May 17, 2010 – The African-American vote could be the decider in one the most closely watched primary races this political season.

Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter, a former Republican will face off against Rep. Joe Sestak (D) for the senate seat in Tuesday primary.  Both candidates used the final week of campaigning to reach out to Black voters.

Sestak made a brief stop at Mount Ephraim Baptist Church where he waited patiently to make remarks to the congregation following the sermon.  Sestak highlighted his Clinton connection and his military career and promised to work for issues important to the Black community.

The congregation was polite and gracious to Sestak but not nearly as welcoming as they had been an hour earlier for Specter.  Specter greeted worshipers and received a standing ovation.  He also made the “ask” for the Black vote, touting his seniority in the nation’s capital and endorsements from President Barack Obama and the Black Clergy of Philadelphia.

Black voter turnout could be just what each of these candidates needs to make a difference.  My guess is the candidate who is able to deliver the best turnout among Black voters on Tuesday will win the primary by at least three percentage points.  

Let’s see if African-American voters make their way to the polls on Tuesday and exercise their power

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

May 10, 2010 – President Barack Obama delivered the commencement address to 2,000 graduates and their families during the 140th graduation ceremony at Hampton University on Sunday.

The president told the class of 2010, “This is a period of breathtaking change” in history and those who are well educated will be able to shape change and adapt to meet the test of their lifetime.

“First and foremost, your education can fortify you against the uncertainties of a 21st century economy,” Obama told the graduates.  

More than 12,000 folks filled the stadium to witness 1,072 graduates receiving their undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. 

“Jobs today often require at least a bachelor’s degree, and that degree is even more important in tough times like these.  In fact, the unemployment rate for folks who’ve never gone to college is over twice as high as for folks with a college degree or more,” Obama pointed out.

He also addressed the educational disparities for African American.  “By any number of different yardsticks, African Americans are being outperformed by their White classmates, as are Hispanic Americans,” Obama said.

The same is true when income is a factor, pointing out students from more affluent areas are outperforming students in poorer rural or urban communities regardless of race.  
 
“Globally, it’s not even close,” he said. “In 8th grade science and math, for example, American students are ranked about 10th overall compared to top-performing countries.  But African Americans are ranked behind more than 20 nations, lower than nearly every other developed country.”

“So all of us have a responsibility, as Americans, to change this; to offer every single child in this country an education that will make them competitive in our knowledge economy.  That is our obligation as a nation,” Obama told the crowd.

 
Hampton University’s enrollment is 5,400 and a couple of alum working at the White House accompanied the president to the commencement including; Danielle Crutchfield, director of scheduling, Dana Lewis, from the first lady’s office and Rashad Drakeford from the U.S. Department of Energy. .

After the speech the president was give a Hampton University jacket with his name and title and a seedling from the Emancipation Oak – a national historic landmark on the campus.
 
The president was also awarded an honorary doctor of laws. He joked, “This is much less expensive than my last law degree.”

May 6, 2010 – The Nigerian Television Authority interrupted programing on Wednesday to announce the death of its commander-in-chief, Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Yar’Adua, 58 years-old died from a heart condition and will be buried on Thursday.  The country will now begin seven days of national mourning and Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan who assumed the presidential duties in February will be sworn in.

During Yar’Adua’s tenure he was ill frequently and a presidential spokesman said at the time of his death he was being treated for acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining around the heart.

 Born in the northern Katsina, where he was elected as governor, Yar’Ardu was married with nine children.  He earned a degree in chemistry before entering politics and after serving as governor was elected in 2007 as president.  

In a statement released by The White House President Obama said, “We are saddened by the news of Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua’s passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Yar’Adua family and the people of Nigeria as they mourn his loss.”

Nigeria is the largest country on the continent and home to 150 million people.  During Yar’Adua’s presidency he tackled a list of reforms including corruption, reforming inadequate power sector and working to create a free transparent electoral system. 
 
President Obama praised Yar’Adua work to promote peace and stability in his administration.  “He was committed to creating lasting peace and prosperity within Nigeria’s own borders, and continuing that work will be an important part of honoring his legacy,” Obama said.

It’s unclear how Yar’Adua death will impact future reforms he promoted but Obama was optimist and called to continue a supportive relationship with the U.S.

