Greetings Obamaritaville,
To our new members, WELCOME. We raise our glasses to you. A few updates:
OBAMARAMA – Happy Hour
This Friday a new member of our group, Phil, will be hosting an Obamarama Night at the Cooper Door Tavern (272 3rd Ave). He and a friend will be bartending and will be generously donating their tips from the night to the Obama campaign (SO TIP generously)! I will have NY voter registration forms for distribution at the event and it goes without saying that we do not want any New Yorkers leaving that bar unregistered (assuming, of course, they are American citizens). We should have the event cross-posted on our site soon, but in the meantime please sign up here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4459q
JOURNEY FOR CHANGE
A humongous thank you to all our book donors and book signers that took part in our Journey for Change book drive for the Bushwick kids going to South Africa. Thanks to your generosity, each kid has their own book with a positive message to take on their journey (you can read some of the messages on the Blog here http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/jolly/gGxDBc). I dropped off the books at the Bushwick Salvation Army yesterday and could not be more thrilled by our project. The kids will be writing us a letter upon return from South Africa and I will be sure to post it to the site at that time. Empowerment through global service, indeed!
WOMEN FOR OBAMA
Cheers Ever Your HopeMonger, Jolly
SAVE THE DATE / Get Tickets-- All Points West Music Festival - Vote for Change voter registration, fun, Radiohead and us (http://www.apwfestival.com/ ).
Journey for Change – Your Messages, Our Present & Future Hope
“Empowering Youth Through Global Service”
Youth – Community – Hope – Service – Empowerment – Change – Destiny
Greetings Fellow Hopemongers, Women for Obama, Vote for Change Volunteers, Obama Supporters with a Margarita, Friends, Brooklynites, New Yorkers, Obama Family, Americans, and Global Citizens.
As some of you know, we have been collecting copies of Hill Harper’s Letters to a Young Brother and Letters to a Young Sister to send with the 15 girls (young women) and 15 boys (young men) from Bushwick, Brooklyn, that will be taking part in the Journey for Change youth service project to South Africa. (Details on this amazing project headed by Obama supporter Malaak Compton-Rock, who also happens to be the mother of my dynamic North Carolina canvassing partner Gayle, can be found on the Angel Rock Project web site at http://www.angelrockproject.com/arp/projects/journey_for_change.asp). The book drive was part of the Vote for Change registration drive we had in Harlem the night of the Montana and South Dakota primaries (with 66 voter registrations collected by our awesome volunteers.)(Details on this past event and some of my motivation for creating it can be found at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4b5m).
In addition to providing books full of advice and guidance to read on their trip, Obama supporters have been writing in personal messages for these young adults that may one day be future women and men for Obama and, just possibly --with a little hope and help, future leaders of their communities and our country. As a bonus, the “Young Brother” book includes a letter from Senator Obama and the “Young Sister” book contains a letter from Michelle Obama. I have included some of the amazing messages already gathered below. Due to the generous donations by our past volunteers and donors (particularly my own Mama for Obama in Colorado and Lonny in NYC with multiple donations), it looks like we may have donors for all the books. However, I need more messages from YOU. Before you try to tell me that you are too busy, take a look at the fundraising picture and you will see that Senator Obama took the time out to sign one of the books at the Women for Obama breakfast we just had in New York!!! I have to admit, I’m going to be a little jealous handing over that treasure.
