November 10, 2012 - November 10, 2012, www.afro.com
Volume 121 No. 14
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The Afro-American
NOVEMBER 10, 2012 - NOVEMBER 16, 2012
America’s Choice A4 Election Day Photos A7 Looking Beyond the Election
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The Nation Reaffirms President Obama By Avis Thomas-Lester AFRO Executive Editor President Obama, the nation’s first AfricanAmerican commander-inchief, won re-election on Nov. 6 from an electorate that had been battered by one of the most contentious presidential campaigns in recent history. As he stood before a crowd of 10,000 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Lakeside Center, Obama spoke confidently and proudly about the nation and its people. “Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward,” the president said,. “It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country
“Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward.” —President Obama from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people.” The Obama who thanked the nation for giving him a second term contrasted starkly with the man who stood before a microphone 48 hours earlier in Iowa and delivered an emotional thank
you for the part the state played in his ascendance to the presidency four years ago. The Nov. 6 speech was more reminiscent of his appearance at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, when many first became aware of the junior senator from Illinois who was expected to do great things. On Nov. 4, the rock star in him was more difficult to see. Four years into a Continued on A6
Black Expectations for Second Term By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO
Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. That’s the item at the top of the Black political agenda for the next four years. Throughout the recent recession African Americans have outpaced other groups in joblessness. The most recent data show that, while the general unemployment rate continued to decrease, reaching 7.9 percent in October, Black unemployment jumped to 14.3 percent. Reducing foreclosures in the Black community and addressing persistent disparities in the justice system are also some key issues that require attention. But political analysts and African-American leaders are divided on the possible fate of the Black agenda under another four years of the Obama administration. The president, facing criticism for failing to reverse black
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unemployment during his first term, stressed that he serves the entire nation, not just Black residents. “I can’t pass laws that say I’m just helping Black folks. I’m the president of the United States,” the president said in a Dec. 21, 2010 interview with American Urban Radio Networks. “What I can do is make sure that I am passing laws that help all people, particularly those who are most vulnerable and most in need. That in turn is going to help lift up the AfricanContinued on A3
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