2BB AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE SUN SENTINEL FRIDAY , FEBRUARY 10 , 2017
By : Congresswoman Frederica S . Wilson
Obama with Role Models mentees during a Miami visit
During President Obama ’ s first White House bid , an ar�st created an iconic mixed-media poster of his image that included the word hope , progress or change . His campaign slogan was “ Yes , we can .” I think that one of the most important things that he did for African Americans , but black boys in par�cular , was to give us hope that our na�on truly is the land of opportunity . A whole
By : Congressman Alcee L . Has�ngs
President Barack Obama assumed office at one of the most difficult �mes in U . S . history . With an economy in recession , millions of Americans unable to find work , and millions more without health insurance , the country was in need of strong leadership .
The Obama administra�on ’ s policies enabled America ’ s businesses to add 15.8 million private-sector jobs to the economy ,
What President Obama ' s Legacy Means to Me
genera�on of children has , through his elec�on and reelec�on , seen that if they work hard enough that yes , they can make what once seemed impossible dreams come true .
As the founder of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project , it was a par�cular honor to begin my congressional career with an African-American president . I have always strived to teach the Role Model boys to be confident and unafraid to dream big , but it ’ s probably safe to say that when I started the program , many never dreamed they ’ d live to see a black man in the White House .
Fast forward 24 years and hundreds of Role Model boys , and countless children of color around the na�on , cast their very first vote for president to help elect and re-elect our na�on ’ s first black president .
I believe that the crea�on of the My Brother ’ s Keeper , a bold ini�a�ve to
The Legacy of President Barack Obama
since 2010 , the longest streak of total job growth on record . Unemployment fell from a peak of 10.0 percent in October 2009 to 4.7 percent at the end of his presidency . Consumer confidence , stock prices , and home values rose , while strong employment and real wage growth led to rising incomes for all Americans . President Obama ’ s leadership brought us out of the worst economic recession since the great depression , and paved the way for a new era of American prosperity .
Unfortunately , the President was stymied at many points along the way . I remember when , seven years ago , President Barack Obama convened a summit with Congressional leaders to discuss his proposal to reform America ’ s healthcare system . For nearly eight hours , Republicans in a�endance rose , one-at-a-�me , to reject the proposal in its en�rety without offering any ideas for moving forward together . The good-faith effort to end the poli�cal gridlock unfortunately fell short .
Despite current efforts by Republicans address the challenges faced by boys and young men of color and close opportunity gaps , is one of President Obama ’ s most crowning achievements . He unveiled it nearly two years to the day a�er the tragic shoo�ng death of Trayvon Mar�n shed a na�onal spotlight on how in too many communi�es across the na�on boys of color are an endangered species simply because of the color of their skin . The president cited the Role Models program as a model for My Brother ’ s Keeper when he unveiled it at a White House ceremony . His ini�a�ve ensures that the issues affec�ng black men and boys are now receiving the a�en�on they deserve . Since its rollout , numerous corpora�ons , community organiza�ons , founda�ons , private ci�zens , major celebri�es , local l communi�es and countless others have answered his call to ac�on to help prepare our na�on ’ s youth for success in and out of
to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act ( ACA ), the progress made by the Obama Administra�on in the area of healthcare will go down as another one of his enduring legacies . The ACA served as a cri�cal step towards establishing a universal healthcare system , a system I have long advocated for . Thanks to the ACA , an es�mated 20 million Americans have gained health insurance , and tens of millions of Americans now benefit from free preven�ve services . More than six million young adults have been able to obtain health coverage through the op�on to stay on their parents ’ health plans , and 4.4 million low-income Americans now have health coverage through Medicaid . All Americans benefit from protec�ons against insurers ’ life�me coverage limits and exclusions on individuals with pre-exis�ng illnesses .
I receive calls to my office regularly with stories from medical professionals and pa�ents saying how valuable the ACA has been for them . While there is no doubt that the ACA should be built on and the classroom .
During our early conversa�ons about MBK , the president shared with me that First Lady Michelle Obama was really the one who felt most passionate about building up black men and boys because they have two daughters . I understood exactly where she was coming from . When people ques�on why I have focused on black males , I remind them of how their experience in the Role Models program enables them to grow up to become good husbands . That is another very important and long-las�ng part of President Obama ’ s legacy . He showed our boys and young men what it looks like to be a good and loving husband and father and a cool one , to boot , who shares their fondness for things like basketball and hip hop . Together , the Obamas changed how the world sees black families--and love , which may be one of the greatest gi�s of all .
improved , I am thankful for the Obama administra�on ’ s leadership in providing affordable , quality healthcare to all Americans . The American people had been wai�ng too long for affordable healthcare and Obama ’ s courage and determina�on pushed the issue to the forefront of the legisla�ve agenda .
President Obama served our na�on in a difficult �me , and he did it with humility . When looking at the contrast with the current administra�on , his leadership and grace will be sorely missed . I am thankful to President Obama and the first family ’ s honorable service to our country . As we look to the future , I look back on President Obama ’ s tenure in the White House with pride . In Congress , I will con�nue working to uphold our �meless American values and to pursue a more perfect union for all Americans .
Alcee L . Has�ngs , a Florida Democrat , serves as a senior member of the House Rules Commi�ee , ranking Democra�c member of the U . S . Helsinki Commission , and co-chairman of the Florida Delega�on .
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