The President Highlights Health Insurance Consumer Protections

WED, JULY 29, 5:59 PM EST

Posted by Katherine Brandon

var params = { allowscriptaccess: “always”, allowfullscreen: “true”, wmode:”transparent”}; swfobject.embedSWF(“http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ZF6eqys0fV0&hl=en&fs=1&showinfo=0&showsearch=0″, “flashcontent3403″, “480″, “295″, “8″, null, {}, params);

read the transcript

Speaking to North Carolinians at a town hall in Raleigh, the President made clear why health reform will benefit all American: “if you’ve got health insurance, then the reform we’re proposing will also help you because it will provide you more stability and more security. Because the truth is we have a system today that works well for the insurance industry, but it doesn’t work well for you.” We all know the horror stories, which is why the health insurance consumer protections that are part of reform are so important.

At the town hall, the President outlined these core principles:

Let me be specific. We will stop insurance companies from denying you coverage because of your medical history. (Applause.) I’ve told this story before — I will never forget watching my own mother, as she fought cancer in her final days, worrying about whether her insurer would claim her illness was a preexisting condition so they could wiggle out of paying for her coverage. How many of you have worried about the same thing? (Applause.) A lot of people have gone through this. Many of you have been denied insurance or heard of someone who was denied insurance because they got — had a preexisting condition. That will no longer be allowed with reform. (Applause.) We won’t allow that. (Applause.) We won’t allow that.

With reform, insurance companies will have to abide by a yearly cap on how much you can be charged for your out-of-pocket expenses. No one in America should go broke because of an illness. (Applause.)

We will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies — (applause) — eye and foot exams for diabetics, so we can avoid chronic illnesses that cost not only lives, but money. (Applause.)

No longer will insurance companies be allowed to drop or water down coverage for someone who’s become seriously ill. That’s not right, it’s not fair. (Applause.) We will stop insurance companies from placing arbitrary caps on the coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime. (Applause.)

So my point is, whether or not you have health insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don’t have today — reforms that will become more urgent and more urgent with each passing year.

So, in the end, the debate about reform boils down to a choice between two approaches. The first is projected to double your health care costs over the next decade, make millions more Americans uninsured, bankrupt state and federal governments, and allow insurance companies to run roughshod over consumers. That’s one option. That’s called the status quo. That’s what we have right now.

I want everybody to understand this. If we do nothing, I can almost guarantee you your premiums will double over the next 10 years because that’s what they did over the last 10 years. It will go up three times faster than your wages, so a bigger and bigger chunk of your paycheck will be going into health insurance. It will eat into the possibility of you getting a raise on your job because your employer is going to be looking and saying, I can’t afford to give you a raise because my health care costs just went up 10, 20, 30 percent. And Medicare, which seniors rely on, is going to become more and more vulnerable. On current projections, Medicare will be in the red in less than 10 years.

So that’s the status quo. When everybody goes around saying, why is Obama taking on health care — that’s the answer. That’s one option. I don’t like that option. You shouldn’t either. (Applause.) That plan doesn’t sound too good. That’s the health care system we have right now.

You can read more about the President’s eight health insurance consumer protections here, and figure out how reform will directly affect you and your family.

Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: Barack Obama, Health Care, Health Care Issues

Commentary: Race and the American dream

• Story Highlights
• Roland Martin: Some think Obama’s election achieved King’s “dream”
• He says Martin Luther King sought economic opportunity as well as civil rights
• Martin: African-Americans have higher joblessness, less savings than whites
• He says it’s time to see economic equality through education

By Roland S. Martin
CNN Contributor

Editor’s note: A nationally syndicated columnist, Roland S. Martin is the author of “Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith” and “Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America.” Visit his Web site for more information. This piece originally ran in the June 2009 issue of Essence Magazine, where Martin works as a special correspondent and has a blog on Essence.com.

(CNN) — I’ve given nearly two dozen speeches across the country since Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States.

African-Americans are still basking in the glow of this historic accomplishment, but I’m a bit perturbed with this sense that the election of a black president is the culmination of the dream outlined by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in his famous address 45 years ago.

