With Barack Obama as our newly elected President and the first African-American President ever, NewsOne has compiled a short list of what Obama should do and shouldn’t do while in office based on past great Black political leaders and the not so good ones.

Dont’s:

William Jefferson

He was Louisiana’s first African-American Congressman since Reconstruction, however scandal prevailed over this great achievement. On June 4, 2007, a federal grand jury indicted Jefferson on 16 charges related to corruption after searching and seizing many items in his office related to the corruption charges. FBI agents found $90,000 of cash in the freezer. The cash was separated into $10,000 increments wrapped in aluminum foil and then stuffed inside frozen food containers.

Sharpe James

This Mayor of Newark and New Jersey State Senator got in trouble with the law during his career for fraud and conspiracy. He was indicted on July 12, 2008 and then convicted on April 16, 2008 of all five counts of fraud. He abused public social programs and took a huge $213,000 salary in 2002 to become the highest paid mayor in the nation. All this happened with his cabinet members by his side helping to corrupt the New Jersey government.

Kwame Kilpatrick

Kwame Kilpatrick served as the youngest mayor in the history of Detroit, Michigan. While in office from 2002 to 2008 the controversies and scandals that surrounded his tenure made him one of the worst big-city mayors in the United States. Just some of Kilpatrick’s scandals included stealing and misusing money, throwing an extravagant party with exotic dancers, infidelities and murder. Finally on September 4, 2008, he resigned as mayor of Detroit and later went to jail where he currently resides.

Marion Barry

On January 18, 1990, Marion Berry, the mayor of the District Of Columbia, was arrested with former girlfriend Hazel “Rasheeda” Moore at the Vista Hotel for crack cocaine use and possession. The sting operation was videotaped a shown on television across the country. Barry ended up being charged with one count of possessing cocaine and went on to be re-elected as mayor after serving his sentence.

Jesse Jackson

Despite being a great civil rights activist and religious leader, Jackson made several mistakes throughout his career. Jackson did run two moderately successful campaigns for president twice in 1984 and 1988. During the 1984 campaign he did refer to Jews as “Hymies” and New York City as “Hymietown,” which caused Jewish leaders to become outraged and unsupportive of Jackson. In 2001 it was revealed that Jackson had a love child with a member of his staff in 1999.

Do’s:

Cory Booker

The current mayor of Newark, New Jersey, unsuccessfully ran against Sharpe James until 2002 when he was elected into office. Booker can be noted for his life long efforts to end poverty and improve life in Newark. Much of his involvement in these noble efforts included strikes and other unconventional methods. While in office Booker called for a 8.3% increase in the city’s property tax, an increase in the number of city employees and a strict monitoring of the drug trade.

Deval Patrick

Patrick is the current and first African-American Governor of Massachusetts (and third African-American governor in the history of the United States). He has been a successful governor who has a few mishaps during his tenure but has proved to be an all around liberal and progressive politician.

Thurgood Marshall

Marshall is the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court, appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967. While he served on the Court Marshall supported the Constitutional protection of individual rights, civil rights and criminal procedure. Most notable is his involvement in Brown v. Board f Education, which abolished the “separate but equal” doctrine in the U.S. government.

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

This African-American politician served in the United States House of Representatives between 1945 and 1971 representing Harlem, New York. Powell began his career focusing on fighting for civil rights in Harlem. As Congressman he fought against segregation and supported education and labor movements.

Jesse Jackson

Jackson has overcome the difficulties in this career to revered as one of the most important Black leaders ever. He began his career as an American civil rights activist in the 1960s alongside Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Jackson also ran for President of the United States twice in the 1980s and did not make it pas the primaries but made an impressionable dent on the Presidential races.

News One Links