glad to see that the outcome turned out the way that it did. You brought up issues. What were some of the issues that you were particularly interested in with either presidential candidate? My primary interest actually was Supreme Court ruling. The fact that the decision to put a point justices to the Supreme Court, I am a pro-life pro-choicer if you will. I definitely feel like women should have the opportunity to choose. I know that I would choose to either have a child or give it up for adoption, but I don't think that's a decision that people can make for other people. I think that we all have choices in life and the Supreme Court's justice is they play a very vital role in our governing and I definitely wanted someone who represented my thinking, my ideals with regards to that. The second thing that I would say is of importance to me really is health care and that's just because I'm a public health

professional, my job depends on people really supporting the idea that we don't know it all about science, that we still have a lot to discover and do and if we don't put dollars there, which definitely affects my job, but if we don't put dollars there, then we're not going to find the answers. It doesn't mean that we're trying to develop children and test tunes, but it does mean discovering cures and treatments for diseases that really are plaguing our nation and then of course on top of it, I'm in student right now. I don't have health insurance. This is something that I do feel like all Americans should have access to and not saying that we need to mimic the Canadians, but those are those that's definitely an issue that's important to me. So number one is the Supreme Court justices and number two would be the health care issues. On November 3rd, you went to bed and then you woke up November 4th and went to the ballot to vote. Your feelings the night before then waking up on the 5th and finding out Senator Barack Obama's president.

November 3rd, I was definitely excited. I did wait to vote on Tuesday. I have no living grandparents right now and felt like the going to the polls on election day was really important. It's something that I wanted to do for them and to stand the lines and to wait and cast my ballot rather. Waking up on the 5th though was a little challenging. I definitely turned on the radio. I remember going to sleep in 2004 and seeing a different outcome than what I went to bed to and was was concerned that something could have happened in the middle of the night and that the verdict wasn't the same but was very relieved, very excited and just really excited to be a part of this history making moment. Excited to know that America has made many, many strides and to know too that I didn't think that I would see this moment. Even in my lifetime knowing the civil rights movement was you know just some 50 plus years ago that these things have happened you know in your lifetime and my parents lifetime but I wasn't expecting something like this to happen before I left

here and to know that America is ready for change, ready for something different, ready to govern this country in a different way. It's just very exciting to know that he'd be leading the free world. Being sworn in on January 20th at the 44th president of the United States, what challenges do you see before a senator and president of Lekobama? He's got a lot to do in a very short time period and he's not going to be able to do it all but I think that his main issue I think is really being able to talk across the table, to really get alliances and make a lot of things happen as much happen as he possibly can and that's not going to be easy if he doesn't do that initially and I think that's something that he's been talking about and I know this war he's wanting to end and it's just interesting to see all the stuff that's going on even now with Bush making decisions about the economy and making decisions about the war

in Iraq and he's got a lot to clean up and it's not going to be something that's going to happen overnight but he cannot do it alone so I'm hoping that he's you know creating some alliances, I'm hoping that that senator Clinton I know that she's got an appointment that's supposed to be coming up but she's got alliances in different places that senator McCain that they really are going to support the change that president of Lekobama is planning to bring about. Any final comment? I'm just excited I really am grateful to have seen this moment. I feel like it's an MLK moment to be honest I know where I was I know what I was doing and it's just really exciting to know that we will have somebody you know it'll only be 12% of the population it's nice to know that we've got an African American who's going to represent us to say that that you know our hip-hop culture that's not all who we are our food it's not all who we are that we do care about what goes on outside of this country and that we can can can lead and be the the chief

if you will but in a positive light thank you thank you dad Casey A. Hanson help professional living in Atlanta in 1996 Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate and then to the United States Senate in 2004 he has the third African American says reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate also in 2004 Obama achieved national fame when he was chosen to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July and became the third African American to do so the following is an excerpt of that speech I thought of the families I've met who were struggling to get by without a loved ones full income or whose loved ones had returned with a limb missing or nerve shattered but still lack long-term health benefits because they were reserved. When we send our young men and women into harm's way we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they are going to care for their families while

