Statement by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president of the NC NAACP, on President Barack Obama
"The historic victory of Barack Obama represents moral growth in America for a country that once viewed blacks as three fifths of a person and political growth for a nation that has decided to open itself up to the leadership gifts of all people. Every struggle, every tear, every endurance that brought us to this moment, which is the first step into a brand new transformational era, now seems worth it all the more. At the centennial of the NAACP’s existence, what a testimony to those who believed but never got to see this moment. And, what a gift and a responsibility for those of us who are here to see it. May we be worthy of such a gift and use it to promote a pathway towards an even more perfect union and a nation of justice for all."
In the comments section below, share your observations about President Obama, your experiences of the inauguration, and your reflections on the question that Martin Luther King Jr. asked in 1967, "Where Do We Go From Here?"
Related:
- Video of inaugural celebration (including Rev. Barber) from Goldsboro News-Argus: On a snowy January 20 in NC, when many organizations were closed, citizens still came out to watch the Obama inaugural together.
- What Will President Obama Do For Blacks? A Panel Discussion, reported by Cash Michaels
- Inaugural front pages from 50 states and abroad. http://benwikler.com/
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Mr. Barber I am sending this e-mail to inform you of the shared parenting movement in North Carolina. What makes this movement unique is that the Africian Americian male is a tremendous part of this movement in North Carolina.
The shared parenting movemnt in North Carolina has reached out to us and they have found that the sterotype of the hit and run Africian American father is a myth. As the shared parenting movement has reached out to us they have found that as parents we love our children deeply, and we want to be a part of our children lives. What they have also found is that Africian American fathers have been suffering in silence for years with the demon of a bias family court system.
Now this demon of a biased family court system has seeped into other cultures, which creates an enviroment of tremendous conflict as it relates to custody of minor children. Historically as Africian American males we have not had the resources to challenge for equality as it relates to parental involvemnet in disputed custody cases. Many times the African American male will see his child or children moved away with no regard for his input or the role he plays in their life and development.
The acceptable standard of the absent father has now seeped into the mainstream culture. They now see the demons the African American male has suffered with for over thirty years. This has given the Africian American male a tremendous ally.
Please, take a look at what we are doing. I believe a challenge in the current custody laws will help the entire whole of society. This is a national problem that needs a voice.
Vada Whitaker 919-280-4892
1) Children do best with the active and continuous involvement of two
fit parents, regardless of their marital status or residential
arrangements;
2) Research tells us that numerous social risks such as incarceration
rates and teenage pregnancy increase when one parent is absent from
their lives;
3) The inherently adversarial court process pits loving parents against
each other and robs families of the emotional and financial resources
that would otherwise be available to their children; and
4) parental conflict is the single most reliable predictor of maladjustment
by children while often the only source of detrimental conflict between
parents is or stems from the custody dispute itself; and
5) Our current laws and judicial practices are based on outdated
perceptions of parental roles and need to be refined to reflect modern
realities and social science research.
Posted by: Vada Whitaker | April 02, 2009 at 08:19 AM