First, let’s put things in perspective: The last 614 words of the speech — the “I Have a Dream” portion — must be understood within the context of the entire speech. Powerful words, but focusing on the last portion does a disservice to the rest of his text, which served as the true message of the day and his mission from that point until his death — achieving economic parity for African-Americans.

Second, that historic march was not just a March on Washington. It was organized as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. That distinction is important because without the jobs and freedom part, we could simply see that day as more than 250,000 mostly black folks taking a walk in the park.

King understood that for African-Americans, full equality had nothing to do with whether his children could hold hands with white kids or go to an amusement park. He wanted his children to have the means to own that park one day. The real understanding of King’s vision was that he wanted African-Americans to be on a level playing field so that we, too, could partake in the riches of this vast nation.

So what does this have to do with Barack Obama being elected president?

It’s simple. The election of a black man to the White House is a huge triumph. But while we praise, worship and wear our Obama buttons and swear we have overcome, barely more than half of our kids are graduating from high school, according to America’s Promise Alliance, the children’s advocacy organization founded by retired Gen. Colin Powell and his wife, Alma.

We know that the pathway to economic equality is determined by an education, so how could Obama’s election mean King’s dream has been fulfilled when we have these sad statistics to deal with?

Think about these numbers: As the national unemployment rate climbed to 8.5 percent early this year, joblessness among African-Americans reached 13.3 percent, higher than any other ethnic group.

Speaking of dreams, a 2008 survey conducted by the black-owned mutual fund company Ariel Investments and investment giant Charles Schwab reported that “for many younger African-Americans, saving for retirement is more of a dream than a priority.” The survey says whites have twice as much saved as blacks, and we contribute about 50 percent less to 401(k) plans than whites.

I’m not looking to pour cold water on Obama’s accomplishment. But we desperately need a reality check to understand that with 95 percent of African-Americans voting for Obama, going to the polls was the easy part in this effort to change America. Now it’s time for us to get to work to achieve not just King’s dream but the American dream.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland S. Martin.

Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: Barack Obama, Education Issues, Retirement Planning

President Obama on what black America needs

• Story Highlights
• President Obama meets with seven reporters black media outlets
• He says fixing overall economy is the most urgent thing he can do for black community
• Says barriers have less to do with blatant discrimination, more with long-term inequalities

By Cynthia Gordy

(ESSENCE) — Several hours before President Barack Obama gave his well-received speech at the NAACP centennial convention in New York City, he spoke before another probing audience of African-Americans aboard Air Force One.

In a historic roundtable discussion with seven reporters representing various black media outlets, including ESSENCE magazine, the President discussed his specific plans for improving conditions for African-Americans, a community that some critics say he has neglected to address, and explained what he believes is the single most important issue they face in the 21st century.

The conversation, held in a brown leather-interior conference room on the jetliner, was the President’s first meeting with African-American media. It opened on a familiar critique-his resistance to implement a policy specifically addressing racial disparities, such as the 14.7 percent black unemployment rate.

Asked about Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele’s recent criticism of the president for failing to promote a race agenda, Obama replied dryly, “First of all, I think Mr. Steele should focus on what the Republican Party’s going to do.”

But he stood by his position that fixing the economy overall is the most urgent thing he can do for the black community, touting provisions in his recovery package that kept teachers and police officers employed, provided extended unemployment insurance, and created new jobs. “All these things help everybody, but obviously they’re especially important to African-Americans in this economy.” Essence: Michelle Obama’s influence becomes a worldwide phenomenon

That said, the president continued that he is, in fact, targeting communities most in need through the new White House Office of Urban Affairs aimed at improving employment and housing in American cities. One of his urban policy proposals, called Promise Neighborhoods, focuses on children in low-income neighborhoods with early childhood education and weekend community centers. Essence: Is the NAACP still relevant to black youth?

In addition, Obama said that the upcoming health reform bill should absolutely address health disparities such as the elevated rate of diseases like HIV/AIDS in the black community. He neglected to expound on how he would push for such legislation, however, instead re-emphasizing his broader approach.

“The African-American community stands to benefit enormously from an overarching health reform bill,” he said before explaining that many of the disparities are due to blacks being far more likely to be uninsured.

