barack obama

Who Should Be First?: Feminists Speak Out on the 2008 Presidential Campaign

mandy — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Edited by Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Johnnetta Betsch Cole

Please read this book. If you were in any way inspired by the groundbreaking 2008 election of President Barack Obama, you will find an essay in Who Should be First? that speaks what's been on your mind, challenges your way of thinking, causes you to feel frustrated, or represents the many complex emotions you felt on that historic day.

Bravo to Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Johnnetta Betsch Cole for compiling this diverse and inspiring anthology. At first glance, I saw all the usual names (i.e., Valenti, Steinem, Walker) and warily assumed that this would be one more tribute to the same feminist pundits, as always. But you will find essays from many feminist points of view in this compilation, and a lot of them (thankfully!) point out that “women” and “people of color” are not mutually exclusive groups. The press often ignored women of color during this election, leaving us to think that everyone had the luxury to choose between race and gender allegiances.

I wish I had owned this book during the election, although of course that would have been impossible. The essays recall conflicted feelings I experienced when trying to decide between the two potential Democratic Presidential candidates. The authors explore the divisive, oft repeated claims of the time: that gender was a greater barrier to overcome than race, that young feminists were naive or stupid to vote for Obama, that Bill Clinton had been the first Black President and, therefore, Black voters should support Hillary, etc. The editors arranged the book book to highlight, rather than smooth over, these opposing views.

In one essay, the author explained that she was voting for Hillary because gender was the greatest barrier to overcome. In the following essay, a different author explained that she was voting for Barack because race was the greatest barrier to overcome. The authors of all the essays express various thoughtful points of view, but I have not been able to stop mulling over Jane Caputi’s “Crisis of Representation: Hate Messages in Campaign 2008 Commercial Paraphernalia.” Originally published in the Denver University Law Review last year, it is a comprehensive, although by no means exhaustive, study of visual representations of the rampant sexism, racism, ageism, and ableism expressed during the campaign not only against Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, but also Michelle Obama, John McCain, and Sarah Palin. This essay actually made me feel nauseous. If you can stomach the hateful and disgusting images, it is a powerful reminder (in case you forgot) of the vivid hate speech both Democratic candidates had to battle.

“Sex Versus Race, Again,” by Tracy A. Thomas, is another well-researched piece that compares the 2008 election to the fight for women’s voting rights in the early twentieth century. Thomas shows that drawing a line in the sand didn’t work then and won’t work now. The either/or strategy leaves everyone at a loss.

Read Who Should be First? to remember the electric energy you felt two years ago. We all knew that the political world was changing, and after eight bleak years with a warmongering President, even the most cynical of us began to hope. With the November elections around the corner, and the threat of right-wing extremists garnering control of Congress, think back to a time where you were excited, enthralled, and inspired by politicians.

Cross-posted at Gender Across Borders

Written by: Colleen Hodgetts, October 24th 2010

Praise Song for the Day: A Poem for Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:24:00 +0000

By Elizabeth Alexander

Graywolf Press

Elizabeth Alexander’s Praise Song for the Day: A Poem for Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration captures the essence of hope. Alexander unites all readers through illustrations of day-to-day activities. She begins “Each day we go about our business/Walking past each other, catching each other’s/Eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.” This opening stanza illuminates the monotony of daily activities by breathing new life into them. She gives hope life, which President Obama is all about.

Alexander continues her poetic ability by portraying the essence of American hard work: “Someone is stitching up a hem, darning/A hole in a uniform, patching a tire/Repairing the things in need of repair.” She manages to connect all of us through her words and even reiterates this point in her poem when she writes, “We encounter each other in words, words/Spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed/Words to consider, reconsider.”

Her diction invokes rich rhythm and strengthens the impact of each phrase. This is most clear in phrases like “in today’s sharp sparkle,” “brick by brick the glittering edifices,” and “a farmer considers the changing sky.”

The poem is elegantly printed on rich cream paper and features a textured dark blue cover. Gray Wolf was a little too generous with the spacing extending this fifteen-stanza, forty-three-line poem over ten pages. Despite this, the book as a whole captures the hope of January 20, 2009, in printed form—a form that can be passed on for generations.

