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O pinion
November 12. 2008
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Basking in the Glow of Victory
by
B enjamin Toon J ealous
Last T uesday, w e ushered
in a new era. W e destroyed
the rem nants o f Jim Crow,
abolished a one-color-fits-all
definition o f leadership, and
declared that our nation wouId
rise above the politics o f the past.
W e witnessed the most inclu
sive election, enjoyed by the larg
est, most informed and most moti
vated electorate in our nation's
history. On Nov. 4, we elected an
African-American man as Presi
d ent o f the U nited S tates o f
N AACP, and N A ACP
leaders and members
a ro u n d the c o u n try
rose to the challenge.
T his election saw
mobilization efforts pre
viously unimaginable.
We registered thousands of vot
ers. on the ground and on the web,
but it didn't stop there. Our ground
game delivered voters to the polls
and defended them once they were
there. That's why we were incourt
rooms across the country, chal
lenging laws and policies that
x The election is over and the
a
result is incredible, but the
movement has only just begun.
America.
We congratulate P resident
elect Barack O bam a and his wife
M ichelle on their historic win.
This m om ent is 232 years in the
making. In this moment, we honor
the m em ory o f freedom fighters
like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ida
B. W ells, M edgar Evers, Rosa
Parks, and so many others who
gave their lives so that the prom
ise o f Am erica can be real for all
people. It is their sacrifice that
made this m om ent possible.
Full electoral participation has
always been a driving goal o f the
served to prohibit eligible voters on Election Day.
from casting ballots.
T he election is over and the
This election wasn't perfect. result is incredible, but the m ove
There were still far too many re ment has only ju st begun.
As we bask in die glow of Barack
ports of voter disenfranchisement
and harassment. There were still Obama's stunning victory, we ac
far too many problems with the knowledge that the battles are still
inequitable distribution o f re many. Nonetheless, we have proof
sources that resulted in long lines, that an inspired nation can come
faulty machinery, insufficient bal together across racial, cultural, and
lots, and racially motivated voter generational boundaries to bring
challenges at polling locations in about even greater change.
Benjamin Todd Jealous is
low-income and minority com m u
nities. There were still loo many president and chief executive
eligible voters who stayed home officer o f the NAACP.
ManMMMSMMMMf
Voting for Hope over Fear
Obama renews promise of equal opportunity
has ju st been elected the
44th President o f the United
States.
The Urban League of Port
land congratulates President
elect Barack Obama, Vice-
by M aim us C. M undy
A fter the longest
an d h a rd e st fo u g h t
presidential cam paign
in A m erican history,
Barack Obama
! S i i h s c r i h e ! ’ 7 7 " ~s" "
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Researchers
in the Department
of Psychiatry at OHSU
are seeking participants for a study to
identify how visual and auditory information
processing may be affected in ADHD/ADD.
We are looking for participants between the
ages of 18-35 who have received a
diagnosis of ADHD, but no history of other
neurological or psychiatric diagnoses. The
study will involve two parts. During the first
visit we will ask you questions about your
attention, your mood, and other background
information. The second visit, will involve
visual and auditory attention computer
tasks. Subjects will be reimbursed at $25/
hour.
President-elect Joe Biden and
their families for turning what
began as an im probable journey
into an historic victory for their
party and our country.
We welcome the new vision
they bring to W ashington and
pledge to work with them to tackle
the nation’s deepening domestic
challenges, including the epidemic
of home foreclosures, the crisis in
public education, as well as rising
unemployment and poverty that
have hit middle class and urban
Americans especially hard in re-
N ever again will any young
boy or girl o f color in Am erica be
shackled with the awful certainty
o fn o t in my lifetime.
The Urban League o f Portland
stands ready on day one to work
with the new A dm inistration, es
pecially in the effort to craft a
com prehensive urban agenda that
expands o p p o rtu n ity and um,
leashes the trem endous untapped
potential in our cities.
We also congratulate our new
est U.S. Senator-elect from O r
egon, Jeff M erkley. We look for
ward to w orking with him on his
agenda for change in Oregon and
the country that seeks to end
disparities in health, education
and em p lo y m en t for A frican
Americans and all working people.
Marcus C. Mundy is chief ex
ecutive officer o f the Urban
League o f Portland.
