Brazile Urges Americans to Lead the Change They Seek
(BPRW) ATLANTA – Renowned political strategist Donna Brazile urged
Americans to “get your game on and be a part of the movement for change” yesterday when she
delivered the keynote address at the 2009 Spelman College Leadership and Women of Color Conference.
Offering “practical ideas about how to lead in the Age of Obama,”
Brazile gave President Obama top marks for the first 115 days, but ultimately placed the responsibility
of leadership and change in the hands of citizens.
“President Obama has given us all the tools we need. Go through
his budget; go through the stimulus; go through all of the executive orders. You’ll see that
he’s given us what we want, what we voted for, what he promised. So it now comes to us. It
starts with us. We’re going to have to become the leaders that we’ve always searched for.”
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At the gathering of more than 300 thought leaders, Brazile encouraged the audience to
get involved in their own communities by securing grants through recovery.gov; communicating
with leaders via new technologies such as Twitter and Facebook; and, building coalitions among
those with shared commonalities.
““We are the leaders.
We are the pot-stirrers, the tree-shakers. We must use this hour, this moment to continue
to push for change. It’s time that we remind every citizen in this country that they have
a responsibility to serve, a responsibility to act and a responsibility to keep those in power
accountable to those who elected them.”
While Brazile said President Obama is off to a good start, she
cautioned that there is more to do and change doesn’t just come from Washington D.C., it comes
from within.
“Our 44th president may not be perfect but he’s in the game,
scoring points for America. And, we will all be the winners if he succeeds. So it’s time to
rest up and get your game on. Be a part of this movement for change and help President Obama
fulfill the promises he made.”
The Spelman College Leadership and Women of Color Conference
is an annual event that brings together a diverse group of thought leaders to exchange ideas
and new strategies for building strong communities.
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A Climate of Change
Taking Charge of Our Environmental Actions
(BPRW) More than 40
years ago, soul singer Sam Cooke recorded “A Change is Gonna Come.” An anthem for the Civil
Rights Movement of the sixties, it has gained popularity among a new generation. Today, the
first African-American president in U.S. history is bringing that song into the present tense.
Change is here, including the way we all look at our responsibilities to our shared environment
when its resources are threatened. In the words of President Obama, “…this moment of peril
must be turned into one of progress.”
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
indicates the largest contribution to climate change the average person makes comes from the
amount of fuel we burn in our cars, electricity we use at home and work, and the amount of
waste we generate.
I can relate to this assessment. In my career, I lead a team
that has helped FedEx Express make environmental choices, such as installing solar power on
a major hub facility in California and buying hybrid delivery vans. In my day-to-day life,
I make similar choices on a personal scale; choices we can all make. Together, we can lessen
the global environmental impact of our lifestyle choices and leave a
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greener planet to our grandchildren.
Let’s look at air quality and waste at home. Indoor air quality can be improved with small
changes. For example, I remember my grandmother using baking soda, vinegar and hot water to
remove grease from her kitchen appliances. This “green” mixture still cleans and deodorizes
well today and is one option to reduce the amount of chemicals released in your home. Controlling
the level of chemical exposure for your family and properly disposing of leftover hazardous
products like paints, motor oil and pesticides is essential. Check the Environmental Protection
Agency’s website for more information on options – http://www.epa.gov/epa/ epawaste/conserve/materials/hhw.htm.
Also, by eliminating or recycling more food and household waste,
we lower emissions of greenhouse gases
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE |
| Juneteenth Info |
2 |
ADA Act |
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| Community |
3 |
Community Connection |
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| Auto |
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| Education |
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| Calendar |
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| Title VI Violators |
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| To Be Equal |
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Special Supplement |
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| Black Chamber |
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18th Anniversary African American Voice Newspaper |
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| Social Security |
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S1-S4 |
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EVENT DATE LOCATION
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Juneteenth June 6-27
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Colorado Guide to Diversity
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Colorado Juneteenth Festival
Colorado Springs, CO
– The Juneteenth Festival 2009 gets underway with its Kickoff Celebration on June 6th at 11:00
am at the Muhr Law Building. This will be followed by a daylong celebration on June 13th at
901 Fountain Blvd and concludes on June 27th at the Academy Hotel with the Freedom Awards
Program from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm.
Juneteenth began its long, unsteady journey into history on
January 1, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. In theory,
it freed all the slaves. In actuality, it was simply a piece of paper whose full import was
yet to be recognized. Its background was one of the bloodiest confrontations on U.S. soil—the
American Civil War. Until the final battle of that war was fought on Palmito Hill in Texas
in May 1865, the full might of Lincoln's signature languished in the embattled South. On June
19, 1865, one month after the battle ended and more than two years after the formal surrender
of the Confederacy, General Gordon Granger marched into Galveston and proclaimed the authority
of the United States over Texas. In so doing, Granger declared all acts of the Confederacy
null and void and declared that slaves were henceforth free.
The Juneteenth Festival 2009 is sponsored by The African American
Voice Newspaper and many other local and national companies. Please join us for JUNETEENTH
FESTIVAL 2009 to honor African Americans and their contributions and achievements in world
history. For more information call: 719-528-1954 or email James.tucker@africanamerican voice.net
www.africanamericanvoice.net www.juneteenth.us.
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