When a reporter asked how he felt about the dichotomy of Sasha and Malia Obama being the first daughters while black children in Philadelphia were recently turned away from a private swimming pool, the President said it underscored the fact that his election has not, in fact, ushered the country in a so-called “post-racial” era. Essence: Music stars want their share of the money pie

“On the other hand,” he said, “The biggest barriers that young African-Americans face today have less to do with blatant discrimination and more to do with long-term inequalities.”

For example, the most important issue for the African-American community, according to the President, is education. “If we close the achievement gap, then a big chunk of economic inequality in this society is diminished,” he said, arguing that getting our kids up to speed involves better teachers, greater accountability, and a combination of more resources and education reform.

Acknowledging the enormous expectations laid on him by some African-Americans, Obama expressed certainty in his polices but also called for patience.

“It took us years to get in the current situation. We’re not going to get out of it in six months,” he said. “I’m confident, but I’m also mindful that this administration is not filled with miracle workers. It’s going to be a tough hard slog for us to dig ourselves out of the hole that we’re in.”

All About

Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: African-American Issues, Barack Obama

Obama says police acted ’stupidly’ in arrest

By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press Writer Anne Gearan, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Wednesday that police acted “stupidly” in the arrest of prominent black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and that despite racial progress blacks and Hispanics are still singled out unfairly for arrest.

“This still haunts us,” Obama said.

Obama called Gates a friend, and said he doesn’t know all the facts of the case. Nonetheless, Obama said, anyone would have been angry if treated the way Gates claims police in Cambridge, Mass., treated him. Gates, a Harvard University professor, claims he was arrested in his home after showing ID to police who responded to a report of a possible burglary.

“Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof he was in own home,” Obama said during a prime-time news conference that otherwise focused on the health care debate.

Gates’ arrest followed a report of a possible burglary. A woman apparently saw Gates force the front door and called police. Police came and demanded that Gates show identification. Gates was arrested shortly afterward for alleged disorderly conduct, a charge that was dropped Tuesday.

“What I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there’s a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately,” Obama said. “That’s just a fact.”

That disparity is a reminder that “race remains a factor in the society,” Obama said.

The nation’s first black president held himself up as testament to what he called the “incredible progress” minorities have achieved.

The police sergeant accused of racism after he arrested Gates insisted Wednesday that he won’t apologize.

Police say Gates at first refused to display ID and then accused the officer of racism.

Sgt. James Crowley said he followed proper procedures in arresting Gates.

Standing in the stately East Room of the White House where he now lives, Obama allowed some humor into the discussion.

Obama ticked off the reported facts of the Gates case — starting with Gates apparently forgetting his keys and jimmying the door. Police responded appropriately at first, Obama said.

“I mean, if I was trying to jigger into …,” Obama began, and then trailed off as reporters laughed. Obama laughed, too. “Well, I guess this is my house, now so it probably wouldn’t happen.”

Obama said he could understand police responding in good faith if he was forcing his way into his old house in Chicago.

“Here I’d get shot,” he joked.

(This version CORRECTS that the person who called police was not a neighbor.) )

Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: Barack Obama, Henry Louis Gates, US police

The President’s Press Conference – Full Video

WED, JULY 22, 9:49 PM EST

Posted by Jesse Lee

The President answered every question the press had for him on health insurance reform at a press conference here at the White House – watch the full video:

Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: Barack Obama, Health Care

Au Ghana, Obama n’a rien dit sur la Chine. Mais il y pensait très fort.

Serge Michel a écrit la ChinAfrique avec Michel Beuret. Marianne2 lui a demandé de commenter le discours de Barack Obama au Ghana et la façon dont les gouvernements et les opinions africaines, parfois séduites par la percée chinoise sur le continent, pouvaient recevoir cette ode à la démocratie.