Written by: Michelle Tooker, May 21st 2009

Letter from a Feminist After Attending the Inauguration

admin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:37:00 +0000

White House

Washington, DC

Dear Feminist Review readers,

Having received the opportunity to attend the Inauguration of the first African American President, I did experience some nervousness. My companions in the motorcoach were virtual strangers to me. Except for the staff, most of the travelers were college students. Some had families; they had seen their own sons and daughters off to higher education and had finally chosen to pursue it themselves. Others were barely eighteen. The anticipation was palpable among us all regardless of our political affiliation. Today, we were not Republicans, Democrats, or Independents—simply Americans.

During the journey from New York to Maryland, we were separated into groups. I chose a window seat and marveled at the occasional sites of industry and commerce juxtaposed against the calm waters. Somewhere along Delaware, my seatmate fell asleep. I was left to my own devices with nearby speakers blaring The Bourne Identity. I listened to LibriVox recordings of James Joyce and Kate Chopin. In some time, I fell asleep too.

When we reached Maryland, I awakened and began writing this entry. It was still dark outside, and I could hardly read my writing. We stopped and had breakfast at a good ol' suburban Mickey D's.

The group and I then caught the Blue Line from Largo Town Center to L'Enfant Plaza in DC. Here, we encountered our first crowds. Throngs of people were trying to leave the metro station. The trip was especially hard on the children who accompanied their parents. Many felt claustrophobic in such close confines with the public. A few men and women fainted. In the hour it took us to leave the station, there were at least five calls for paramedics.

Honestly, it was a test for what was to come next. We walked to the National Mall Viewing Area. Hundreds and thousands joined us. We prepared for the long haul and waited for the formal Inaugural ceremony to begin. As the members of the House of Representatives and Senate were announced, people kept trickling in.

The former presidents and vice-presidents were introduced. Crowds cheered for the Clintons. However, it seemed as if the whole National Mall was bent on booing the departing Bush. One of the women next to me began to chant loudly: "Shah-nah-nah-nah, hey hey hey, goodbye." It caught on. I felt some sadness at the occurrence. I do not agree with some of Bush's policies; however, as a human being, I cannot feel some regret for so public a humiliation.

With much difficulty, I sneaked a pair of heat warmers into my gloves. The pushing-and-shoving of my own and others had separated me from my group. I could hardly shift my feet. I was leaning my arms on two middle-aged women in front of me. I literally hugged them. A woman to my side placed her head on my shoulder. At several times, the announcer said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please be seated." We laughed; many of us had been standing since dawn!

I must admit it was a surreal moment of sisterhood. There were circles of girls and women with me. We all commented on Michelle Obama's choice of green gloves. The consensus was quite favorable. We would have linked arms, if it had been possible. We were comrades then. We did not need to know each other's names. We knew we were watching history unfold in front of our eyes.

When the then President-elect appeared on the viewing screens, the crowd cheered his name. Some felt relieved. Perhaps we could stand the next two hours of closeness. Dianne Feinstein made her opening remarks. When Rick Warren stood to deliver his Invocation, however, there was a collective dissatisfied murmur in the crowd.

For a moment, the sense of partisanship emerged into the setting until Warren began to speak. Reverently, he proclaimed: "Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all." He said, "When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us."

I saw a few tears escape from the eyes of people around me. Here we were, Black, White, and all other shades of the rainbow, sons and daughters of humanity together watching Barack Obama's Inauguration. The Christians among us recited "Our Father" with Warren before he left the stage.

Once Biden was sworn in, Itzhak Perlmen, Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, and Gabriela Montero played a version of the "Simple Gifts." The performance did not compare to Aretha Franklin's stunning rendition of "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Perhaps the fact that John Williams' musical selection stood in between them and Oath of Office was why it received a poor reception from the crowd. When it ended, a man a few rows in front of me shouted: "Finally!"

We all noticed the flubs. A couple of young boys hooted when the President hesitated and the Honorable Chief Justice John Roberts repeated the Oath. Undoubtedly, we felt a sense of accomplishment when he finished reciting it. The crowd went wild. Flags were held high and waved proudly.

The inaugural address was quite sober. While there was great rhetoric in his speech, he did not succeed in truly rousing this crowd. They expected a speech of victory; instead, they received one of purpose. He chastised some Americans for their greed and irresponsibility. Though Obama duly noted the role of the free market in the economic crisis, his speech was not a post-partisan one.