“The Nigerian people and government should know that in this time of national mourning they have a friend and enduring partner in the United States and that together we will continue to work to address the common challenges we face,” Obama said.

May 2, 2010 – At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday, there was gridlock on the red carpet with the number of high-profile Hollywood celebrities in the nation’s capital.  Could this turnout be another impact of  the “Obama effect”? 

Saturday was a star-studded day for folks inside the beltway.  For me, it began at the annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch hosted at the home of veteran news producer Tammy Haddad and Ted Greenberg.  Other sponsors for the event included Hilary Rosen, David Adler, Jim Courtovictch, Alex Castellanos, BET’s Debra Lee, Steve McMahon and Franco Nuschese. 

Talk show host Wendy Willams and Pamela Gentry at the White House Correspendents Brunch Saturday May 1. 2010.

The summer-like temps made it difficult to stay cool throughout the day, but television and film stars somehow managed to keep cool and look fabulous.  I can’t help but mention it appears the number of celebrities invited or seeking to attend this “political” event hit an all-time high.  Several of those I spoke with were attending for the first time and attributed their interest in coming to Washington to getting a chance to see the president.   

Obama’s presidency appears to be a calling card and few invites are turned down by “A-listers.”  Tickets for the dinner are hard to come by and the waiting list appeared to be growing at an alarming rate.  It could just be my perception, but it looked like the number of celebs skyrocketed. 

The president was the dinner’s headliner and delivered a witty and amusing monologue for the more than 2,500 guests at the Washington Hilton Hotel.  Jay Leno delivered an amusing routine as the night’s entertainment and managed to poke fun at the president and Washington politics with ease. 

 I was able to meet and speak with a number of the Hollywood folks at the garden brunch where the crowd of 300 was much smaller and a little easier to navigate.   The charitable event’s honorary chair, Susan Axelrod, wife of Obama adviser David Axelrod, gave brief remarks and thanked everyone for their support.    The event raised money for the fight against epilepsy and the Mother’s Day Every Day Campaign, dedicated to eliminating women dying during child birth.

Pamela Gentry and actor Tracy Morgan at the White House Correspondents Dinner reception.

Others in town for the dinner included: Queen Latifah, Morgan Freeman, Common, Chris Tucker, Gayle King and Gabourey Sidibe.

Following is the transcript of President Obama’s remarks on Thursday at the funeral service for civil rights leader Dorothy Height: 

THE PRESIDENT: Please be seated. Let me begin by saying a word to Dr. Dorothy Height’s sister, Ms. Aldridge. To some, she was a mentor. To all, she was a friend. But to you, she was family, and my family offers yours our sympathy for your loss.

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life, and mourn the passing, of Dr. Dorothy Height. It is fitting that we do so here, in our National Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Here, in a place of great honor. Here, in the House of God. Surrounded by the love of family and of friends. The love in this sanctuary is a testament to a life lived righteously; a life that lifted other lives; a life that changed this country for the better over the course of nearly one century here on Earth.

Michelle and I didn’t know Dr. Height as well, or as long, as many of you. We were reminded during a previous moment in the service, when you have a nephew who’s 88 — (laughter) — you’ve lived a full life. (Applause.)

But we did come to know her in the early days of my campaign. And we came to love her, as so many loved her. We came to love her stories. And we loved her smile. And we loved those hats — (laughter) — that she wore like a crown — regal. In the White House, she was a regular. She came by not once, not twice — 21 times she stopped by the White House. (Laughter and applause.) Took part in our discussions around health care reform in her final months.

Civil rights activist Dick Gregory.

Last February, I was scheduled to see her and other civil rights leaders to discuss the pressing problems of unemployment — Reverend Sharpton, Ben Jealous of the NAACP, Marc Morial of the National Urban League. Then we discovered that Washington was about to be blanketed by the worst blizzard in record — two feet of snow.

So I suggested to one of my aides, we should call Dr. Height and say we’re happy to reschedule the meeting. Certainly if the others come, she should not feel obliged. True to form, Dr. Height insisted on coming, despite the blizzard, never mind that she was in a wheelchair. She was not about to let just a bunch of men — (laughter) — in this meeting. (Applause.) It was only when the car literally could not get to her driveway that she reluctantly decided to stay home. But she still sent a message — (laughter) — about what needed to be done.

