How Much Political Influence Do Bloggers Have?

Adrianne George BWIE @ Democratic National Convention

I have seen photos of Adrianne George of Black Women in Europe at the Democratic National Convention, and Jessica Ann Mitchell of Black Bloggers Connect at one of the Inauguration Balls.  

They and many other bloggers have done a lot of excellent work in supporting President Obama's re-election campaign. 

But how much political influence do bloggers have? 

The President has met and consulted with bloggers during both Presidential campaigns.   Did bloggers help President Obama to win re-election?  

Please leave your comments below.  

What Inspires You about Obama?

President Obama’s campaign was characterised by unity and inclusion. Similarly to Nelson Mandela, he gave a clear message that he would be President for all Americans. This followed in the tradition of Martin Luther King, who gathered support from many different segments of the American public, including poor whites, and Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition. For more on Martin Luther King’s legacy, visit Daddy B Strong’s blogs on The Gift of Dr. King and Are There Any Drum Majors in Here?

Many African American people were strongly moved and inspired by the vision of an African American President. Obama’s election was truly groundbreaking. He mobilized sections of society which are notorious for failing to vote, e.g. young Black people, who often feel marginalized and disenfranchised.

On the day we celebrate the inauguration of the first African American President of the United States, I ask: What inspires you about President Obama?

What inspires you about President Obama?

Barack Obama: African American Success Story

Barack Obama is one of the most important African American successful role models in history.

People all over the world are still celebrating Barack Obama's election victory. Of course, for African American people, this success has particular significance.

What can African American people learn from his success?

To read the rest of this article, click here.

I Am a Community Organiser

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities.- Sarah Palin, 2008

I have been involved with community organising for my entire adult life. I have been a member of the African Health Forum for several years. Our members work within African communities in South London, providing health education and awareness around HIV prevention and testing, and supporting those with HIV to get the best treatment available. We also now work around other health issues including sickle cell and teenage pregnancy. People from the voluntary sector work alongside those in the NHS to provide these services, and we share knowledge and skills with one another.

I am both proud and humbled to be a part of this work. (Search this blog for more information.)

People in many different African countries are part of this community effort, organising in their towns and villages, in places where there are few resources but an abundance of ignorance and stigma around HIV and other illnesses.

I am also involved with the Black Parents’ Forum and I lead workshops for African Caribbean parents, to support them in getting the best out of the education system for their children, and in working to stem the gun and knife crime which is dramatically increasing both in London and across the UK.

This work is obviously vital to our communities. We are saving lives. For Sarah Palin to be so dismissive about community organisers is to say that she doesn't care about human life.

When the Jena incidents began, who was it that brought this to the public’s attention? Community organisers on and offline.

Similarly, campaigners on and offline are challenging the excessive use of tasers and other forms of violence by police officers.

I don’t know if Palin is really that ignorant, or if she just does not care. Or if she is running scared because she sees the power of Senator Obama’s campaign. By networking with, drawing on and channelling the energy of community organisers, Obama has put the Presidential campaign back where it belongs – in the hands of the people (a/k/a voters). The churches, the synagogues, the mosques, the schools, the PTAs, the small groups and organisations and forums all over the world that are doing their bit to make life better for those around them.

This is what it’s all about. Senator Obama has tapped into that energy. African American politicians and African politicians internationally have been doing this for many years. Telling people what they need to do, telling them how to bring about change.But this time it’s different. Obama does not just tell people what to do. He asks us what we want. And that is scary. To people who don’t want to see change happen, real, fundamental change, this must be absolutely terrifying.

Obama’s people are on the case. They are out there right now, signing people up to vote. Young African American people, who normally don’t cast ballots, or register to vote. Those in the inner cities, who are the most likely to end up in poverty, in jail, or dead. They are signing up in their thousands. This could mean a real future for those who, up to now, never had a chance. At last, they have a voice, and somebody who is listening to it.

I still don’t know how much change Obama can or will bring about if he is elected President. But I can see how much change he is bringing about now. Drawing on the strength of the community, and the organisers within it, can potentially create massive change.Yeah, Sarah Palin. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Many members of the AfroSpear and the afrosphere are blogging today to challenge Sarah Palin’s disrespectful remarks about community organisers. Please join us.

Award-Winner Black Blogger Reports from the Democratic National Convention

Award-winning blogger Adrianne George, from the Black Women in Europe blog, will be joining me on my "Success Strategies" radio show tomorrow (Tuesday) night.

Adrianne was given credentials to attend the convention. Blogging has become very important in this presidential election, giving ordinary people a voice in a way that has never happened before. But there has been a struggle to allow African American bloggers to attend the convention as credentialled bloggers. Click here for more information about the Black bloggers.

Adrianne will be joining the show live from the floor of the convention. You can join us by clicking here.