So please leave messages for the kids in the comments section of the blog. I am asking for a small suggested $5 to $10 donation to the campaign through our fundraising link to participate, but will accept positive messages from all regardless of contribution (after all economic times are hard). Link for the fundraising page and the Obama signature can be found here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/maingroup/ObamaSupporterswithaMargarita
“Your life is what you make it. Those who achieve don’t waste time on self-pity…Instead they strive for excellence. They take responsibility for their actions and they try to focus not just on themselves, but on others. In fact when you focus on others you realize the blessings you have…It doesn’t mean you can’t get down sometimes. Everybody does. But, always remember that being defeated is a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent….Barack” Letters to a Young Brother by Hill Harper, page 157
Obama Supporters’ Messages of HOPE --
“…Be grateful for what you have – be compassionate to those that do not have what you have – and work for quality in this world…and always LOVE.” – Sue, NYC
Always dream big, but remember to set goals. …Stand by your convictions. Don’t blindly follow the crowd…You have one life, live it to the fullest!’ Love I. Watkins, NY
“Future Ba-rack Star, I am actually a college student that is only now getting involved in the political process. Before this election I dreamed big, but my dreams were always questioned by a society that constantly dismissed my ability, and the collective abilities of young people…I write this to ask you to never allow anyone question your strength or power. Your voice is your tool, use it to be the change you seek…I find comfort in knowing that whatever you choose to do, the story that you write through living will make a mark on the pursuit of progress.” Sara, NYU Student & NY Women for Obama
“Khaljani – This is Swahili for destined to rule. In the Spirit, brother, I know that indeed, you are. Rule yourself & submit to righteous principals. Then serve greatly, young prince! --Brother Esq., NJ (a friend of Kevin Powell, who is running to be the Democratic candidate for Congress in Brooklyn, NY, District 10)
This is coming to you from NY City where we are about to see Barack Obama, who we hope will be our next President. He is truly an inspiration and proof that you can accomplish anything if you put your mind and your soul into it. Be strong, be confident, respect yourself and know you can be anything you want to be!” Dianne NYC
“Dear Young Sister, As you go on your journey to South Africa, I want you to bear in mind that it is always more gracious to give then to receive.” – P. Obetoh, NYC
“As I write this I am at a gathering of Obama supporters. Obama just clinched the nomination for the Democratic nominee for President. A historic night. I’m hoping we’ll have another historic night this November…Cherish your trip to South Africa. The world is a much smaller place than we know.” - JQ Faith, New York
“South Africa is such an interesting country. You will do and learn so much and at the same time make a contribution. Best wishes for a truly extraordinary experience.” --J. Fogurty, A Woman for Obama
May the examples that you are reading about in this book inspire you to reach for the stars! Dimitra, New York
“Good luck on your adventure. Follow your heart…it will help you decide the right thing to do…” Lara, NY, HIV Counselor
“My sister lives in a country where people don’t get to vote and she always reminds me what a great power and blessing it is!!” Ellen, NY
“Be Inspired! Enjoy! S. , NY
I am sure there are many here that, like me, have lost our fathers along the way. However, instead of mourning that loss, today I am celebrating the life of a remarkable man who I had the honor of calling Daddy for the first 8 years of my life. While our time together was short, the lessons of love, kindness and human decency he taught me I will always carry with me.
My father died in a car accident in the mountains of Jamaica on his way home from going to deliver the horrible news to a mother that her son had drowned. The son was a student at a school in Ocho Rios where my parents were volunteer teachers. My father's last known words ever spoken were to this mother, as he told her, "You have strength and courage. God will see you through." When times are trying, which they sometimes are, I can still find these words which resonate someplace deep within me.
My parents marched with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King on the same South Side streets of Chicago where Senator Obama would later work as a community organizer. They answered JFK's call to service and packed their bags for service in the Peace Corps in Uganda. Then in the most transformative act of love, they adopted my brother and I and gave us a place to call home.
From his life, from his passions, from his educational excellence, from his belief in social justice, from the loving way he carried me on his shoulders and tucked me into bed at night -- from all of this and from the many more stories that I have heard from my own Mama for Obama, I know with a certainty that had he lived to see this day he too would have championed an Obama presidency.
Daddy, please know that I will work my heart out so that your grand child (and your future grand children) inherit the best America that we can give them.
Happy Father's Day, I love you always. John Wilson Northrop 1943-1980.