And I tell that story partly because it brings a smile to my face, but also because it captures the quiet, dogged, dignified persistence that all of us who loved Dr. Height came to know so well — an attribute that we understand she learned early on.

Born in the capital of the old Confederacy, brought north by her parents as part of that great migration, Dr. Height was raised in another age, in a different America, beyond the experience of many. It’s hard to imagine, I think, life in the first decades of that last century when the elderly woman that we knew was only a girl. Jim Crow ruled the South. The Klan was on the rise — a powerful political force. Lynching was all too often the penalty for the offense of black skin. Slaves had been freed within living memory, but too often, their children, their grandchildren remained captive, because they were denied justice and denied equality, denied opportunity, denied a chance to pursue their dreams.

The progress that followed — progress that so many of you helped to achieve, progress that ultimately made it possible for Michelle and me to be here as President and First Lady — that progress came slowly. (Applause.)

Donna Brazile Democratic political strategist and feminist activist Gloria Steinem after the service.

Progress came from the collective effort of multiple generations of Americans. From preachers and lawyers, and thinkers and doers, men and women like Dr. Height, who took it upon themselves — often at great risk — to change this country for the better. From men like W.E.B Du Bois and A. Philip Randolph; women like Mary McLeod Bethune and Betty Friedan — they’re Americans whose names we know. They are leaders whose legacies we teach. They are giants who fill our history books. Well, Dr. Dorothy Height deserves a place in this pantheon. She, too, deserves a place in our history books. (Applause.) She, too, deserves a place of honor in America’s memory.

Look at her body of work. Desegregating the YWCA. Laying the groundwork for integration on Wednesdays in Mississippi. Lending pigs to poor farmers as a sustainable source of income. Strategizing with civil rights leaders, holding her own, the only woman in the room, Queen Esther to this Moses Generation — even as she led the National Council of Negro Women with vision and energy — (applause) — with vision and energy, vision and class.

But we remember her not solely for all she did during the civil rights movement. We remember her for all she did over a lifetime, behind the scenes, to broaden the movement’s reach. To shine a light on stable families and tight-knit communities. To make us see the drive for civil rights and women’s rights not as a separate struggle, but as part of a larger movement to secure the rights of all humanity, regardless of gender, regardless of race, regardless of ethnicity.

It’s an unambiguous record of righteous work, worthy of remembrance, worthy of recognition. And yet, one of the ironies is, is that year after year, decade in, decade out, Dr. Height went about her work quietly, without fanfare, without self-promotion. She never cared about who got the credit. She didn’t need to see her picture in the papers. She understood that the movement gathered strength from the bottom up, those unheralded men and women who don’t always make it into the history books but who steadily insisted on their dignity, on their manhood and womanhood. (Applause.) She wasn’t interested in credit. What she cared about was the cause. The cause of justice. The cause of equality. The cause of opportunity. Freedom’s cause.

And that willingness to subsume herself, that humility and that grace, is why we honor Dr. Dorothy Height. As it is written in the Gospel of Matthew: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” I don’t think the author of the Gospel would mind me rephrasing: “whoever humbles herself will be exalted.” (Applause.)

One of my favorite moments with Dr. Height — this was just a few months ago — we had decided to put up the Emancipation Proclamation in the Oval Office, and we invited some elders to share reflections of the movement. And she came and it was a inter-generational event, so we had young children there, as well as elders, and the elders were asked to share stories. And she talked about attending a dinner in the 1940s at the home of Dr. Benjamin Mays, then president of Morehouse College. And seated at the table that evening was a 15-year-old student, “a gifted child,” as she described him, filled with a sense of purpose, who was trying to decide whether to enter medicine, or law, or the ministry.

And many years later, after that gifted child had become a gifted preacher — I’m sure he had been told to be on his best behavior — after he led a bus boycott in Montgomery, and inspired a nation with his dreams, he delivered a sermon on what he called “the drum major instinct” — a sermon that said we all have the desire to be first, we all want to be at the front of the line.

Former Sec. Department of Transportation Rodney Slater and his wife Cassandra.

The great test of a life, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, is to harness that instinct; to redirect it towards advancing the greater good; toward changing a community and a country for the better; toward doing the Lord’s work.

