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Aja Barber believes it takes an incredible amount of bravery to be the first Black President, and she wants to say #ThanksAMillionObama
President Obama is embarking on his last year as President of the United States of America, and the GOP is already actively trying to cover up his legacy by branding him the “Worst President Ever.”
Enough lies.
It’s time to remind the world that these last eight years have been full of extraordinary growth. How magical would it be for President Barack Obama to go down in history having received more positive mail in his last year as President than any other President?
Background:
A few months ago, I was sitting around thinking about how much I was going to miss President Barack Obama. I can honestly say he has done more in my lifetime for people who look like me and people of various socioeconomic background than any other President.
And on top of that, I kind of just like the guy. Most importantly, this campaign is about gratitude. It takes a tremendous amount of bravery to do the job he has done and I believe that needs to be applauded. Some reports state that his death threats went up 400% from previous Presidencies, which is downright scary. And certainly no previous President has faced such a disturbing amount of racist hate speech against him. So this Thanksgiving weekend, let’s tell him what we’re grateful for: Him. For health care. For more jobs. For the example he has set for millions of children who dare to dream of being President.
What YOU can do:
Write your President a letter and let him know why you believe he has done great things for you and your country! Type it out on Facebook. Write it out old school and take a picture, then tweet it out with the hashtag #ThanksAMillionObama. Make a video or a vine, or even just tweet a quick heartfelt thanks. Just be sure to include #ThanksAMillionObama – let’s try to set a record for the most thank you messages ever sent to a President!
Thank you for joining me and my talented team!
Surprise surprise … my comment didn’t make it through. Sorry but I am not gonna say thanks because I have nothing to thank him for and nor do my many black friends who have seen NOTHING to thank him for in their Chicago communities. Financially I am no better off then I was when he came into office and I’m white. My mortgage is still upside down, my partner and I lost our shirts, the money I “thought” I’d have for retirement is gone. I will more then likely work until the day I die. Unemployment in the black communities… Read more »
Guess what Tom? GUESS WHAT? I am part of the black community. And every time I write anything, you try your best to invalidate my experiences because you what … work with black people? Invalidating the experiences of a POC because you as a white male supposedly “know better” is the very core of white privilege and actually pretty violent. Perhaps the community you think isn’t being heard doesn’t need YOU to speak for them. Have a seat.
And I regret to inform you that my tiny violin for your financial trouble and not being able to retire early on time is officially broken. In another post I wrote which you also commented negatively on, you went on about how your Father once owned three houses in the Chicago area. Do you know how many black people I know of that come from that sort of privilege? ZERO. My parents are still working too. But their Daddy’s didn’t own multiple houses because black people haven’t had it like that. But please, do go on and tell me more… Read more »
I see you did “some” homework … good for you but what’s not so good is tat you took things out of context. Yes, I grew up in a grand old house with stained glass windows and an open staircase. But what you didn’t mention is that it was in one of the worse neighborhoods in chicago. Lawndale which is now known as “Little Village” is still considered one of the worst gang infested neighborhood in the country. The house I grew up in became a drug house and has since been torn down. Yes, my dad owned three houses… Read more »
Tom, you don’t get to speak for Black people – even if you know them. Your anecdotal evidence is meaningless.
And that Aja is doing something POSITIVE – not saying he’s perfect, but saying thank you for what he has done – and you come in here and shit all over it… Awful. You should be ashamed of yourself.
My anecdotal evidence is based on working with these kids and their families for 15+ years. That equates to more then a 1000. I “shit” on nothing, I gave my perspective based upon what I know, who I know and what I have experienced. Something positive is getting out in the trenches and changing things. Something positive WAS treatment centers like our which went from 9 to 12 months of residential treatment to maybe 30 days based upon the new ACA criteria. I am not ashamed, I AM ashamed of an administration that’s done virtually NOTHING in these communities. An… Read more »
Being POTUS is a tough gig made even tougher with an opposition Congress full of people who actively want you to fail. Despite that, I am very happy with President Obama’s leadership. He and his family have served with intelligence, grace, and dignity. He is smart, classy, funny, and a fantastic family man. He makes me proud to be an American, which with various past Presidents, has not always been the case. Perfect? No. But I don’t expect perfect; I do expect decency, intelligence, humanity, leadership, and passion, and he has delivered.