En quoi le discours d’Obama au Ghana est une réponse à la politique africaine chinoise ?
En articulant la question de la gouvernance et la responsabilité des gouvernements africains, Barack Obama a introduit une alternative à la politique de la Chine de façon subtile sans la lourdeur du discours prononcé par Nicolas Sarkozy à Dakar en juillet 2007.
Serge Michel : « L’histoire, a-t-il dit, n’est pas du côté de ceux qui changent la constitution pour rester au pouvoir. » Il arrive ainsi à enfoncer un coin entre les populations et les gouvernements. La Chine soutient inconditionnellement les régimes et ne considère ni la société civile, ni l’opposition politique, ni les groupes rebelles quand ils existent.
Est ce que cette offre politique présente une quelconque crédibilité vis à vis de celle de la Chine et de celle d’autres pays émergents comme le Brésil, la Russie ou l’Inde qui eux non plus ne conditionnent pas leur aide économie ?
Serge Michel : Il est vrai que les Etats-Unis ont un retard assez considérable. Ils reviennent en Afrique alors que la Chine a beaucoup avancé ses pions et qu’elle est très bien implantée. De nombreux gouvernements africains bénéficient d’un soutien matériel de la part de la Chine. Obama propose une alliance avec des gouvernements vertueux sans pour autant jeter l’opprobe sur les autres. Il a aussi déclaré que l’Afrique n’avait pas besoin de grands hommes, mais qu’elle avait besoin d’institutions. Il veut s’appuyer sur une Afrique de la bonne gouvernance.
Un élément m’a fait sourire : il a mentionné le nom d’un journaliste ghanéen Anas Aremeyaw Anas en disant qu’il avait risqué sa vie pour relater la vérité. Or, ce » dernier a été élu journaliste de l’année dans le pays en raison d’une grande enquête – Inside the Chinese sex mafia – sur réseau de prostitution de femmes chinoises Ghana et au Nigeria. Elle a permis l’arrestation d’une bande de criminels chinois. Sa thèse est que l’ambassade de Chine était au courant de ce commerce. La Chine est présente au Ghana à travers un investissement important pour la construction d’un barrage. Barack Obama souligne ainsi astucieusement que la présence chinoise n’a pas que des avantages.

Le discours sur la démocratie a-t-il encore une chance d’être entendu en Afrique ?
Serge Michel : « La démocratie ça ne se mange pas », nous avait confié un ministre congolais au cours d’une scène que nous avons retracé dans notre livre. En réalité, Obama propose une troisième voie au-delà de celle des Occidentaux jusqu’à maintenant, qui est moraliste pour mieux cacher un certain désengagement (« on ne vous financera pas ce barrage parce que vous n’appliquez pas les règles de bonne gouvernance ») et de celle des Chinois, qui est pragmatique, voire cynique (« on vous finance ce barrage, et on le construit mais avec nos ouvriers, vous nous remboursez en pétrole en dessous du prix mondial ») . Obama tente de mettre le peuple africain au centre du discours, à l’inverse de la Chine qui s’adresse exclusivement aux gouvernements. Il a d’ailleurs utilisé des termes très proche du concept de « win-win » qui est central dans la propagande chinoise. Cette expression a brouillé les esprits. Elle signifie implicitement que la relation post-coloniale était fondée sur « win-lose ». Obama, lui, utilise les termes de partenariat et de respect mutuel.

Oui mais ce discours aurait-il une portée sans l’annonce, dans le même discours, des milliards de dollars d’aide ?
Serge Michel : Obama n’a cité qu’un seul chiffre – 63 milliards de dollars – qui concerne des programmes de santé. Il compense cependant la modestie des annonces financières par une très grande précision dans la description des maux de la corruption et des outils pour la combattre. A chaque instant, il semble dire aux Africains : « Je sais exactement ce que vous vivez et je sais comment améliorer ça, mais alors il faut me suivre ».
Il s’adresse à une Afrique vertueuse qu’il souhaite détacher des Etats les plus corrompus comme le Zimbabwe ou le Soudan, comme si, au fond, il traçait une ligne de partage : les Etats-voyous tomberont dans l’escarcelle chinoise ; les autres, ceux qui ont un bel avenir, ceux qui croient à la démocratie et lutteront contre la corruption, ceux-là seront nos frères égaux dans un monde meilleur.
Pour appuyer son discours, il rappelle ses liens personnels avec l’Afrique, parle abondamment des Noirs américains et même du voyage de Martin Luther King au Ghana en 1957. A mon avis, le message sous-titré est que le lien entre Africains et Américains est bien plus naturel et plus étroit que celui qui lie les Africains et les Chinois, lesquels parlent de fraternité parce que les deux peuples ont en commun l’expérience d’avoir été colonisés, mais ont de la peine à fraterniser vraiment, sur le terrain, au quotidien.
Finalement, le discours du Président me paraît très séduisant. Quand Sarkozy parlait à Dakar, déclenchant une polémique violente, on avait l’impression que l’Afrique était perdue pour l’occident. Mais lorsqu’Obama parle aux Africains, on reprend espoir d’un avenir partagé entre les occidentaux et les Africains.

Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: Afrique, Barack Obama, Chine, Ghana, chinafrique

President Obama talks about his reflections while touring the Cape Coast Castle during his trip to Ghana.

Embedded video from CNN Video

Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: Barack Obama, Ghana, slavery

Investing in Education: The American Graduation Initiative

Posted by Katherine Brandon

var params = { allowscriptaccess: “always”, allowfullscreen: “true”, wmode:”transparent”}; swfobject.embedSWF(“http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/DFpY2Z3rNjY&hl=en&fs=1&showinfo=0&showsearch=0″, “flashcontent3167″, “480″, “295″, “8″, null, {}, params);

read the transcript

As part of his effort to build a stronger foundation that will allow us to lead in the global economy, the President announced today a historic initiative to strengthen our nation’s community colleges, and called for five million additional graduates by 2020.

Speaking at Macomb Community College in Michigan, the President stressed the importance of education to America’s prosperity:

But we also have to ensure that we’re educating and preparing our people for the new jobs of the 21st century. We’ve got to prepare our people with the skills they need to compete in this global economy. (Applause.) Time and again, when we placed our bet for the future on education, we have prospered as a result — by tapping the incredible innovative and generative potential of a skilled American workforce. That’s what happened when President Lincoln signed into law legislation creating the land grant colleges, which not only transformed higher education, but also our entire economy. That’s what took place when President Roosevelt signed the GI Bill which helped educate a generation, and ushered in an era of unprecedented prosperity. That was the foundation for the American middle class.

(President Barack Obama greets the crowd at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich.,
Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Yesterday, we told you about the Council of Economic Advisers’ report about the future of the U.S. labor market. The report described a shift towards jobs that require greater analytical and interactive skills, and the benefits of higher education. It is expected that jobs requiring at least an associate degree will grow twice as fast as jobs requiring only a high school education. The President understands that education is fundamental to reviving our economy and strengthening our workforce, which is why he is committed to increasing graduation rates, and has asked every American to commit to at least one year of higher education:

But today I’m announcing the most significant down payment yet on reaching the goal of having the highest college graduation rate of any nation in the world. We’re going to achieve this in the next 10 years. (Applause.) And it’s called the American Graduation Initiative. It will reform and strengthen community colleges like this one from coast to coast so they get the resources that students and schools need — and the results workers and businesses demand. Through this plan, we seek to help an additional 5 million Americans earn degrees and certificates in the next decade — 5 million. (Applause.)

You may remember Dr. Biden recently spoke about the critical role of community colleges in our higher education system. Community colleges are rapidly growing, and are needed now more than ever to keep America competitive. The American Graduation Initiative will build on the strengths of community colleges and launch new initiatives and reforms that will increase their effectiveness and impact by figuring out what works and what doesn’t, modernize facilities, increase graduation rates, and expand and create new online learning opportunities.

• Read the White House fact sheet on the American Graduation Initiative.

The Initiative is estimated to cost $12 billion over the next decade, but the President has outlined a plan to pay for it by cutting waste, while increasing Pell Grant scholarships and reducing the deficit:

Not since the passage of the original GI Bill and the work of President Truman’s Commission on Higher Education — which helped to double the number of community colleges and increase by seven-fold enrollment in those colleges — have we taken such a historic step on behalf of community colleges in America. And let me be clear: We pay for this plan — this isn’t adding to the deficit; we’re paying for this plan — by ending the wasteful subsidies we currently provide to banks and private lenders for student loans. (Applause.) That will save tens of billions of dollars over the next 10 years. Instead of lining the pockets of special interests, it’s time this money went towards the interests of higher education in America. (Applause.) That’s what my administration is committed to doing.
Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: Barack Obama, Education

