Iowa African-Americans for Change

Video: Reverend Joseph Lowery in Des Moines, Iowa

Michael Blake — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:55:48 EST

Michael Blake is the Obama campaign's Iowa Director of Faith Outreach

Yesterday Reverend Joseph Lowery, one of the cofounders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and The Coalition for the People’s Agenda, and a close friend of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, spoke at Corinthian Baptist Church in Des Moines.

Reverend Lowery also heads up the Lowery Institute. He has been honored by the NAACP, the National Conference of Black Mayors, the Progressive National Baptist Convention and many other organizations for his role in the civil rights movement.

Hearing one of the leaders of the civil rights movement talk about why he supports Barack Obama and what his candidacy means for our country was an incredibly moving experience. Check out this video Greg put together:

Douglas Wilder gets behind Barack

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:21:45 EDT

More good endorsement news -- Douglas Wilder, America's first elected black governor, is throwing his support behind Barack.

The Politico:

Douglas Wilder of Virginia, who made history as the nation's first elected black governor, is preparing to campaign aggressively for Barack Obama, and predicted in an interview that the charismatic young candidate could shatter the Republican Party's virtual lock on the South.

... "I've been tremendously impressed with Obama... He has the ability to be a uniter... I think the country is tired of the 'us' and 'thems.'"

Michelle Obama Gets Standing Ovation at African Americans for Obama Meeting

Sam Schoenburg — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:27:02 EDT

Michelle Obama gave an incredible speech last week at a meeting of African Americans for Obama at Creative Visions, a community center in Des Moines. As the guests came in to fill the seats in the main hall, Polk County organizers Sam Liebert, Aaron Gardner, and Yohannes Abraham took the crowd through some recent business of the campaign, a brief caucus training, and an overview of how Barack's campaign is gaining excitement throughout Iowa.

When Michelle took the stage, she spoke about her campaign days, and especially how her increasingly busy schedule is affecting her family. She affirmed that she and her husband would not have undertaken the trials of a campaign if they were not able to provide a normal life for their two daughters. Her long trips are only day trips, and so it's just another day at the office for Mom, whether that office is in Des Moines or Ottumwa or New Hampshire. Michelle reminded the audience of her and her husband's commitment to family values, a focus, she said, that has been nearly forgotten in the current political atmosphere.

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