Alice Walker endorses Obama - must read Dkos diary includes her words

[karynnj]

and a fantastic analysis of the gender/race issues in this primary. Here is part of the Alice Walker quote.

"I am a supporter of Obama because I believe he is the right person to lead the country at this time. He offers a rare opportunity for the country and the world to start over, and to do better. It is a deep sadness to me that many of my feminist white women friends cannot see him. Cannot see what he carries in his being. Cannot hear the fresh choices toward Movement he offers. That they can believe that millions of Americans –black, white, yellow, red and brown - choose Obama over Clinton only because he is a man, and black, feels tragic to me.

When I have supported white people, men and women, it was because I thought them the best possible people to do whatever the job required. Nothing else would have occurred to me. If Obama were in any sense mediocre, he would be forgotten by now. He is, in fact, a remarkable human being, not perfect but humanly stunning, like King was and like Mandela is. We look at him, as we looked at them, and are glad to be of our species. He is the change America has been trying desperately and for centuries to hide, ignore, kill. The change America must have if we are to convince the rest of the world that we care about people other than our (white) selves.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/29/124042/507/409/486744

[EFerrari]

1. Walker, always on the right side of things. Good for her! K&R

[babylonsister]

2. Ms. Walker says what I feel, too. Thanks, karynnj; this is poetic. nt

[karynnj]

10. I agree - it is poetic and beautifu and says what many of us, not blessed

with her talent for words and meaning, have tried desperately to say. It is who Obama is - not that he is black - that has led to more of his fellow Senators endorsing him than have endorsed their other peer - who they also knew through her years as First Lady.

[Cha]

3. Alice Walker is so right..It is

a "rare opportunity", indeed.

[tishaLA]

4. Wow. Comparing Obama to King and Mandela

now that's something!

[roseBudd]

5. wow so well put

[Umbram]

6. Great post. Thank you. (nt)

[mopinko]

7. all you old school feminists should listen up.

i am one. but hillary never had my vote. i doubt most of these women would be for hillary if she were running to be the 3rd or 4th woman president.
it is a rare opportunity. women should be taking it.
not worried, tho. we can and we will.

[karynnj]

13. The diary does a great job interspersing the Gloria Steinhem NYT op-ed

with Walker's comments. The diary and Walker are speaking to feminists.

[lligrd]

8. K&R

[bcoylepa]

9. thank you for this

am sending it on

[otohara]

11. Wow - I'm Beginning To Like This Cult

I'm supposedly in.

[ebdarcy]

12. That is beautiful.

She is a remarkable writer. Thank you for the post.

[loyalsister]

14. The big question.....

Why has Hillary tried to associate herself with LBJ?

Why not Alice Paul and the other Iron Jaw angels who went to jail so that women would have the right to vote???

[karynnj]

17. My best guess -

HRC sees sees government as leading change. Thus to get change you elect the right people to high position and they make the good and right decisions that make the country a better place. This is not intended as a criticism and there is a case to be made that by getting to the table and then using the position you have - it is easier to make change.

This does not mean that she does not admire activists, she has praised many of them, including MLKjr. She also did work when she was young for the Children's organization that works for change. But, even as a college student, she operated within the power elite (such as it was) in the school giving an anti-war speech at graduation as the student body President.

There are very few politicians who were also activists - mainly because doing the things and taking the positions that activists do would make it hard for them to get elected. In a real sense, HRC would look to being more like an LBJ, signing the Civil Rights Act and the Great Society legislation (and not Vietnam - please), than an Alice Paul, going to jail for a cause.

[loyalsister]

18. Point is

Why not associate herself with WOMEN who worked for change.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an advocate for children as well as an actiivist for women's suffrage. One of the first female lawyers.

[karynnj]

19. Because she was not powerful enough

(Not diminishing Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who I admire immensely. The point is that HRC may have chosen the most powerful people in government as role models because they did what she wants to do and be what they were.

Speaking of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she is one of the 3 women included as part of a sculpture among the statues in the Senate building - there is a fourth piece of the rock, not yet carved, to go to a future woman, who could be added to this trio. When seeing this last month on a tour, it was not lost on the people I was with that it could well go to the first woman President.

[loyalsister]

20. role models.....

There was a woman who ran for president and actually won some delegates in recent history.
That is not her most remarkable trait, however. She identified herself as aperson who stood up against special interests, and fought the status quo. She was unbought and unbossed.
Yet, this woman has not been recognized as a woman who actually ran a primary campaign all the way to the convention. I find it quite interesting that She has not been considered a role model.
I was 2 years old. I am now 38.

Why do all of Hillary's role models seem to be men?

[karynnj]

22. Kind of ironic when you hear her say as she did in the NH debate that she

represents change just because she's a woman.

Is that Shirley Chishom, you are speaking of?

[loyalsister]

23. Yep

Unbought and Unbossed
I wish she would talk about her, Carol Mosley Braun, and even Elizebeth Dole as women who were presecessors in terms of sticking their necks out. It doesn't always have to be about policy.
Not to mention the woman who broke a recent glass ceiling- Nancy Pelosi.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. I am not that big of an Alice Walker fan

but it's nice that more of the literary types are coming out... :thumbsup:

[tekisui]

16. Nothing but respect for Alice Walker here.

Way to go!

[goclark]

24. A great great woman ~ who always seems to get it right!

nt

[merh]

21. a very good read

thank you for the link

[LWolf]

25. I really like Alice Walker.

While I don't agree with her about Obama, I respect her a great deal.

I suggest that one of her picture books for children would be an appropriate read for all of GD:P at this point in time:

"Finding The Green Stone."

I have a beautiful hardcover copy right here on the shelf; it's an often-read favorite of my grandson's as well.

[me b zola]

26. K&R

[C_U_L8R]

27. We ARE the ones we have been waiting for !!

Hooray Alice !!!!

[TragedyandHope]

28. Wonderful

Alice Walker's full text at The Root:

Lest We Forget: An open letter to my sisters who are brave.

[Scurrilous]

29. K & R

:thumbsup: