John Payton

John Payton, President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Now is the time.

The progress — both symbolic and real – of the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States is stunning to contemplate. We can hear our foremothers and forefathers singing. We have watched millions of Americans weigh the needs of the nation’s present and future and cast their ballot for the person they considered the best able to lead America through perilous times. We have fresh confirmation that the promise of America can be expanded to shelter and inspire millions more citizens. We can savor anew words Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke forty-five years ago at the March on Washington: with this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.

But while contemplating the historic dimensions and the poignancy of the Obama victory, we must multi-task. Now that a dream has become a reality, the hard work begins. Advances in brotherhood take time and effort, as King fully realized, and today the differences among Americans could quickly curdle in to fierce alienation. For we face an economic crisis unlike any America has experienced for two generations. And we face in particular sectors of the society a social crisis which, if unchecked, could undermine our future.

Will the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency change the trajectory of the catastrophic rate of failure of America’s predominantly black and Hispanic public schools? Not without concerted action on our part. Where is the plan to aid the millions of ordinary Americans ensnared in foreclosures or undermined by being laid off from their jobs? Does Obama’s election change how we should view anti-black racism and other forms of bigotry in the United States?

This inaugural issue of the TheDefendersOnline.com, the blog of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, marks the beginning of our own sustained consideration of these and many other questions and answers about the issues America has faced and now faces. We pledge not to shrink from the honest pursuit of both. We pledge to embrace the pursuit of progress in all its complexity. Finally, we pledge, as we let our a part of our minds wander among the stars, to continue to pragmatically assess what needs to be done here on earth – and vice versa.

Ted Shaw

Theodore M. Shaw, immediate past President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, is a Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Law School.

Expectations, Scrutiny and a Giant Step Toward the Dream

For many African Americans, an Obama presidency will raise expectations that will be difficult to meet. President Elect-Obama has inherited as daunting a set of challenges as any president since Abraham Lincoln. He will be constantly scrutinized to ensure that his agenda is not tilted toward Black Americans.

But Obama did not run for a leadership position among Black Americans, and he is too astute to pursue a “Black agenda.” I expect an Obama administration to pursue inclusive policies that benefit all Americans.

While significant, the mere fact of the Obama presidency will not close the Black-White gap in education achievement, employment, income, wealth, education or health, or have a per se ameliorative effect on any of the systemic problems stemming from slavery.

Nor will the fact of Obama’s presidency dispel internal demons that cause dysfunction within Black communities. In other words, the struggle for racial, economic and social justice will not end with this, our first Black president, any more than the effort to perfect the American dream ended with the election of any other president.

Still, it would be a terrible mistake to underestimate the importance of this moment. For the very first time, a Black child’s dream of ascending to the highest office in the land will be more than wishful fantasy. All Americans will see an African American in the highest leadership role in a way that negates the myth of inferiority. Glass ceilings will shatter and we will have taken a giant step toward realizing Dr. King’s dream that we will someday live in a country where we are judged not by the color of or skin, but by the content of our character.

Paula Giddings

Paula J. Giddings, the Elizabeth A. Woodson 1922 Professor of Afro-American Studies at Smith College, where she also serves as editor of the scholarly journal, Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism., is the bestselling author of four books on the social and political history of African-American women.

Re-imagining America

The question I have been asking myself as Barack Obama has cleared hurdle after hurdle is this: Does his success mean that I have to re-imagine America?

As an African American woman whose political consciousness was forged during the Civil Rights/Black Power movements and then subsequently chastened by the conservative counterrevolution, I have wondered if race could ever lose its power to stoke White anger or blunt, if not our optimism, our sense of well-being. And since the 1970s, I have wondered if we could untrouble the public persona of a Black woman – and a Black couple–enough to keep moving forward.

As a student of history, I know that African Americans have always had to grapple with a past that can yield great gains and great distress at the same time. I recently wrote about the anti-lynching campaign of Ida B. Wells in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries: a time when racial violence, discrimination, poverty and political, social, and economic achievements of both black men and women reached new and unprecedented heights at the same time. What Wells understood more than many of her progressive contemporaries, White and Black, was that activist strategies had to recognize both realities.

What W.E.B. Du Bois understood in this period was another aspect of duality: the double-consciousness within African Americans–a tendency to see ourselves (and each other) through the eyes of mainstream white society as well as our own. Barack and Michelle Obama might just be the first public figures of such significance who pass this peculiarly enduring litmus test. They look good through both angles of vision.

In the short-run, the Obama family seem to have beaten out the politics of racial resentment—a divisive strategy that has been successful for generations and one that has always clouded my optimism and sense of well-being. I may not yet be able to re-imagine this country, but I am considering doing so for the first time in my adult life.

Elaine R. Jones

Elaine R. Jones was the first woman to serve as President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund until she stepped down in 2004, and the first African-American woman to graduate from the University of Virginia Law School.