Ever your hopemongering daughter,
Jolly
Some of you may have read the original blog below that I wrote to an undecided woman friend of mine in response to her asking me why I support Barack. I am reposting it now, since I am just off Skype with that same friend who called to announce that "she is out of the closet" and fully on board with Obama!!!!
She does not have a profile on the website (at least not yet), so I won't out her by name, but I wanted to encourage others with the knowledge that a seed planted in fertile ground will grow. It may take sunshine, water, nourishment and time, but Senator Obama's HOPE is a resilient plant. In her own words, "I have not been excited about politics in a loooong time." Yes We Can
Below is the response I wrote to an undecided friend as to why I support Barack Obama (NO LONGER UNDECIDED, NOW PART OF THE OBAMA FAMILY)
It's About Democracy - Not Politics
For What It's Worth: My Case for President Obama
By Jolly
Dedicated to L. and all other
undecided women of intelligence and substance
In elections past being political meant trying to be informed on the issues
and the candidates and ultimately going to the polls and voting. I
registered to vote as soon as I turned 18 and I voted and voted, but as far
as I can tell things basically stayed the same and in many respects got
worse. I never stopped voting, but at least to some degree I stopped caring and
life went on. In the words of another Obama supporter, 'For too long I had
been sleeping, but I had been afraid to dream' (Andre Useche, "Si Se Puede Cambiar" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ky8Hvq-F0U).
However, then the unexpected happened. Along came a Senator who issued a direct challenge to all
those who still care about this country and still have faith in its possibilities to actually get
involved and engage as citizens. His name is Barack Obama.
In different words and in a different time, he echoes JFK's challenge to
"Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your
country." However, there is an added component, because he says by his
actions and in his own voice that it is not just ok to hope and believe in
a better America, it is essential. The question becomes can we put aside
ideological, racial, regional and socio-economic differences and find the
common ground that unites us. If the last eight years have taught us nothing
else, have they not taught us that as Americans our lot, our safety, our
future is inextricably linked to one another and that it absolutely does
matter who our leader is and who we choose as the public face of our
country in the world?
If you know me and my family, I can't imagine that it would shock you that I
would throw my lot in with the dreamers and the visionaries. My family, and
my Mom in particular, taught me that it is more than okay to believe in the better
angels of our nature. So I am an optimist and I try to live up to the name
my parents gave me. However, I'm also a pragmatist. I have learned to
guard my better nature with discernment and with the ability to make precise
and instinctual judgments about people and what they stand for. I count
amongst my closest friends people whom I consider to be giants and leaders of mind,
heart - and particularly spirit. These are the same attributes I identify in
Senator Obama.
There are some aspects of my reality that many close to me don't share. For
instance, I know what it is to force back racism by sheer willpower. It's
not that I haven't faced it, but rather that I have made the active decision
in my life to defy it. I have been taught to, when possible, feel pity for
those who would cast judgments about me based solely on the color of my
skin, as ignorance is its own prison. I would never cast my vote for
someone based either on the color of their skin or on their gender. To do so
would be contrary to my very nature. However, as someone who shares Senator
Obama's mixed race heritage and multi-cultural background, I do believe
there is an empathetic component that may allow him a clearer vision of the
diversity of his constituency. I also place great value on his expansive
and personally informed worldview, which I believe will enable him to relate to a
host of other global citizens. I believe the size of Senator Obama's margin
of victory in the Democrats Abroad contest, is an active testament as to which
candidate those who live outside our borders think would best aid us in
stemming the tide of anti-American sentiment in the world and be most likely
to restore our standing in the global community.