Click here to read my Obama blogs.

The End of Black Politics?

The first thing I thought when I saw this piece was, is this really the best idea for an article the New York Times can come up with?

Then I thought, when Obama proved he was a serious contender for the Presidency, and when he won the Democratic nomination, I don’t recall anyone asking if this signalled “the end of white politics”.

Actually, the article raises some interesting points, despite its absurd title.

There is a divide between the old guard and the new guard. Probably always has been.

Harriet Tubman had to deal with people who believed they were better off in slavery.

In my book, Black Success Stories, René Carayol MBE tells of an argument he had with Reverend Jesse Jackson, who insisted on the futility of trying to bring about change. Similarly to those quoted in the article, he had learned this negative view through his own bitter experience. Until recently, part of me would have agreed with him.

Like Senator Obama, I did not grow up in a slum. But on our TV screens when I was a child in th e’60s, there were scenes of people being beaten by police because they wanted to sit at a lunch counter. Being attacked by police dogs because they wanted to vote. These things were not happening to me or to anyone I knew, but they had an effect on me. In New York City, we experienced subtle racism of the kind we have here in London.

We have a similar generational divide in the UK. Some of the young people think they can fit in and be accepted anywhere they want to go. And to a certain extent, they are right. Some of the discrimination their parents and grandparents faced in the 1950s was the same stuff any group of first-generation immigrants has to deal with.

But some of it was racism.

Black children are still disproportionately being excluded from school, leaving school without qualifications, and as a result, getting involved with crime and entering the prison system.

The fact that Oxford and Cambridge, as well as many major financial institutions and other British firms, are now actively recruiting African Caribbean applicants does not alter these bleak statistics.

We must remember that we have made progress only because of the work, dedication and sacrifices of those who went before us. This is what the West African Adinkra symbol of the Sankofa bird tells us – we must learn from the past in order to progress towards a better future.

It may be that Obama will usher in a whole new era of possibility. I would not have said that six months or a year ago.

But I will never forget the contributions of those who went before me. It would be politically naïve to do so. Those of my generation, and those younger than me, including Senator Obama, only have the rights we enjoy because others were willing to fight for them.

To answer the question, of course this is not the end of Black politics. It may be a new beginning, but we must always remember and honour the past.

I hope you will join us for my Obama phone-in on 19th August. Click here for details.

Here are some other interesting blogs on this piece:

Black Spin

Jack and Jill Politics

Black Snob

Obama in Berlin

Yesterday, 25th July 2008, the streets of Berlin were lined with people wanting to hear Presidential candidate Obama speak.

He spoke of freedom, and of the need for American and German people to unite.

He spoke of duty and of victory over tyranny. He spoke of a common destiny and of our common humanity. He made reference to a new hope, and to the fall of the Berlin wall.

Senator Obama’s central message seemed to be that we need to unite in the fight against terrorism – get behind the armed conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was saying that wee are all together in this fight. He repeatedly addressed the “People of Berlin, people of the world”. I am sure he is eager to demonstrate his grasp of foreign policy.

However, his statement that the purpose of the NATO mission in Afghanistan was to “help them rebuild their nation” was, at best, disingenuous. It sounded very much like Bush and Blair’s justification for the invasion of Iraq. It made me wonder whether Obama's foreign policy will be "business as usual" if he is elected President.

In Britain, the U.S. is largely characterised as an invading and dominating force. The speech may have been meant to allay that perception, but if so, I am not clear about how far it went in achieving that aim.

I was heartened to hear the Senator speak of the need to tear down walls between Christians, Muslims and Jews.

I was also encouraged by his statement of the need to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and reduce the arsenals, and to bring the Iraqi war to a close. This was a dove message in what was largely a hawkish speech.

Although the candidate made repeated reference to the Berlin airlift, he only mentioned briefly and in passing the two world wars we fought against Germany. Living in London, I see nearly daily reminders of the Second World War and the devastation it caused. Work on construction sites still regularly unearths unexploded Nazi bombs that were rained down on the people of London and other British cities. Senator Obama’s speech contained only the briefest mention of that conflict.

The Senator used many of the right words, but I am not sure he conveyed a good grasp of the international situation. And although his speech was very idealistic, I did not personally find it particularly convincing.

To watch the video, go here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/berlinvideo/

As the author/publisher of Black Success Stories, I am well aware of the importance of positive Black role models. If he is elected President, what impact will this have on your life – your home, your family, your health, your job, your business? Join my Obama phone-in on 19th August. Click here to register Click here for more details. Your opinion matters.

Oprah Backs Obama's Campaign

Oprah Winfrey has been named as the most influential woman in the world. This is the first time Oprah has ever backed a political campaign.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20071209/twl-us-vote-2008-entertainment-oprah-2802f3e.html

To read about Oprah and other successful Black people, click here.