Redefining ‘We the People’

Imagine one of the world’s leading democracies – coming into existence more than two centuries ago, with the founding mantra of “We the People”.

Yet when “We the People” was defined it meant only “the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years (indentured servants), and excluding Indians not taxed and three-fifths of all other persons (slaves)”.

Since its inception, this democracy has actively used its laws to restrict access to the ballot.

It has either limited, denied, put unfair conditions upon, or, in other ways, thwarted the right to vote.

That Democracy is us – we, the people of the United States of America.

As a matter of law and practice, men who were not property owners were excluded; women were excluded en masse until the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920; and most Native Americans were excluded.

The vast majority of African Americans and Latinos were excluded by practice and affirmative barriers until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended in 1975. (Black men were included by a largely ignored Constitutional amendment in 1868.).

For over 200 years people have marched, petitioned, been beaten, jailed and murdered, pleaded, litigated, cajoled and demanded the unfettered right to the ballot. LDF has, and continues to be, in the vanguard of this movement. Today, progress has been made, yet severe problems still remain.

For too many election cycles, a malaise has set in. The beneficiaries of those who have been bequeathed the precious legacy of the ballot have too often been indifferent, contemptuous, too busy, uninterested or otherwise dismissive of the privilege.

Enter the election of 2008.

There is excitement in the land. This election has struck a responsive chord in the citizenry. Middle-aged and elderly folk who have never voted or who have voted only rarely plan to exercise the franchise in this election.

Young people who only attained the right to vote at the age of 18 in 1971 as the result of another struggle – over the Viet Nam War – have registered in record numbers.
The African-American and Latino vote was expected to be off the charts. In fact, I predict the election of 2008 will proportionately reflect the highest turnout ever. Why?

Simply put, because we have diversified our candidates.

As a result, we now know that others can serve. Ability is the exclusive province of no particular race or gender.

This diversity has electrified the nation.

It gives me great hope that our democracy can live up to the ideals of its enormous promise. And that “We the People” will finally include us all.

Janet Murguia

Janet Murguia is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of La Raza, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.

The Power and Possibility of the Latino Vote

The 2008 campaign was an historic election in so many ways and it was a watershed election for the Latino community. Latinos voted in record numbers and helped make the difference in a number of key states, not only at the presidential level but also in down ticket races. Latinos were also among millions of new voters who energized and transformed this election, including young people, new Americans, and other people of color. The record turnout in the primaries and in early voting were no fluke – there is a new generation of American voters in this country and our nation will be the better for it.

Many in the coming months will be dissecting the meaning of this election and the Latino community’s strong support of Barack Obama and other Democratic candidates. I believe that Obama’s solid showing demonstrates a couple of things. First, it puts to rest the assertion made by some observers that Latinos would somehow have trouble supporting an African-American candidate for president.

While there have been clear tensions between the Latino and African American communities, there is more that unites us than divides us. Both groups have relied on hope for a better tomorrow for future generations, hope for the elimination of hate, and hope for a stronger nation for all Americans.

On November 4, this hope translated to votes. Second, it confirms that there are consequences to years of punitive and intolerant rhetoric and policies – particularly toward immigrants – from some Republican members in Congress and elsewhere as well as a repudiation of a campaign that too often resorted to sowing division and intolerance.

Finally, it shows that what concerns Latinos is the same as what concerns all Americans. Latinos too are worried about their economic future, their children’s educational future, their ability to get health care when they need it, and whether they can hang on to their home.

We have common concerns, a common agenda, and we – Democrats and Republicans alike – must come together to work on solutions to the current economic crisis and to restore a chance at the American Dream to everyone. Coming together to confront our differences is the only way to bridge divides.

Marian Wright Edelman

Marian Wright Edelman is Founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund, America’s premier child advocacy organization. She was the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar, directed the NAACP Legal Defense Fund office in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s and is a Director Emeritus of LDF.

America’s Family Album: Saving the Sixth Child

If Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was alive today, he would be enormously proud about the strides our nation has made over the past 40 years, especially the country’s election of its first Black president. And it is with great pride that I, along with Americans of all races, religions and ethnic backgrounds, across our vast nation congratulate President-Elect Obama on his historic election. But I believe that if America had a family album, most of the children pictured there—five out of six—would be happy, healthy, well-fed youngsters attending good schools. But then we would also see the sixth child. She is the girl who may only get one or two meals a day or the boy at high risk of facing abuse or neglect.

On the day he died, Dr. King called his mother to give her his next Sunday’s sermon title, in which he warned that “America is going to hell if we don’t use her vast resources to end poverty and make it possible for all of God’s children to have the basic necessities of life.” He understood that political and civil rights without economic rights did not add up to justice.

We share Senator Obama’s vision that all children be able to see a doctor when they need a doctor. To make that vision a reality, we must ensure that every child and pregnant woman has access to affordable, comprehensive health and mental health coverage.

