PAGE 28 PROGRAM SUCCESS – OCTOBER 2012
Will President Obama do more for African Americans ?
BY MARY MITCHELL marym @ suntimes . com
President Barack Obama didn ’ t have to convince African Americans to vote for him . Contrary to popular thought , Black people didn ’ t vote for Obama because he is black . They voted for him because they were scared to death of the alternative . Frankly , Mitt Romney ’ s threats to rescind Obamacare were enough to get Black people to the polls . But four years ago , Black people flocked to voting booths out of a sense of pride and gave Obama the votes he needed to become the nation ’ s first Black president .
Will President Barack Obama Do More For the African Americans ? Mary Mitchell Jacksonville , Florida November 2012
This time around , Black voters were more subdued . They still voted overwhelmingly - 95 percent- to keep Obama in the White House , according to CNN exit interviews , but that margin was not as easy to come by as most people might think . Obviously , Black voters were far more willing to give the Obama administration credit for digging the nation out from the Bush era ’ s failed policies . After all , unemployment has been in the double digits in the African-American community no matter who was in the White House .
But in many African-American homes , debates around the dinner table often centered on the president ’ s failure to treat the urban crisis with same sense of urgency he showed when dealing with the challenges faced by other groups . For instance , when Obama supported the Dream Act , Black people had to grin and bear it , knowing that he needed to solidify the Latino vote if he had a real shot at another four years .
The strategy worked . According to an early CNN exit poll , Obama got 69 percent of the Latino vote , boosting his votes by 2 percentage points from last election in a race that was razor close . But the question has to be asked : At what point will Black people be rewarded for keeping the faith ?
It was gratifying to see first lady Michelle Obama and the Obama daughters in the White House representing black people with such dignity and class , especially because they are Chicagoans . Yet in urban areas , too many children are still getting killed . Too many fathers are still trying to make a living selling drugs on the corner . Too many mothers still worry more about their kids walking down the street safely than about eating fresh vegetables .
Frankly , Black people have paid a hefty price for their loyalty . For instance , Tavis Smiley , once viewed as a powerful advocate on behalf of Black America , saw his career and popularity sink when he suggested Obama was not doing enough to earn the black vote . Ironically , the Black community found itself in a quandary . The ascension of Obama seemed to trigger a quick descent of historic civil rights leaders who often lobbied the White House on critical issues affecting black America . Those voices have been sorely missed .
This was Obama ’ s last campaign . The hard-fought victory is well-deserved . Now , I hope he will do more for the group that helped him get elected in the first place .