Reparations Means Barack Obama Should Have to Court Black Voters

So, what does this mean? Why would someone supporting Senator Obama make such a statement?

I see the Obama Campaign as an experiment in what I call "Power Politics" and learning to maximize our votes. We have witnessed how a unified Black voting bloc could change the landscape of American politics. We are now clear that if we found a unifying force and voted as a unit, we would have the power to exert our will and accomplish what we pursue.

Reparations means Barack Obama should have to court Black voters. On Thursday, Senator Obama was in Florida courting Jewish voters. Not only was he present in their community. But, he also laid out his policy agenda on issues of interest to the Jewish Community. He detailed his stance on their concerns and addressed questions they had.

Yet, he has not courted Black voters. He has not laid out his policy agenda on issues of interest to the Black Community. He has not detailed his stance on our concerns; neither has he been present to address any of our questions.

Reparations means Barack Obama should have to court Black voters. But, it is not his fault. Again, the fault is ours. He should have to court Black voters, but he does not have to court us. He can succeed by ignoring our issues. He would not succeed if he ignored the issues of the Jewish Community. We are seeing - by pundit calls that he beef up his image - his efforts among working class Whites ("hard-working Americans") . Where are the overtures towards his "base?"

But, it is not only him. No politician has a "Black Agenda." Who speaks about the racial disparities that exist in this Country? Who among them speaks directly to policy solutions that are designed to combat these disparities? It is simply more striking with Senator Obama because we have been termed: "his base."

So, reparations means Barack Obama should have to court Black voters. We must rise to the challenge before we miss the boat. In the same way that a reparations check would "solve racism" in the eyes of the majority, so too would electing a Black President serve the same purpose. If we blindly elect Senator Obama without organizing a strong political vehicle, the majority will dismiss our grievances as having been solved by Obama's election.

Senator Obama should have to lay out a policy agenda addressing the issues pertinent to the Black Community. Every candidate should have to lay out such an agenda. So now that we have done our part to help him win the nomination, we need to be sure that we receive our reward. For Barack Obama to be a benefit to the Black Community, we must force him to take a stand in support of those issues that are of concern to us. If we do not do this, he will benefit from our votes but our community will gain nothing. If we fail to do this, he becomes nothing more than a figurehead...an anomaly...a glitch in the matrix, alerting of the the sentinel's presence and our looming demise.

These are our next steps in the Obama Campaign. We must defend the community from external forces...but we must also defend the community from ourselves. And as we ride the Obama Wave, we must ensure that we do our part to show that we do not simply amount to a fickle mass of voters who will remain in bondage to the system. We must organize so that we are seen as a force to be reckoned.

Come and Get Your Reparations!