CELEBRATE 44 • America in the Age of Obama
DAY 27 of 44
• What About Shirley Chisholm?
• The Femme Candidate | Article | Video
DAY 26 of 44
• From Medgar Evers To Barack Obama
• The Desegregator | MEDGAR EVERS | Article | Video
DAY 25 of 44
• From The Slavehouse To The White House
• The Liberator | HARRIET TUBMAN | Article
DAY 24 of 44
• Black Fatherhood In The Age Of Obama
• The First Father | BILL COSBY | Article | Video
DAY 23 of 44
• Will Obama Change Hip-Hop’s Attitude?
• The Hitmaker | BERRY GORDY | Article | Video
DAY 22 of 44
• The Legend | BOB MARLEY | Article | Video
DAY 21 of 44
• The Scholar | CORNEL WEST | Article | Video
DAY 20 of 44
• Double Consciousness: Obama & The White Vote
• The Invisible Man | RALPH ELLISON | Article
DAY 19 of 44
• Influencing Politics In The Age Of Obama
• The Congressman | ADAM CLAYTON POWELL, JR. | Article | Video
DAY 18 of 44
• Experts Critique Obama, The Writer
• The Native Son | RICHARD WRIGHT | Article
DAY 17 of 44
• Political Art In The Age Of Obama
• The Poet | GWENDOLYN BROOKS | Article | Video
DAY 16 of 44
• Are Black Republicans Obsolete?
• The Activist | FANNIE LOU HAMER | Article | Video
DAY 15 of 44
• The Greatest | MUHAMMAD ALI | Article | Video
• Explore the years 1978 & 1979
DAY 14 of 44
• 11 Questions For The Obama Science Team
• The Lifesaver | CHARLES DREW | Article | Video
• Explore the years 1978 & 1979
DAY 13 of 44
• The Diplomat | RALPH BUNCHE | Article
DAY 12 of 44
• Michelle Obama, The American Girl
• The Storyteller | ZORA NEALE HURSTON | Article | Video
DAY 11 of 44
• Community Organizing & President Obama
• The Nationalist | MARCUS GARVEY | Article | Video
DAY 10 of 44
• The First Champion | JACK JOHNSON | Article | Video
DAY 9 of 44
DAY 8 of 44
• Black Womanhood In The Age Of Obama
• The Businesswoman | MADAME CJ WALKER | Article | Video
DAY 7 of 44
• Black Male Stereotypes In The Age Of Obama
• The Renaissance Man | KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR | Article | Video
DAY 6 of 44
• White Feminists & Michelle Obama
• The Woman’s Woman | SOJOURNER TRUTH | Article | Video
GIANT Magazine & Celebrate 44 present: A NEW DAY
• Celebrity reflections from Usher, Akon, Bow Wow, Mary Mary, Keri Hilson, D’Angelo and more.
• Plus Obama Quotes of the Day, and more on inaugural style, celebrity and culture!
DAY 5 of 44
• How The Black Athlete Paved The Way For Obama
• The Man Who Could Fly | MICHAEL JORDAN | Article | Gallery | Video
• Explore the year 1969
DAY 4 of 44
• A More Perfect Union: Obama’s Speech On Race
• The Man Who Dreamed Our Reality | MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. | Article | Gallery | Video
DAY 3 of 44
• Hollywood & Race In The Age Of Obama
• The Moderate | BOOKER T. WASHINGTON | Article | Video
DAY 2 of 44
• American Cities In The Age Of Obama
• The Man Who Wouldn’t Settle For Less | W.E.B. DU BOIS | Article | Gallery | Video
Famous Gay African-Americans
Comments
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HELL YEAH WE GOT A BLACK PRESIDENT IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hi obama, i have a problam im homeless no kids i live i a shelter im 23 my family gave up on me i need help i can’t find a job i love helping people i’ve been looking for a job as a home care provider i’ve have’nt lucked up on it yet i need some help i’m not the ony one out there like me i’ve seen lots of young girls with no place to go some with childern some with out like me we need you to make that change some of the shelter do’nt care they wake you up early you have to take everything you have with you how are going to find a job they are supose to help you rigth there is no help so if there anyone out there that can help us please contact me at http://www.sn_brown@hotmail.com thank you in god bless us all:)
obama’s rulling is a clear test of propelling force that the blacks are beggining to occupy and have their say and possitions in the commitee of nations.MACGONWIN EMEH
obana,ruling is a clear test of propelling force that the blacks are beggining to occupy and have their say and positions in the commitee of things.Macgodwin
im so glad this change is coming soon and im glad to have obama as our president
Never say i luv u if you rally dont care! never talk about feeling if they arent really there, Never hold my hands if you are gonna break my heart, Never say you are going to if you dont plan to start, Never look into my eyes if all you do is lie, never say hi if you really mean goodbye ! if you really mean forever then say u will try.
Obama Speech Misses Grassroots and Poor?
VETERAN ACTIVIST/JOURNALIST MARK S. ALLEN
Associate Editor
The South Street Journal Newspaper
*Veteran Political activist with over 30 “straight”years in public service on local, state and national levels, including 7 years as a national staff member to the
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr
*Former talk show host on the legendary Black/News Talk Station WVON
*Who’s Who Among African Americans
*Who’s Who In Black Chicago
773-392-0165
As a current community organizer and activist in Chicago’s Roseland community, the very community that President Barack Obama got his start as a community organizer, he could have done more to address the rise in crime and how his stimulus would reach the grassroots in properly addressing the social ill’s that plague urban communities across the country like Roseland. It was not long ago that Obama’s hometown of Chicago was known as “The Murder Capital Of The World.” While some leaders believe that the issue of stronger gun laws would significantly decrease the rise in crime, there are many others at the grassroots level who would argue that the lack of proven strong and effective crime intervention and prevention efforts has led to the increase in Chicago’’s and other urban cities crime rates.
President Obama inherited the former administration’s lack of investment in proper crime intervention and prevention programs, so many expected that with his background in community organizing that the Obama administration would strongly take the lead restoring and providing more focus on financial investments in those proven crime intervention and prevention programs, but it was not mentioned. But on his website Obama specifically mentions how he would like to use the Chicago group CeaseFire as a model for how urban communities across the country can successfully decrease crime. Yet groups like Ceasefire and others today, are battling for funding to rehire workers and restore programs in areas where crime has increased which in Chicago are the same areas where they used to have effective programs and crime was down.
President Obama still talked about challenging the established banking institutions to make access to capital available to ordinary citizens while failing to mention how he could use new growing community based credit unions who work more closely with grassroots citizens in making funding more easily available to ordinary citizens and small businesses. If the President’s statement of “it’s not about the banks, but about the people,” then he missed an opportunity to indicate his commitment to actively engaging the community financial institutions as a means of empowerment to ordinary people and small businesses. In addition, he could have also made a commitment to the use of these credit unions and other community financial institutions as specific community development banks to empower the many grassroots community organizations, which could in fact create thousands of new community organizing jobs in the urban areas of our country.
In Chicago for example, there are still thousands of ordinary people and hundreds of community based organization’s who were not connected enough to the established political processes to know where to go to get their local organizations and communities empowered through this current stimulus dollars. The process of more transparency is still needed at the true grassroots levels in urban communities like Chicago’s Roseland community and others like it in Chicago and across the country.
Because of The President’s experiences in community organizing, he must know that with all dies respect to government officials and his personal words of commitment, people at the grassroots level would believe in the process more when they actually see themselves, their organizations, and the people and issues they represent at the true grassroots level, clearly transparent and see themselves in the stimulus process. Far too many poor people have yet to see themselves touched directly and preparing to be lifted up by this current stimulus process.
I have known The President from the very beginning of his career and know that he would welcome this input and work to see that the people of his first organizing community in Chicago -Roseland and other urban areas like them in Chicago and around the country will truely see themselves in his urban agenda.
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We as a people got the President elected by standing on the shoulders of all our ancesters and believeing through the lives they lived “Yes We Can”. Also by countless Americans walking from door to door knocking on stranger’s doors asking them to take a chance on a young man that they didn’t know but to believe in the power of change. Many men and women that open up their homes to hold meeting to teach each and everyone that wanted to know all they could about President Obama. Making phone calls,oraganizing group awareness meeting and sending countless prayers up to the real MAN, GOD. Everyone ,no matter if they were ordinary people , Celebrities, Politicians or the beautiful woman that stands by his side, Michelle can take full credit. It could not have been done without the man himself President Barack Obama,yes alot can take credit but atthe end of the day, you can have a million people endorsing something or someone but if it is tanted it won’t sell. My hat goes off to everyone that got involved, no one person nor group can claim soul ownership of his sucess, if they say they know or can tell you who did they are lying.
we finally got a black president and the world can finally be run the right way instead of going to war and fighting and now we all need to put ourselves into god’s hands and pray that the world will get better and there will be better jobs out there for everyone and hopefully in time our president can help bring it back the way it was before we went to war.
It is a wonderful thing to have hope, for those of us with “The Audacity to hope” , we must not be blind or rest on our laurels, there is much work to do. Please, Please , don’t get comfortable and think that we have made it and there is nothing else to do. We must take up this heavy load that OUR PRESIDENT is carrying. It is by unity that we resolve the problems of our society, not by words. Love for your history , love for your country is wonderful, but what about our neighbors, our youth and yes our blue eyed counter- parts, the death of prejudice cannot be pronounced before the first 100 days are even over, but by taking back our neighborhoods one block at a time, by being an example and showing our best side not the mess side. If we want this country to come together and not even try to help other’s and that means regardless of their color, race,religion, and sexual orientation we have done nothing to contribute to America’s survival. Educate yourselves on a serious tip, show our predecessors, that we get it, we know that each one teach one each one reach one. Black History Month???? I say every day we are making History, and there the focus should be. CHANGE!!!! It’s time to make a change and we are the people who can do it.
I thank God we live in a country where the unthinkable becomes the one constant thought…and I am sorry for the elders who didn’t live to see it. Let’s explore what we can do to contribute to President Obama’s success,volunteer, increase peace, educate yourself, be producers instead of consumers, and stay vigilante the fight has truly just begun.
