Page A4 November 15, 2006 Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer O pinion Electing a President who isn’t White and Male I'm encouraged by the progress M \ k < 11. M o m \i The 2006 midterm elections have set the stage for some his torie d ev elo p m en ts for women and mi­ norities in the political arena. With the Democratic Party's takeover o f the U.S. House of R e p re s e n ta tiv e s . R e p .N a n c y Pelosi stands to become the fust fem ale S p e a k e r, w h ile Rep. Charles Rangel is poised to take over the helm o f the powerful Ways and Means Com m ittee - the first African American to have the job. And in Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, a former official with the Civil Rights Com m is­ sion under President Clinton, won his bid to become the second African A merican governor in U.S. history after form er V ir­ ginia Gov. Doug W ilder, who served in the 1990s. By the same token. Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr., who ran a remarkable campaign, lost in his by bill to become the first African American senator from the South since Reconstruction. O hio Sec­ retary of State Kenneth Blackwell. M a ry la n d Lt. G ov. Michael Steele and former Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swan were all defeated in their respective races for governor. And in M ichi­ gan. voters gave affirm a­ tive-action foes a victory by baring use o f preferences by state colleges and universities as well as governmental agencies. But the recent electoral out­ comes still beg the question - if the nation is willing to have an African American lead one of Capitol Hill's most influential com ­ mittees, a black female Secretary o f State and a female Speaker of the House, is it ready to elect a female and/or African American to be president? According to a recent G allup survey, the answ er is a resound­ ing yes: 58 percent said they believed the U. S. was ready to elect a black president and 61 percent - a female president. But are voters ready to put their vote where their mouth is? With over 9,(MX) public office­ fringe to the m ainstream within holders nationw ide, blacks have the D enuxratic Party. made major progress on the po­ "W hite folks were indignant litical front since the civil rights that he was running." said Eric movement of the 1960s. Easter, who worked on both o f In 1967. Edward Brixrke of Jackson's cam paigns, in a 2003 M assachusetts becam e the first Village Voice story. "And then black folks got in­ popularly elected African A m eri­ can to serve in the U.S. Senate. dignant that they were indignant. In 1969. the Congressional Black It won't be too long before a person o f color or woman does serve our nation's highest office - or at least that is my dream. C aucus w as form ed w ith 13 T here was this very strong members. In 1972, New York visceral reaction to his presence Rep. Shirley Chisholm , the first in the race, over w hether this black woman elected to the U.S. was the right time and right place H ouse, sh ow ed that a black for an African A m erican to be. woman could throw her hat into and that galvanized his base." By 1 9 8 8 . he m o re th a n the presidential ring "in spite of hopeless odds" to dem onstrate dou b led his 1984 results, w in ­ her "sheer will and refusal to ning 11 prim aries before losing accept the status quo." to M assachusetts G ov. M ichael By 1984. Rev. Jesse Jackson D ukakis. In 1996. Alan K eyes galvanized the black community ran for the G O P nod but had and liberal dem ocratic base in b etter success in 2000, taking bringing his candidacy from the 14 percent o f votes in the Iow a cau cu ses and 21 percent in the U tah prim ary. Som e new s o r­ ganizations even declared him the w inner o f the presidential debates. In 2004, the Rev. Al Sharpton and form er Sen. Carol M oseley Braun, the first black wom an elected to the Senate, vied for the D em ocratic nomination, collect­ ing few delegates. Not since 1988 has a minority candidate seen Jackson's suc­ cess. Now, tw o decades later, Illinois Sen. Barack O bam a may be just the candidate to make history. L argely unknow n in 2004, O bam a em erged from a very crow ded field to win a U.S. Sen­ ate primary, paving the way for keynote speaking opportunity at his party's national convention. A D ecem ber 2005 article in The New Republic argued that O bam a w ould have his best chance o f w inning the W hite House in 2008, with no incum ­ bent president or vice president in the race. But does an African American like O bam a or Keyes or even Secretary o f State Condoleezza Rice have a realistic chance of taking the W hite House in 2008 or 2 1 12 or even 2 1 16? A study that appeared in the latest Q u arterly Journal o f E co­ nom ics conclu d ed that the U.S. electo rate is still hesitant about voting blacks into congressional office. It found that w hites o f both m ajor parties are less likely to vote for th eir p arties' c a n d i­ dates w hen they are black and th at R ep u b lic a n s are 25-per- cent m ore likely to cro ss party lines in senatorial elections when the G O P can d id ate is black. W hite D em ocrats w ere 38-per- cen t-less likely to vote for black co n g ressio n al can d id ates from th e ir ow n party. Can A m ericans really look be­ yond race and gender when it com es to choosing their national leaders? That rem ains to be seen. Still, we can be encouraged by the progress. It won't be too long before a person o f color or woman does serve our nation's highest office - or at least that is my dream . Marc H. Morial is president and chief executive officer o f the National Urban League. New Day Dawning Change In Leadership, Not Values Victory gives