community organizer

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I went to the University of Chicago where Obama used to teach. U of C is in Hyde Park which is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world. There are poor people, mansions, academics and lot of working class families from every ethnic and racial background. I feel like it's an example of how people can live together in a shared, understanding community. And that's where Obama got his political roots. He was a community organizer that helped bring people together.

That's my largest hope for the Obama administration: that he will blur class and color lines to help foster community between all people. I also think an Obama administration can help broaden the middle class. I work on budget priorities and domestic human needs and we have been closely following Congress' plan for economic stimulus for Main Street. This would include more money for food stamps, an extension of unemployment insurance and money that will help create jobs. In a time when most of our nations wealth goes to 5% while millions of Americans struggle to find work and put food on the table, we need a president that will advocate for the rest of us. Obama has already been very involved in the economic stimulus discussion and I think his background as a community organizer on the south side of Chicago will help him keep the right people in mind.

Perhaps more neighborhoods in the U.S. will start looking like Hyde Park: mixed income, vast racial and ethinc diversity, a thoughtful and politically engaged diverse community.