Blessings on your House!
OBAMA FOR EIGHT YEARS NOT JUST FOUR!
PEACE, LOVE, UNDERSTANDING AND PROSPERITY.
THAT IS MY PRAYER FOR MY COUNTRY
MS.B IN KC.
Prejudice will be a thing of the past
Prejudice behavior is dying in America. With the first black President and various black political positions, the prejudice population is dying off. Soon this country can grow and be the great country it was intended to be. The worst thing you can do to a prejudice person is to exist and ignore. That hurts them more than anything. The name-calling and other tactics they use will someday be of the past as a new era begins. Ignoring ignorance is an awesome weapon. While there are those out there that dislikes a person because of race, you can only pray for them because their opinions do not affect you or your life. So what’s the harm? Thus, they are hurting because you exist. Praying for them is all you can do.
The only thing President Obama can do is what he is doing right now. Reaching out to Republicans and keeping his eyes on the ball. There are people who will never like President Obama because of his race. When the economy rebounds and things begin to look positive they will find something else to hate him for. But history will show what a great man President Obama was. That is what’s important.
The one thing I never understood was why African Americans are hated more than any other race. After all, they were brought to this country against their will and forced the serve the white man. So, they are here because of the white man. All other races came here by choice.
Soon, all this will not matter. Prejudice behavior is taut and the teachers are dying.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP,WE NEED MOR TOGETHERNESS,LOVE,UNDERSTANDING,
Great page and thought into the 44. I agree with the previous poster, there are some missing. But you would need a book to include everyone. I, alike make reference to those who made the 1st First Couple/Family possible on my page: QueenNefertiti23. Great job and its about time.
Am I missing something here? How is Micheal Jordon on here, but the likes of Jim Brown,Tommie Smith and John Carlos not? And no Malcolm X, John Brown or Fredrick Douglas?
Not taking anything away from the contributions made by most listed, as most have made the sacrifices and contributions required to be held in such honor. But Micheal Jordon?…Not.
WE’RE ARE WINNERS!
I’M BLACK, I’M AMERICAN AND I’M PROUD!
TO HAVE WITNESS THIS GREAT TIME IN HISTORY.
IT HAS GIVEN ME THE FREEDOM TO LOVE MY COUNTRY AND MOVE FORWARD TO A GREATER CAUSE (US)…
UNITED STATES..
GOD BLESS US ALL
Shirley Chisholm Is a name that should never be forgotten her love for her people, her love for this country, her commitment and determination to improve the lives of poor people and give voice to those who spoke without plattform.She became the first black women in congress at a time when “they” said it could not be done.She ran for this countries highest office at a time when we could not get elected as a dogcatcher without a fight..She was small only in stature and always spoke from a position of strength and love for her people…….Week need more of that today…BLACKBoND
This is better to read and to keep out the adversaries to whom it all may concern. The day that Marting Luther King Junior said his dream will come to pass and God made that happen. We have to know that without struggle there would be know success. But blessed it be for our LORD AND SAVIOR that these things have come to light. GOD BLESS and lets get over the stress.
God Has bless us all THANK’S BE TO GOD SWEETIE2079
THE WORLD IS CHANGING AND WE AS BLACKS HAVE RISEN AGAIN BUT IF WE COULD JUST GET ALONG WITH ONE ANOTHER AS THE SPANISH POPULATION THEN SHALL WE OVERCOME!!!!!!!!PEACE ANGELEYES
I THANK GOD THAT OBAMA IS PRESIDENT IT JUST SHOWS HOW MUCH TIMES HAVE CHANGED FOR THE 1960 TO 2009 AND IT IS A GRAET STEP FOR THE US.
IAM THANKFUL IN SO MANY WAYS, IAM SPEECHLES! OUR NEW BLACK, AMERICAN, EDUCATED, INTELLEGENT, STRONG, PEOPLE PERSON AND GIFTED MAN OF GOD! WE AS A BLACK PEOPLE AND A PEOPLE OF ALL, ALL RACE’S YOUNG AND OLD! WE WILL OVER COME SO MUCH IN 4-YEARS. A NATION UNITED IN SO MANY WAYS, DETERMINED TO LET THE PASS HARDSHIPS AND LIFESTYLES! A NEW BEGINING, A NEW START AND A NEW MAN! WE HAVE ALL OVERCOME AND THIS IS OUR DREAM COME SO TRUE! LET’S BEGIN TO LIVE DAY BY DAY, MONTH BY MONTH IN PEACE AND HARMONY! GOD IS GOOD, AMEN! LOVE LYNN
hello my honey i am wirte this latter for you love i see you on blacklpanet in i said ilove you honey ok so can you marry me write it at black planet ok my love good bye my honey i am posting this latter for you my love …..
IM AM SO HAPPY FOR US !! WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY!
YES WE CAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2009!!!!
BLACK HISTORY IS THE GREATIST
THAT HAS HAPPENED FOR OUR PEOPLE
I LUV IT WE HAVE COME SO FAR….