black caucus more power Judiciary; U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-New York, as chair o f W ays and M eans; U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings. D-Fla., as chair o f In te llig e n c e ; U .S. Rep. Bennie Thompson. D-Miss., as by U.S. R ep . M elvin L. W atts chair o f Homeland Security; and U.S. Rep. Juanita Millender T he Amen- McDonald. D-Calif., as chair I can p e o p le o f House Administration. j h av e sp o k e n Additionally. U.S. Rep. James ‘ an d A fric a n Clyburn, D-S.C., the current | Americans, in Democratic Caucus Chair, is I p a rtic u la r. A positioned to become the M a­ have o v e r- i w i | w helm ingly voted for new lead­ jority Whip, the third highest ership in Congress and around ranking position in the U.S. the country. We will now have House. Mr. Clyburn would be a Congress that works for all the second African American member to ever hold this im ­ Americans. In the new Congress begin- portant position. "O verall, the m em bers o f ning in January, the Black Cau- \ cus have three new members. the C ongressional Black C a u ­ : I congratulate and w elcom e cus will continue to be lead­ "• U .S. R e p re s e n ta tiv e s -e le c t ers in m aking A m erica w ork I Yvette Clarke o f New York. for all A m ericans and will Keith Ellison of Minnesota and help enact legislation that will H ank Jo h n so n o f G eo rg ia. close the d isp arities gap b e­ These new representatives will tw een the rich and poor in all be powerful forces to help our country. We look forward to w ork­ us m ove fo rw ard w ith our ing with D emocrats, Republi­ agenda. In addition, we expect the cans and Independents to ad­ new com m ittee leadership in vance our agenda." Congressman Melvin L. I Congress to include several of our members: U.S. Rep. John Watt. D-N.C., is chair o f the Conyers. D-M ich., as chair of Congressional black Caucus. 1 J i j Respecting differences at Clark College E ditor's note: R. Wayne Branch, a local African Ameri­ can leader, was terminated as president o f Clark College in Vancouver after a 'no confi­ dence’ vote by faculty amid criti­ cism o f liis commitment to shared governance. by R hona S en H oss C lark C< 11.1 r:< a B< > akdoe T ri sites We know that people may be asking that question follow ing the change in presidential leader­ ship at the college. We want our students and the com m unity to know that Clark College remains committed to the mission and vision o f our institution - includ­ ing a respect for differences. That com m itm ent is more than just words. n i i m X - K T i S X ’ m* portunt thui ii was established as lives, used to drive planning and decision-m aking at the college. As Trustees, we are com m it- Clark College Board Chair Rhona Sen Hoss Former Clark College President R. Wayne Branch We are developing strategies to increase the number o f students o f color and international students , . . . . T who attend our institution. In addition, we have adopted an institutional goal to lead and prOUlOte diversity initiatives ill hiring and training. ted to realizing, in day to day -C la rk College Board Chair Rhona Sen Hoss term s, w hat it m eans to truly respect differences. Respect for differences means that our students, faculty and staff reflect the rich diversity of our com m unity. Respect for dif­ ferences m eans that everyone feels valued for who they are. Respect for differences means NEW S E A S O N S O r d e r y o u r T h a n k s g iv in g t u r k e y a n d s id e d is h e s . T H R E E E A S Y W AYS! M A R K E T IT ’S N O V E M B E R 15™ _ 1. C a ll o u r T u r k e y H o tlin e a t 5 0 3 .4 7 3 .8 6 9 5 D(r you kruntr lafarv Lf our T U R K E Y is? 2. O r d e r o n lin e a t w w w .n e w s e a s o n s m a rk e t.c o m 3. C o m e in to o n e o f o u r s t o r e s H ir Rhona Sen Hoss is chair o f the Clark College Board o f Trustees. |Jnrtknti> (fbh&ahwv Established 1970 USPS 959-680 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 E ditor - in -C hiee : M fostering a w elcom ing, acces­ sible and inclusive learning envi­ ronm ent for everyone. Respect for differences means w orking proactively to em brace differ­ ences and to understand and re­ spect the many w ays that we are both sim ilar and unique. As part o f our com m itm ent to those values, we will conduct a diversity audit o f the col lege early in 2007. We w ant to hear honest feedback from our students, our faculty and our staff on the ways in which Clark C ollege truly re­ flects a respect for differences - - and w ays in which we are not yet living our vision. The data front this c o lle g e ­ w ide survey will help us create a diversity plan for Clark College. W e are developing strategies to increase the num ber o f students o f color and international stu­ dents who attend our institution. In addition, we have adopted an institutional goal to lead and pro­ mote diversity initiatives in hiring and training. W orking in partnership with our D irector for Equity and Di­ versity and ourC ollege Pluralism Com m ittee, our college leader­ ship team is com m itted to every step o f this journey, just as we are com m itted to providing the best education and the best expe­ rience possible for our students, enhancing their opportunities for success, valuing their individual aspirations and helping each stu­ dent fulfill th eir ow n special dream s. Pi ri . is iie r : Charles H. Washington E d it o r : M ichael P hrlu R i i . a tio n s : Mark W ashington C reative D irecto r : O f f ic e M anager : R eporter : Leighton Paul N eufeldt Kathy Linder Sarah Blount The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. 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