[COMM-ORG] morning in the United States

Tue Nov 11 19:53:36 CST 2008

[ed:  Melinda provides a correction for her post.]

From: "M Chateau" <mchateau at onebox.com>

Actually I'm a bit embarrassed about the source for my story. I heard these
stories one morning at breakfast, while reading the paper and only
half-listening to my roommate, who I thought was talking about her family
down in Nashville (who were also engaged in the campaign). Turns out she was
reading to me from the Washington Post. 

I'd already posted my comment to the list when I realized my mistake, so
here's the correct cite for the article: "For Obama Volunteer, A Solitary
Sense of History
Md. Mother Sometimes Feels Like Outsider In the Youthful, 'Post-Racial'
Campaign,"
Krissah Williams Thompson, Washington Post Thursday, October 30, 2008; Page
A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/29/AR2008102904
554.html
(it won't be available for free much longer, so I suggest you get it in the
next day or less.)

Sorry if this caused anyone any confusion.

Melinda Chateauvert
African American Studies
2169 Lefrak
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
http://www.bsos.umd.edu/aasp/chateauvert
301-405-1161
Please note I am on leave AY 2008-09

Discussion list for COMM-ORG wrote:
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>  
> [ed:  thanks to Melinda for the post.]
>
>  From: Melinda Chateauvert <mchateau at onebox.com>
>
> I would also suggest that there be a special effort made to collect stories
> from older African Americans who became involved in voter registration and
> GOTV efforts. From the anecdotes I've heard, the "culture clash" between
> them and younger (white) campaign workers created its own sets of conflicts
> within the campaign. Whether it was showing up on Sunday and being made fun
> of for wearing church clothes, to the kinds of junk food in the office, my
> informants (okay my extended family/in-laws) were offended by lack of
> respect they were shown. While they continued to volunteer, they did not
> come away with any belief that some "postracial" American society was in the
> making.
>
> Melinda Chateauvert
> African American Studies
> 2169 Lefrak
> University of Maryland
> College Park, MD 20742
> http://www.bsos.umd.edu/aasp/chateauvert
> 301-405-1161
> Please note I am on leave AY 2008-09
>
> Discussion list for COMM-ORG wrote:
>   
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>>  
>> [ed:  thanks to those who sent personal notes responding to me, which I 
>> won't post here unless the senders request it. Please consider Betty's 
>> idea in this message, which would be a great project.]
>>
>> From:
>> "Betty G. Robinson" <bgrobinson at verizon.net>
>>
>>
>> Hi Randy,
>> Just a thought:  Could Comm-Org collect all the stories about Obama 
>> campaign organizing in one place?  Even links to same?  I am thinking it 
>> would be a valuable resource for folks around the country -- I plan to 
>> do it for folks here but I am sure I don't have access to the universe 
>> of stories.  How about folks sending links to things they have read or 
>> felt showed the depth of the organizing?
>>
>> Betty
>>
>> Discussion list for COMM-ORG wrote:
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>>>  
>>> Good morning COMM-ORG,
>>>
>>> It is a rare opportunity to bear witness to the power of community 
>>> organizing.  Seldom in this country's history have we seen the craft 
>>> reach the heights of its potential--the Civil Rights Movement, the 
>>> passage of the Community Reinvestment Act and, maybe arguably, one or 
>>> two other times.  But last night I witnessed, as an adult when I can 
>>> truly appreciate it, the power of the people united through community 
>>> organizing.  I, perhaps like many of you, are still in a bit of a 
>>> shock.  Regardless of the extent to which we may or may not agree with 
>>> President-elect Obama politically (from either side of the political 
>>> spectrum), we must appreciate the historic election of someone whose own 
>>> lifetime began under the disenfranchisement of African Americans.  Less 
>>> than half a century ago Barack Obama would have had difficulty even 
>>> trying to vote in the southern United States.  I am also the parent of a 
>>> 16 year old multi-racial (including African American) daughter.  She 
>>> could not bear the ambiguity of the early returns, and could not sleep 
>>> once the result was decided.  I remain, this morning, overwhelmed by the 
>>> momentousness of this election.
>>>
>>> As we dissect what happened, I hope we appreciate how the lessons of 
>>> community organizing, which include fundraising, and its leadership by a 
>>> 47 year old community organizer who perhaps finally figured out how to 
>>> organize, brought about this historic result.  My congratulations and 
>>> thanks go out to ACORN and all the other community organizers who put 
>>> into play, in magnificent form, time-honored community organizing 
>>> practices to register voters and organize against voter suppression.  It 
>>> is a new morning in the United States and, for the moment, it belongs to 
>>> community organizing.
>>>
>>> Randy Stoecker
>>> moderator/editor, COMM-ORG
>>> rstoecker at wisc.edu
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