they're gone to 10 to the soldiers upon their return and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war to cure the peace and earn the respect of the world now let me be clear let me be clear we have real enemies in the world these enemies must be found they must be pursued and they must be defeated John Kerry knows this and just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam president Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure John Kerry believes in America and he knows that it's not enough for just some of us to prosper for alongside our famous individualism there's another ingredient in the American saga a belief that

we're all connected as one people if there is a child on the South Side of Chicago who can't read that matters to me even if it's not my child if there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription drugs and having to choose between medicine and the rent that makes my life poor even if it's not my grandparent if there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process that runs my civil liberties it is that fundamental belief it is that fundamental belief I am my brother's keeper I am my sister's keeper that makes this country work it's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family e pluribus unum out of many one now even as we speak there are those who are preparing to device the spin masters the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes

I say to them tonight there is not a liberal America and a conservative America there is the United States of America there is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America there's the United States of America the pundits the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue states red states for Republicans blue states for Democrats but I've got news for them too we worship an awesome God in the blue states and we don't like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the red states we coach little league in the blue states and yes we've got some gay friends in the red states there are patriots who oppose the war in Iraq and their patriots who supported the war in Iraq we are one people all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes all of us defending the United States of America

in the end in the end in the end that's what this election is about do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope John Kerry calls on us to hope John Edwards calls on us to hope I'm not talking about blind optimism here they're almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't think about it or health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it that's not what I'm talking about I'm talking about something more substantial it's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs the hope of immigrants setting out for different distant shores the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the makang delta the hope of a mill workers

son who dares to defy the odds the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him to on February 10th 2007 President elect Obama entered the race for president of the United States the competition for the Democratic nominee was narrowed down fairly quickly to be a race between Senator Obama the first serious African-American candidate and Senator Hillary Clinton the first serious woman candidate for U.S. President in the end he defeated Senator Clinton and was formally nominated at the Democratic Convention in August 2008 the next day he delivered a speech before 90,000 delegates and supporters at Invesco Field some as said it was one of the greatest political speeches of all times now only was it delivered on the anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till who also on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King juniors I have a dream speech the following is an excerpt of Obama's speech four years ago

I stood before you and told you my story of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well or well known but shared a belief that in America their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to it is that promise that's always set this country apart that through hard work and sacrifice each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well that's why I stand here tonight because for 232 years at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy ordinary men and women students and soldiers farmers and teachers nurses and janitors found the courage to keep it alive we meet at one of those defining moments

a moment when our nation is at war our economy is in turmoil and the American promise has been threatened once more this country of ours has more wealth than any nation but that's not what makes us rich we have the most powerful military on earth but that's not what makes us strong our universities and our culture are the envy of the world but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores instead it is that American spirit that American promise that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain that binds us together in spite of our differences that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen but what is unseen that better place around the bend that promise is our greatest inheritance it's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night and a promise that you make to yours a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers

to travel west a promise that led workers to picket lines and women to reach for the bell and it is that promise that 45 years ago today brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a mall in Washington before Lincoln's memorial and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream the men and women who gathered there could have heard many things they could have heard words of anger and discord they could have been told to succumb to the fear and frustrations of so many dreams deferred but what the people heard instead people of every creed and color from every walk of life is that in America our destiny is inextricably linked that

together our dreams can be one we cannot walk alone the preacher cry and as we walk we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead we cannot turn back America we cannot turn back not with so much work to be done not with so many children to educate and so many veterans to care for not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save not with so many families to protect and so many lives to men America we cannot turn back we cannot walk alone at this moment in this election we must pledge once more to march into the future let us keep that promise that American promise and in the words of scripture whole firmly without waver to the hope that we can

confess thank you God bless you and God bless the United States of America President leg Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States of America if you have questions comments or suggestions asked your future in black America programs write us also let us know what radio station you heard us over the views and opinions expressed on this program are not necessarily those of this station or of the University of Texas at Austin you can hear previous programs online at kut.org until you have the opportunity again for Technic Overducer David Alvarez I'm John L. Hanson Jr. thank you for joining us today please join us again next week CD copies of this program are available and may be purchased by writing in black America CDs kut radio one university station austin texas 78712 that's in black America CDs kut radio one

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