Election Can’t Cure Racial Injustice
But it can change perceptions
B y J udge G reg M athis
T he world celebrated
when Sen. Barack O bam a
ascended to the p resi
d e n c y o f th e U n ite d
States, the first African-
A m erican to do so. His
election not only marked
a new era in American politics but
also a giant leap forward for race
relations.
O bam a, his cam paign staffers
and his supporters have done
what many thought was im pos
sible. Collectively, we all worked
together and made history. Now
it is tim e for us to individually do
our parts to make sure we as A f
rican A m erican s co n tin u e to
progress forward.
T h ere are certain m om ents in
U.S. history that have signaled
a p o s itiv e sh ift in th e w ay
A m ericans view race and in ju s
tices. T he 1955 k id n ap p in g and
m u rd er o f 14-year E m m ett Till
for allegedly w histling a ta white
w o m an b ro u g h t to lig h t fo r
m any w hite A m ericans the co n
stant fear blacks in the South
lived in.
In l965,ft(X)peacefulmarchers
For further information, please contact Lesley
at:
(503)
494-6494,
or
email
stiffler@ohsu.edu.
were attacked with billy
clubs and tear gas by state
and local police on the
Edm und Pettus Bridge in
Selm a, Ala. T elevision
cam eras captured the at
tacks and broadcast them
to the nation. Many were
horrified by w hat they saw and
becam e active in the civil rights
movement.
If you are a father, be responsible.
Support yourchild financially and
emotionally.
Young women: Turn o ff the
radio w hen a sexist and dem ean
ing song com es on. It doesn’t
m atter if the ‘beat is h o t,’ you
m ust have m ore respect for your
selves. If you d o n ’t, how can
o th ers?
P arents: R aise y o u rch ild re n .
D o n ’t let the telev isio n o r video
gam es replace family tim e - time
that can be used to gu id e and
ed u c ate y o u rc h ild . B ecom e a c
tive at th eir school and get to
know their friends. Studies show
that children with fully involved
p aren ts do b etter in school and
are less lik ely to go to prison.
A m erica is far from perfect
an d O b a m a ’s e le c tio n alo n e
w o n ’t ‘c u re’ racial injustice. But
the idea of a black person leading it can ch an g e p ercep tio n s. If
this nation. This show s that old w h ites are already b eg in n in g to
stereotypes are — if not erased — see us d ifferen tly , it is high tim e
w e begin to see o u rselv es d if
.fading.
We can help eradicate these ferently. A nd w e m ust act a c
stereotypes by not playing into co rd in g ly .
Judge Greg Mathis is vice
them.
Young men: Put dow n your president o f Rainbow PUSH and
guns, pull up your pants and pick a board member o f the Southern
up a book. Take your education Christian Leadership Confer
seriously and aspire to greatness. ence.
hope. But he needn’t stand alone.
As individuals we have a re
sponsibility to ourselves and our
com m unities to guide this coun
try in the direction o f openness
and fairness.
F orthe m ost part, white people
have, at a very basic level, done
theirs. Sixty-one percent o f those
who voted for O bam a were white.
It has taken centuries, but now',
final ly, the majority of white people
in Am erica are com fortable with
Now it is time fo r us to
individually do our parts to make
sure we as African Americans
continue to progress forward.
M ore re c e n tly , H u rric a n e
Katrina and its afterm ath and the
governm ent's failure to assist the
people o f New O rleans renewed
discussions around racial, social
and econom ic injustice. Along
the way, there have been leaders
who have represented each step
in A m erica’s move tow ard true
racial equality. President-elect
O bam a is that latest symbol o f
Advertise with diversity
in
Call 503-288-0033
OHSU IRB #252
T erry F amily
cent years.
We would also like to take this
opportunity to congratulate the
Am erican people for voting hope
over fear and electing the first
African American president in our
nation's history. This is a w ater
shed m om ent that renew s the
nation’s founding promise o f free
dom , equality and opportunity
for all.
Thiselection has shattered what
was once considered an unbreak
able glass ceiling that has kept so
many generationsof minorities and
women from dreaming big dreams
and reaching their lull-potential.
Never again will any young boy
or girl o f color in America be
shackled with the awful certainty
o f not in my lifetime.
(O bôC tA U 'V
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