And then there is Mom - one of the greatest examples of a woman of substance
and intelligence that I know, as well as one of the fiercest supporters of
Senator Obama's candidacy. For me, the example has been set, the dies have been
cast. My parents answered the call of another President and served as Peace
Corps volunteers in Uganda (until the forced evacuation of Americans due to
the tyranny of one of the despots of their time, Idi Amin, made it impossible
to stay). My parents also marched with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the same
South Side of Chicago streets where Senator Obama years later would work
tirelessly against voter disenfranchisement as a community organizer. They
stood for social justice and against racial inequality long before they
could have possibly known that they would one day be proud parents of brown
children. And then, in the transformative act of love that has most
profoundly influenced who I am today, when I was 3 weeks old they adopted me and made me
the heart of our family (a place I proudly share with my brother Jon). Our
household soon swelled as a family of Cambodian refugees temporarily joined
us in our home on Maple Knoll Drive in St. Paul, Minnesota.
My father died in a car accident in the mountains of Jamaica in 1980 on his
way home from going to deliver the horrible news to a mother that her son
had drowned. The son was a student at a school in Ocho Rios where my
parents were volunteer teachers. My father's last known words ever spoken
were to this mother, as he told her, "You have strength and courage. God will see you through."
I carry those words, as well as all of his other lessons of love and human dignity, with me to this day.
So I REJECT and RENOUNCE anyone that would try to claim that words don't matter. Is it not in part
social contracts made up of words such as the Constitution that bind us together and communicate
our ideals to the world? As you can see, I come from a family of words, hope,
compassion, education and action. Thus, when my mother explained to me that
it was personal to her that we as a family support Senator Obama, there
really was no other choice. At the end of the day, win or lose, I will be
able to say that I cast my vote based on my true informed convictions and
based on my best hopes for this country. I truly believe that the future
will show that once again our family has stood on the right side of history.
So to the action: as you probably know, I have joined millions of
like-minded supporters in the trenches of democracy. We are fighting for
democracy, more transparency in government, and for a President who has a
proven ability to unite, inspire and tackle with openness the real problems
that exist in this country and in this world - a President who has built his
campaign from the bottom up on the political strength, ideas and resources of
the governed and who is not beholden to lobbyists and PAC money. America needs
a President who is willing to not only listen to, but to work with, those who hold
different views - someone who is able to find and build consensus on common ground,
around common concerns and based on common convictions and beliefs. In order to pull off big
things, to bring change, you have to be able to get people to invest in working together to fix the
problems, both immediate and systemic. In my opinion, Senator Obama has
both the strongest record and greatest potential in this regard.
The fact that the generation behind me has also been emboldened to join in
this fight and are also casting their votes for Senator Obama in large
margins is just one more example of his ability to bring new voices, new
ideas and new innovations into the governing process. I know I am not an
anomaly. I have now had the great privilege of meeting and working with
Obama supporters from across the country and can say that in large part
Obama supporters are DOERS. We are people of words, conviction and action
and we are ready to cast our lot and our vote with Senator Obama. Yes, it
is in some respects a matter of trust. However, I'm not just betting on
Senator Obama, I am betting on myself, on like-minded Obama supporters across
the country, and on America itself.
So from my place of deepest conviction I ask that you join me in my support
for Senator Obama. As you can see from all I have said this is personal to me. For
Senator Obama, for my mother, for those that fight each day to protect us in
the battlefields and now for me, what this country is and what it stands for
is very personal. Thus, I ask that you join us in the battle for a better
America.
I am proud to be an American, but I could be prouder, I long to be prouder.
Senator Obama and what he stands for makes me prouder.
"In the unlikely story that is America, there is no such thing as false
hope" --Senator Barack Obama
OBAMA '08
-----------------
WE ARE THE CHANGE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR
I invite you to take personal responsibility and educate yourself on Senator
Obama's positions and proposed policies on the many real issues that face
this country, which can be found on www.barackobama.com under issues (as
well as in his Blueprint for Change).
Additional information on his Senate Bills
can be found through the Library of Congress website at http://thomas.loc.gov/,
which is just one more of many democratic tools that Senator Obama and his supporters have
brought me.
