For the 'Obama Gonna What' files, Faye Anderson is looking to be the black employment watchdog. Her words:
“Let’s work to change the political system, as imperfect as it is. I know people can feel down about the way things are going sometimes here in Washington. I know it’s tempting to give up on the political process ... It’s not enough, but it’s progress. Progress is possible. Don’t give up on voting. Don’t give up on advocacy. Don’t give up on activism. There are too many needs to be met, too much work to be done.”
– Remarks by President Barack Obama in Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., January 17, 2010
The swearing-in of the nation’s first African American president heralded a new age of possibilities and responsibilities. History didn’t just happen. History was made when African Americans turned out and voted in record numbers. But the struggle continues.
Tracking Change provides a platform to get involved in the policymaking process. By working together, we can change policies and programs to ensure issues of importance to the African American community are addressed. The issues include racial disparities in employment, federal contracting opportunities, and access to capital and traditional mortgages.
Tracking Change is about collaborating to ensure African Americans’ interests are represented “in the midst of our greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression.”
National Journal reports:
New media channels such as Facebook, YouTube, and mobile messaging are becoming an essential protein pack
for successful advocacy. Gone are the days of promotion or message-spreading through snail mail and a website alone.
The people and organizations that wish to become more influential over their target audience are tapping into the tools
of Web 2.0 to make their voices heard.
In these challenging economic times, we must do more with less. By harnessing the power of social media and crowdsourcing transparency and accountability, we can more effectively push for change and make our voices heard.
In the Obama administration, policymaking will be transparent, collaborative and participatory. Tracking Change provides timely information about legislation, policies, programs and Federal rules that impact the African American community. Social media use the “wisdom of crowds” to organize, and share news and information.
Tracking Change allows advocacy groups and concerned citizens to track and measure progress in select departments and agencies, including the Minority Business Development Agency, Small Businss Administration, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and Energy. And we will measure change because what gets measured gets done.
Tracking Change shares user-generated ideas and information to bring about the change we seek.
Truth be told, we are the leaders we have been waiting for. We embrace President Franklin D. Roosevelt's advice: “I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it.”
At some point in the past, I put together some decent words about how Obama supporters were going to be inevitably disappointed. I'm just counting the days until the economic disparities on the other side of this continually growing disaster will be blamed on racism - under a black President.
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