| As I think about what happens next in this historic election of our 44th President, I am reminded of the lyrics of one of my favorite songs that I enjoyed listening to by Sammy Davis, Jr. The words so aptly sung by Davis go like this. “Don’t forget 127th street! “H” is for the heroin they sell there! “A” is for the alley’s in which the children play! “R” is for the rats that run Pell Mell Street. “L” is for the Landlords, far, far away! “E” is for the endless clean-up projects! And “M” is for the moldy moon above! Put them altogether and they spell HARLEM!” President-elect Barack Obama is quickly moving through the exciting process of choosing those who will be fortunate enough to serve in his administration. During the campaign, almost all of the focus was on Wall Street, Main Street and the Middle Class which was very appropriate given the sad state of affairs with the national economy. As Obama moves forward, it is absolutely critical that he not forget to give more focus and attention to what is happening or has happened to those who have fallen upon hard times on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, on Cesar Chavez Drive, in Harlem and in the barrios and reservations around the country. Equally as important for Obama is the fact that, in putting the team together that will tackle these enormous problems, he must make sure to draw on expertise from appointee’s of all racial and ethnic persuasions with adequate attention being paid to gender representation as well. If Obama’s tent is big enough to reach out to Senator John McCain and the Benedict Arnold, Senator Joe Lieberman, then he certainly must make sure that he makes the extra effort to reach out to those who have not been adequately represented in previous administrations. The process of doing this will be tricky and fraught with potential political land mines. The Democratic strategist, James Carville, put it aptly when he said “During the campaign, you stab your enemies! During the process of determining who will or will not be in your administration, you stab your friends!” Each and every constituency that played a key role in getting Obama elected will, rightfully so, demand that their people and their issues receive top focus by the President-elect. Obama must not take this lightly. He has made positive strides in the right direction with the pending appointment of former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson as Secretary of Commerce even though it was clear that Richardson had expressed an interest in the coveted Secretary of State position. Obama’s pending appointment of an African American, Eric Holder, as the next Attorney General was also a good move in the right direction. The pending appointment that has generated the most controversy thus far is that of Senator Hillary Clinton who has accepted Obama’s offer to become the next Secretary of State. The concern centered on former President Bill Clinton’s comments to the media where he appeared to be promoting his wife’s candidacy for the position; and other issues related to the vetting of several thousand donors to his Foundation. Appointing Senator Clinton as Secretary of State will be a strong and positive gesture to her supporters. She certainly brings a worldly presence and toughness that will aid in her success in this very important position. It may also serve to keep Bill Clinton’s international activities in a subordinate and supportive role to that of Hillary’s as Secretary of State. There are over 7,000 appointments available for Obama to make. While these initial appointments are representative of a small step in the right direction, President Barack Hussein Obama must make certain that every effort is undertaken to guarantee that his team is the most diverse and talented ever put together in our nations history. |
Don’t Forget 127th Street!