Just a Note to Add that we will be having a Vote for Change voter registration drive in Harlem on Tuesday (June 3rd, check out the events page for details http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4b5m)
Hope to see you there, let's spread some hope and democracy in New York aka Obama Country
Vote for Change NYC I'm Here for AngelaSaturday was a wonderful day here in the Big Apple. After six weekends volunteering in Pennsylvania and last week in North Carolina, it seems that I haven't been home in my own fair city on the weekend in forever. So it was great pleasure that I headed up to Harlem to join the Vote for Change volunteers at A M E Zion Church. What a sight. There were volunteers lined up down the block to get into the church. I mean when was the last time you saw people lined up down the block to volunteer for anything?! Then into the church we went, a church the pastor referred to as "Freedom Church" because of its rich history. The church was literally filled to the rafters in the upper balcony and I saw so many familiar faces in the crowd (including many of fellow NY Women for Obama members). Then we headed out to our various locations across the city. My group headed to the East Village (Tompkins Square Park), which is my own little corner of this great country called America. There is a great picture of us riding on the Subway here http://www.flickr.com/photos/practicingmuse/ . We also registered our first two voters (a lovely couple) on the Subway. There was also an elderly Chinese women who spoke almost no English, but pointed to the picture of Barack on my sign and said "Obama" and smiled. I gave her an Obama button as she read over the Chinese section on the voter registration form. I don't know whether she is a citizen or not, but despite the language barrier, I know she is a member of team Obama.
All in all, I registered 17 voters (I don't know the count for the group as a whole as we turned in our forms to different locations), but it was great to be out in the streets hustling for democracy with some new friends and fellow hopemongers. The 17 didn't even include a number of people who didn't have time to fill out the form on the spot or wanted to do it themselves (very New York). The number did include one Republican waiter (who indicated that he would certainly consider voting for Senator Obama in November), an older European-American banker, a former Felon who didn't know that he could vote again after having served out his sentence and parole, a homeless man living in a shelter (which was actually a change of address as he was already registered but now lives in a shelter and on the streets). My number also included several people coming out of Whole Foods. We moved to Whole Foods as we were hitting a large portion of foreign tourists in the park (this is NYC after all). The amazing thing is that without exception all the foreigners said that they couldn't vote, but wish that they could vote for Obama. We also heard lots of encouraging words from already registered voters, including a few older women who said they had voted for Clinton in the primary but would be supporting Senator Obama in November. Maybe I won them over with my sign that said "100 Years Is Too Long to Wait"I can't sign off before telling you about Angela, who I dedicate every one of my new Registrants to. I am an attorney here in NYC and volunteered with Promote the Vote voter protection in Columbus, Ohio, West Philadelphia, PA and Rocky Mount, NC. In Rocky Mount, NC, I ended up driving a voter (Lakisha) to a polling location other than my assigned location since it sounded like she was getting the run around. This was late in the day (5ish) and I got to the other location to find a line of people in front of the presiding judge including a woman with tears streaming down her face at the front of the line. The woman was pleading with the judge that she HAD to vote for Senator Obama, that she had a small child and this was so important to her family. It turns out that the DMV in this largely African American district had registered a bunch of voters as Republicans. Thus, this life long democrat and Obama volunteer was only being offered a Republican ballot (which she refused to take). Thankfully, Angela didn't give up. She had originally left, but had come back to the polls after hearing Hill Harper on the radio saying that people shouldn't let anyone turn them away. We were able to convince the judge to give her a Democratic provisional ballot and Angela was able to vote her true conviction. Sadly, the judge said that this had been happening all day long and at least five other people had left without voting. Angela touched my heart and reinforced how important it is to vote and not let anyone take this right away from you. So for Angela, for those 5 others whomever they be, for Senator Obama and for this country, I will continue to do my part to promote the vote.God Bless America and God Bless Senator Obama,Jolly "Hopemonger"
Independents (registered as Democrats) for Obama '08 and '12
Below is the response I wrote to an undecided friend as to why I support Barack Obama