Because of our long failure to reduce poverty and provide all children with quality education and health care, our Black and Latino children are the most vulnerable to being funneled into the “Cradle to Prison Pipeline.” One in three Black men, 20 to 29 years old, is under correctional supervision or control—incarcerated, on probation or on parole.

In the current economic crisis, addressing the needs of our children is more urgent than ever. If we permit them to grow up in poor health, uneducated and dependent on help from others rather than productive citizens, we will truly forfeit our nation’s economic future. Nor can we risk reversing the hard-earned racial and social progress our nation has made over last the 40 years since Dr. King’s death. I therefore urge President-Elect Obama to lead in a manner that ennobles us and that reflects an understanding that all children are sacred.

Cornel West

Cornel West is the Class of 1943 Professor at Princeton University and the bestselling author of 19 books, most recently, “Hope On a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom.”

Strong Supporter, Intense Critic: Showing President Obama the Love

On October 28, Cornel West appeared on the Tavis Smiley Show on the Public Broadcasting Service. Part of their discussion concerned why West campaigned so vigorously for President-Elect Barack Obama—and why, as he said, that on the morning after the election, “I ’m getting up as his critic.”

Tavis Smiley, reading from West’s new book, Hope on a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom (Hay House, 2008)

“I’d like to see my dear brother Barack Obama in the White House. I think he’s the best presidential candidate. At the same time, there are structural constraints on any president. Any politician who makes it to the level of a Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or anybody else tends to be surrounded by spinmeisters and pundits who do not put the suffering of working and poor people at the center of their vision. I [wanted] Senator Obama to win, but I’m going to criticize him intensely when he wins. I’m a deep Democrat and he’s a liberal; they’re not the same thing. I very much support him, but it’s a question of principle – the plight of everyday people is paramount.”

{West, in responding to a question from Smiley} “ … I promised my dear brother Barack Obama that I would do a full-court press for him, to make sure he [got] into the White House, [I] put in the 14 events in one day in Columbus and 16 there in Cleveland because Ohio is a pivotal state. I also connected with Florida and Virginia.

That’s part of my effort to do all I can, because he is the best for empowering those Sly Stone called ‘everyday people of all colors.’ Working people, poor people – especially poor people – but also middle-class folk, as well. At the same time, the criticism follows that same love, because in the end, Barack Obama is not Jesus; he’s a cracked vessel. He is only as strong as we are. He inspires us, we inspire him. He is made by the campaign; the campaign is made, in part, by him. It’s mutual.

That’s the way in which citizens relate to leaders in that regard, and so therefore the critique must be based on principle … Why? Because it’s a matter of principle. He’s a means to the end of empowering everyday people … I think he understands that. He understands the division of labor between myself, who has a Socratic and prophetic calling, and himself, who has a commitment to liberal governance.

But I want him to have a commitment to progressive governance. That’s why I [intend to] put the pressure on him, my brother … [because now] we can actually focus on working people, poor people, the masses of people in this nation, and, of course, the world.”

Calvin Smyre

Calvin Smyre is Georgia State Representative and President, National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL).

President-Elect Barack Obama

On behalf of the entire body of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, I would like to congratulate Senator Barack Obama on becoming our nation’s first African American to be elected as President of the United States of America. His historic win speaks volumes to our nation’s cry for change. It has also renewed our country’s trust in the political process, and inspired and fostered a sense of possibility in adults and children, of all races and class, everywhere.

For almost two years, the world has been keenly focused and enthralled by our country’s Presidential election. Never before, have our nation, and friends abroad, been so captivated by the political process as we have been by witnessing President-Elect Barack Obama’s historic road to victory. His run for the Presidency was indeed one of great fortitude and perseverance.

Over the course of his campaign, he successfully connected with the American people by speaking to those very issues that touch the hearts and souls, and the way of life of our great nation — the economy, health care, education, and the war in Iraq. We applaud President-Elect Obama for organizing a meticulous grassroots campaign that energized and mobilized a record number of diverse Americans with his message of hope and change and a theme of “Yes We Can.”

President-Elect Barack Obama will have enormous challenges to face and, as our new leader, is now expected to answer the call, take charge, and give our country a much-needed change of direction. In recent years, there has not been a leader who has placed an equal weight at the door of the American people and called upon individual citizens to inherit responsibility in making these changes collectively, from the bottom up.

We at NBCSL welcome and embrace this challenge. We are committed to working with President-Elect Obama, the 111th Congress, and our constituents to ensure that we continue to foster an environment of change. We encourage all of our nation’s political leaders to step up and answer the call of leadership during this historic moment.

We extend our best wishes to Senator John McCain and to his supporters. We are confident that Senator McCain’s supporters will be able to heal from the results of the election and put partisan politics aside in order to move forward. As President-Elect Obama says, “we are not as divided as our politics suggest,” and now is the time to remain focused on working together in creating real solutions to real problems facing Americans everyday.

Congratulations President-Elect Barack Obama, the next first lady Michelle Obama, and the entire Obama family.