If clear skies and somewhat tolerable weather had not greeted Americans at the National Mall, his speech would have resonated more than it did. He spoke of ominous storms and dark winter. He invoked George Washington who once said, "Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it." The people, most though sick with adoration and love for him, absorbed his message reluctantly.

At the conclusion of the address, the multitudes began to leave the Mall. I wanted to say goodbye to those who had surrounded me. But the time had passed. The conviviality returned briefly in the singing of the National Anthem, but concerns of the commute home riddled the former onlookers.

Washington was grossly unprepared for so many people. The metro was inadequate. They closed the system right after the Inauguration Ceremony. Hundreds stood in lines to get some semblance of food, use the bathroom, and receive shelter from the cold. People climbed on top of the port-a-potties to see everything.

Despite the inconvenience, everyone was in quite good humor. After we finally reached open ground near Independence Avenue, about a hundred people performed the electric slide. My companions and I walked a few blocks before reaching the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. For a few more hours, we stood on its steps. Boy, were we cold, but we spent the time analyzing sections of the addresses like true polemics. I wrote most of my journal entry there.

Luckily, a Starbucks was open near the metro station. My friend and I bought chai teas. I sipped it slowly, savoring the warmth. Eventually, we journeyed back to Maryland and to our tour bus. For dinner, we stopped at a Golden Corral. I promptly found the dessert counter and indulged in ice cream topped with hot fudge and marshmallows.

I made friends. We took countless pictures of us grinning and absorbing the process. The inauguration was a celebration of the American spirit. It was a privilege to share the moment with so many. All of us wondered to each other whether we would repeat the experience. Would we attend another Inauguration?

I believe I will return. One day, I will camp out to watch the first female President take the Oath of Office. Until then, I remain inspired, and cautiously hopeful for the country.

Written by: Anita Sonawane, January 22nd 2009

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

admin — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:17:00 +0000

By Barack Obama

Three Rivers Press

The one most important thing I can say about this book is "Read it!" As a fan of Barack Obama since reading his 1995 book, Dreams From My Father, I was thrilled to see his new book, The Audacity of Hope on the New York Times Bestseller list.

The Audacity of Hope is the first political book I've read in awhile that doesn't point fingers, seek to destroy or make divisive "us v. them" statements. Instead, it turns the reader's attention to the similarities and common values that Americans share regardless of their political persuasions. The further you break down an issue, the closer you get to the core values that unite us, and Senator Barack Obama explains the necessity of understanding opposing views in order to find common-ground solutions. But his is more than just a spirit of compromise; it is audacious hope, which he learned to apply to his own faith and character from a sermon he heard in his own church. "It's easy to be cynical," Obama said during a recent book-tour appearance, "but what requires risk is hope."

The intensity and wise words are pure Obama, as is the message of cooperation. This is not to say he has stepped away from his democratic ideals, but he calls to task the strategies and policies of those who deserve it be they Republican or Democrat. One difference he touches on is that between the traditional conservatism that espouses temperance and restraint and the so-called "compassionate conservatism" that has been driving the policy debate of the past six years. Obama characterizes the George W. Bush brand of conservatism at the core of today's GOP as "absolutism."

"There is the absolutism of the free market, an ideology of no taxes, no regulation, no safety net—indeed no government beyond what's required to protect private property and provide for the national defense. There's the religious absolutism...and there is the absolute belief in the authority of majority will... a disdain for those institutional checks (the Courts, the Constitution, the press, the Geneva Conventions, the rules of the Senate, or the traditions governing redistricting."

He also describes the Democratic Party as having becoming one of reaction, and believes that Democratic activists who "pursue a more sharply partisan and ideological strategy" in an attempt to keep up with Republicans misapprehend the moment we're in. In his encounters among ordinary citizens, Obama imagines "...they are waiting for a politics with the maturity to balance idealism and realism."

In addition to partisanship, Obama offers his thoughts on values, the Constitution, politics, opportunity, faith, race, the global picture and family. The point is not to solve every problem with a magic wand although he does offer sensible suggestions which could clearly jumpstart real solutions. The point is that we, as a nation, can solve problems and we can start by listening to, learning from and respecting each other's views. His deference to our solidarity as these United States of America is infectious.

Written by: Diana Raabe, November 3rd 2007