President Obama and Willie Mays on Air Force One

Posted by Jesse Lee

The legendary Willie Mays joined President Obama for the flight out to St. Louis, where the President threw the first pitch at the MLB All-Star game. Have a look at their conversation about how Mays helped lay the groundwork for the President’s election.

var params = { allowscriptaccess: “always”, allowfullscreen: “true”, wmode:”transparent”}; swfobject.embedSWF(“http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/4pbOtfa7_ok&hl=en&fs=1&showinfo=0&showsearch=0″, “flashcontent3162″, “480″, “295″, “8″, null, {}, params);

Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: Barack Obama, Willie Mays

NAACP: 100 Years, One Historic Night

Posted by Michael Blake

There are some moments in our lives where we have an “I was there” moment. A moment that despite your best attempts to explain how you felt, what you perceived that others were feeling, the words that were shared and the fanfare of the activity, you still can’t convey how remarkable an experience it was that you just shared.

I had that moment on Thursday, July 16th, 2009 as did so many others when President Barack Obama went to the 100th anniversary convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

(President Barack Obama speaks at the NAACP 100th anniversary convention in New York City July 16, 2009.
Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson.)

Everyone had a feeling of excitement beyond description. Many dignitaries were present. NAACP leaders from across the country embarked to New York – a city filled with historical civil rights moments, which oftentimes are forgotten about because they weren’t occurring in the historic South. But, the first moment that captured my attention was watching the line of people form slowly throughout the afternoon as they waited patiently despite their palpable excitement. The look of pride and accomplishment amongst a people who many times didn’t feel such positive feelings was evident. Later, as the president met several leaders of NAACP, it was the genuine appreciation that humbled me and made me even more proud to work for him as he shook the hands of the staff despite the large number of them being present. There were a lot of people there whose names many times go unmentioned and unnoticed for work they do to fight for greater equality, never caring that their name is in lights. To have their work recognized by the President of the United States added a special dimension to the night that the media didn’t capture, but it was equally important. I was fortunate to see it. I was there.

And then, there was the speech.

(President Barack Obama makes remarks at the 100th anniversary of the founding of the NAACP in
New York, Thursday, July 16, 2009. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, who received the Spingarn medal during the banquet – NAACP’s highest recognition – simply but eloquently introduced President Obama by saying, “When he came to our convention in 2007, he was one of eight Democratic presidential primary candidates. When he came last year, he was the one – his party’s nominee. Now I am honored to give the best introduction of all – please welcome the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.”

The president gave an inspirational speech where his physical presence and empowering words provided a visual reality to so many African-Americans that despite the tests of time AND the adversities of life OUR hopes and dreams can be and ARE being fulfilled.

The feeling in the room was electric. There were African-Americans who lived through the civil rights era and fought to have an equal voice at the table – including the right to vote – there to see an African-American President of the United States during the 100th anniversary of this pillar of the Civil Rights community who were led to many joyful tears, amens, shouts of celebration and reflective statements of how far we have come.

There were older women who were saying “amen” and “tell it” as the president shared that there are no excuses to us achieving more. There was an African-American sailor near me who took photos of every moment of every person he could see. People who couldn’t get into the room of 4,200 attendees watched and videotaped from TV screens throughout the Hilton Hotel who didn’t complain about not getting in but rather rejoiced in just being in the building for such a historic moment.

His remarks embodied an understanding that we’ve made progress but we have more mountains to climb. They also reminded us that we have to dream higher and obtain more, which he so beautifully stated by saying, “our kids can’t all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne. I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers — doctors and teachers — not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court Justice. I want them aspiring to be the President of the United States of America.”

So for more than 4,000 people at the New York Hilton hotel who were there supporting this hallmark organization, which for 100 years has had many “I was there” moments including the marching, protesting, sitting in and standing tall; from W.E.B. Dubois to Julian Bond, we all shared in this once in a lifetime moment – the first African-American president closing out the 100th anniversary convention of the oldest African-American civil rights group in the country. So for generations to come, I will tell my children, and they will tell their children I was there.

Michael Blake is the Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement & Deputy Associate Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

Wikio

E. do REGO,founder and chief administrator

Filed under: Barack Obama, NAACP