I sometimes think Dr. King must have had Dorothy Height in mind when he gave that speech. For Dorothy Height met the test. Dorothy Height embodied that instinct. Dorothy Height was a drum major for justice. A drum major for equality. A drum major for freedom. A drum major for service. And the lesson she would want us to leave with today — a lesson she lived out each and every day — is that we can all be first in service. We can all be drum majors for a righteous cause. So let us live out that lesson. Let us honor her life by changing this country for the better as long as we are blessed to live. May God bless Dr. Dorothy Height and the union that she made more perfect.

April 29, 2010 – Thursday morning the Washington National Cathedral will be filled with mourners to say their final farewell to civil rights leader Dorothy Height.  Height,  longtime president of the National Council of Negro Women, died last week at the age of 98 from natural causes.

The funeral service will be open to the public and lines are expected to form early.  On Tuesday the White House confirmed President Barack Obama would be attending the funeral and will also deliver the eulogy. 

The president’s attendance brings increased security and required ticketing for folks to be in reserved seating.   I’m fortunate enough to have one of those seats. The Washington National Cathedral is no stranger to making a final farewell an honorable and cherished celebration, and this will be no exception.

Throughout the country in response to a proclamation from the president honoring Height, several states and city governments directed that flags be lowered to half-staff Thursday in memory of the civil rights trailblazer.

The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. and will be streamed live on BET.com; Height’s burial will take place following the service at Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Brentwood.

April 9, 2010 – Embattled Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele may find his leadership role in the party on thin ice if criticism continues and poor fundraising becomes a crisis.

Steele has downplayed his troubles with GOP party faithfuls, and few Republicans have said publicly they want him to step aside – until now.  in addition to the call for him to step-aside,  the call came from an African-American member of the GOP.

Dr. Ada M. Fisher, a member of the North Carolina Republican National Committee told the on-line publication Newsmax.com, it’s time for Steele to go. 

“I resent Mr. Steele saying that some of the criticism he’s getting is racial,” Fisher said.   “I’m Black and I’m not critical of him because of race. I’m critical because of the lack of accountability and transparency. That’s our job. He needs to do that job — and I don’t perceive that he has.”

Fisher is comfortable saying what some of her White counter parts are not. 

I suspect the GOP elected Steele as chairman hoping he would be the secret weapon when it came to being critical of the first African-American president’s policies.  But it appears to strategy has fallen short. 

Republicans weren’t able to stop health care reform, they’re struggling to appeal outside of their conservative base, and the creation of another GOP spearheaded fundraising group is cutting into Steele’s ability to raise money. 

 Fisher told Newsmax.com she’s not alone in her dissatisfaction; “Be assured,  Black Republicans who have been in the trenches a long time are not real pleased with what is going on. Nor are White and other ethnic members of our party.” 

In recent weeks the RNC has had a couple PR missteps that haven’t made it easy for Steele.  The first was a dinner charge at a Los Angles adult bondage club billed to the RNC and just as that was resolved; a phone number for a sex hotline was mistakenly published on a fundraising flyer mailed to prospective donors.

 Steele announced the firing of chief of staff Ken McKay and another adviser Curt Anderson has also left the RNC following the recent incidents.  Steele could be sending a message he’s holding folks accountable. 

Let’s hope it’s enough to keep him in the top spot.

Do you think the criticism of Michael Steele is because of his race? 

March 30, 2010 – President Barack Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, increasing funding for Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The bill increased direct funding by close to 25 percent and will make it  easier for African Americans to seek support in pursuit of higher education.

John White, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs told reporters on a conference call Tuesday, the president has demonstrated a “solid commitment to supporting these institution” with direct financial support over the next 10 years.

White said the goal is to, “renew, reform and expand programs” at the 105 accredited HBCUs.  The boost in funding will be welcomed by all colleges and universities who will see an increase in addition to Title III funding they now receive. 

The $850 million will be allocated to schools based on their academic strategic plan and the size of their enrollment.  The funding will not be restricted so colleges and universities can use funds to increase faculty, expand into new program areas and build infrastructure, like computer labs to support their overall goal.

While there has been a great deal of attention on health care reform, this legislation will be helpful for African-Americans students who qualify. Here’s a quick summery of what’s in this legislation;

• More than $40 billion in Pell Grants; combined with funding from the Recovery Act it will double the total amount of dollars available in the Obama administration.

