HOW ABOUT WE FOCUS ON AMERICA ITSELF!

#Winningthefuture: The Obama Administration's African-American Focus

Monday, April 18, 2011 9:15 AM | 11 comments

By Biba Adams

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Never let it be said that the Obama White House hasn't done anything for the Black community. President Obama has created or saved 3 million jobs. He dedicated 800 million dollars to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's), he worked to alleviate some of the disparity in drug sentencing laws reducing the disparity in cocaine to crack sentencing from 100 to 1 to 18 to 1. Over 4 million minority businesses have benefited from tax credits, and programs like the Mortgage Forbearance program and income based student loan repayment benefit Black America.

Yet, consider Rev. Al Sharpton and Prof. Cornel West arguing on MSNBC, a community activist and an Ivy League professor, both of whom embrace the President, while still offering criticism of his perceived lack of policies that specifically seek to improve the lives of black Americans. It is an oft-heard refrain, that the “First Black President” hasn’t “done anything for Black folks.” Still, there exists within the Obama administration numerous African-Americans including Senior Advisor to the President, Valerie Jarrett, Michael Strautmanis, Counselor for Strategic Engagement and Assistant to the President, and Michael Blake, Director of African-American & Minority Business Outreach. The roles of Strautmanis and specifically Michael Blake are to labor for the concerns of minorities.

Why? Many African American still don't know what the White House is doing.

The office of African-American & Minority Business Outreach has created a series of community forums to discuss “Winning the Future,” the theme of President Obama’s new budget initiative. A recent meeting in Atlanta, at the Atlanta Life building, home of the first African-American life insurance company, was full of 30-somethings dressed in business attire and ready to work. The Obama Generation was in full effect ready to hear about how the administration can best serve local communities and how local residents can help their communities win the future. The 400-plus audience was largely young, eager, excited and most importantly, engaged in their communities.



Michael Strautmanis encouraged the audience reminding them that, "He (The President) is thinking about you. He is working for you. You are in his heart and on his mind." Strautmanis also thanked Atlanta's 41 year old Mayor, Kasim Reed, for his "friendship and model leadership." The President trusts and admires this young mayor," he expounded. Mayor Reed, who won his position by less than 800 votes stated, "If we miss this time, where the most influential African-American on the planet doesn't throw a ball, pitch a ball, or catch a ball, we will not be worthy of the people who made it possible for us to sit here right now."

Blake echoed the Mayor's sentiments calling the hallowed names of civil rights pioneers who hailed from Atlanta stating that the audience can not "mess up this opportunity."

One of the most interesting things about this Town Hall meeting, which almost had the feel of a pre-election rally, was that the representatives of the federal government and specifically the White House provided contact email addresses and phone numbers led by Michael Blake, Director of African-American & Minority Business Outreach. Blake, a New York native, provided his email addresses and asked members of the Minority Business Development Agency and General Services Administration to provide their contact information as well, implying that this White House is available to the public.

“We want to open the doors,” Blake stated, “We need to make it plain that a lot of things are happening.” Town hall events, like the one that took place in Atlanta, helps people become aware of what the federal government can do and recognize those who are already working. “We have to get out and talk to folks,” Blake reiterated, “Help us organize.”

The event closed with the opportunity for many to ask questions of the panel, and the lines were long. However, the key point was made by Mr. Blake who talked about the Winning the Future intitiative of the President, which is focused on "Out-educating, Out-building, and Out-innovating" the rest of the world. "When you go to sleep, someone else around the world is trying to beat you. If we stay focused, we can continue to win winning the future."