• Students’ loan payments will be reduced to 10 percent of their available   discretionary income for repayment by 2014 with forgiveness in 10 years in exchange for public service.  The current payment rate is 16 percent with forgiveness in 25 years. 

• Includes $2 billion over four years for community colleges to develop, improve and provide education and career training programs. 

• Starting July 1, all new federal student loans will be direct loans and delivered and collected by private companies under performance-based contracts with the Department of Education.

 
Melody Barns, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council said the new college loan program will create a savings of $68 billion with the elimination of the government subsidies currently given to banks and other financial institutions that make guaranteed federal student loans.

But increased funding isn’t the only part of the Obama administration’s outreach to HBCUs.  White announced the president, first lady and other top White House officials will have a huge presence during commencement season at HBCUs.

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

March 21, 2010 – The nail-biting is over and Congress has passed a historic health care bill that will provide health care for more than 30 million Americans.

The floor of the House erupted with applause when the magic number of 216 was reached passing H.R. 3590.  The final tally 219-210 was swiftly followed with a vote on reconciliation H.R. 4872 in a voice vote.

Republicans made a last-ditch effort to kill the bill with an appeal to recommit the bill, which would have sent the bill back to committee; it failed in a voice vote as well as a roll call, 220 -211.  This was followed with a vote on reconciliation which also failed, 232 -199, clearing the way for the bill’s last hurdle – passage in the Senate.   

President Obama addressed the American people from the White House East Room flanked by Vice President Joe Biden calling the vote for comprehensive health care, “the right thing to do.”

“We proved that this government, a government of the people and by the people, still works for the people,” Obama said. As White House advisors looked on, the president thanked all those who worked on getting this bill passed. “I know this wasn’t an easy vote for a lot of people but it was the right vote.”

The president worked feverishly in recent weeks to help get this bill across the finish line.  He postponed and then cancelled a trip abroad to stay close to the negotiations.  “This isn’t radical reform, but it is major reform. This is what change looks like,” Obama added.

“The United States Congress finally declared that America’s workers and America’s families and small businesses deserve the security of knowing that here in this country neither illness nor accident should endanger the dreams they worked a lifetime to achieve,” Obama said.

House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who spent months “whipping” Democrats in line for a night like Sunday, told reporters after the president’s remarks, “This has been a labor of love, and I do mean that.”  Clyburn said, “I consider this to be the Civil Rights Act of the 20^th century.”

How will you benefit from the passage of  health care reform?

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

March 15, 2010 – This could be the week a health care reform bill is passed by Congress or is faced with defeat.  But judging from White House staff making the rounds on Sunday talk shows – they’re predicating victory while their critics predicted failure.

So who’s right?

White House senior advisor to the president, David Axelrod, told CNN’s State of the Union, they will have the votes needed in Congress. “Obviously, this is a struggle. Look, the lobbyists for the insurance industry have landed on Capitol Hill like locusts, and they are going to be doing everything they can in the next week to try and muscle people.” 

It’s doubtful the Dems will get any support from the GOP.  House Minority leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) told CNN even though Democrats have agreed to include Republicans’ suggestions to have undercover agents investigate Medicare fraud, eliminated the public option, included medical malpractice reforms and tax credits for small businesses; it is still not enough. 

“We could come to an agreement on probably eight or 10 common sense steps that you’ve outlined to make our health care system better. But we can’t come to an agreement on eight or 10 things,” Boehner said. 

House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn, (D-S.C.) admitted on NBC’s Meet the Press that as of now the votes for passage in the House weren’t there but said, “I’m also very confident we’ll get this done.” 

Republicans see the failure of health care reform as a sure fire way to regain the majority in the House in November.  Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) called the health-care vote “a political kamikaze mission” for Democrats, saying it has morphed into a “larger issue of the role of government in American lives.”

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs appearing on Fox News Sunday said, “We’re happy to have the 2010 elections be about the achievement of health-care reform.  That’s a debate I think we’re obviously comfortable having.”

It’s predicted an up or down vote will come sometime this week.  On Saturday the president announced he would delay his trip planned to Indonesia and Australia so he can be on hand for the final days of negotiations.

Do you think Congress will pass a health care reform bill?