Arise Detroit Blog

It’s hard to overstate the impact of Barack Obama’s decisive and historic victory to become the nation’s first president who happens to be an African-American.

It’s a victory that involves race, but goes beyond it, a victory that five years ago — when he was an unknown Illinois state senator – would have been deemed the Impossible Dream.

But putting aside all the considerable historic import and jubilant celebrations stretching from the streets of Detroit to the  Kenyan village where Obama’s father was born, there are two important themes that Obama has sounded throughout his campaign – personal responsibility and community service.

That is, government can’t do it all. As residents of our community, as mothers and fathers and citizens, the onus is ultimately on us to improve our communities, love our children and create the future we want.

Part of Obama’s political platform calls  for offering college scholarships to young people in exchange for community service, something akin to the Peace Corps, working  in schools and in neighborhoods on issues that help improve the quality of life in our communities. He has called for “a new spirit of service.”

Much like John F. Kennedy, he does not want us to just ask “what your country can do for you,” but “what can you do for your country?”

Let’s rephrase the question. What can you do for Detroit?

ARISE Detroit! has more than 300 organizations involved in mentoring, tutoring, cleaning up neighborhoods, teaching people how to read and much more. Everyone of them can use additional volunteers or some other kind of support.

Like Bill Cosby, who caused lots of controversy a few years ago with similar remarks, Obama has stressed the idea of “personal responsibility” involving the family, education and other choices that can shape a person’s life.

As a married father of two daughters, he offers a highly public example of a loving nuclear African-American family at a time when out-of-wedlock births and absent fathers still take a toll in our urban communities.

Of course, Obama, just like  Cosby, is not the first African-American to talk about personal responsibility and community service.

You can actually hear the same thing in many African-American churches on almost any Sunday.

But as president of the United States, he will set an example on the world’s largest stage.

His every move, and that of his family, will be documented each day by the world’s media.

So, Obama was right. The election was not about him. It was about us.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? By Luther Keith, Executive director, ARISE Detroitlkeith@arisedetroit.org 

  RUMINATIONS ON WHAT BARACK OBAMA’S VICTORY MEANSFOR AMERICA AND FOR DETROIT  

It’s hard to overstate the impact of Barack Obama’s decisive and historic victory to become the nation’s first president who happens to be an African-American.

It’s a victory that involves race, but goes beyond it, a victory that five years ago — when he was an unknown Illinois state senator – would have been deemed the Impossible Dream.

But putting aside all the considerable historic import and jubilant celebrations stretching from the streets of Detroit to the  Kenyan village where Obama’s father was born, there are two important themes that Obama has sounded throughout his campaign – personal responsibility and community service.

That is, government can’t do it all. As residents of our community, as mothers and fathers and citizens, the onus is ultimately on us to improve our communities, love our children and create the future we want.

Part of Obama’s political platform calls  for offering college scholarships to young people in exchange for community service, something akin to the Peace Corps, working  in schools and in neighborhoods on issues that help improve the quality of life in our communities. He has called for “a new spirit of service.”

Much like John F. Kennedy, he does not want us to just ask “what your country can do for you,” but “what can you do for your country?”

Let’s rephrase the question. What can you do for Detroit?

ARISE Detroit! has more than 300 organizations involved in mentoring, tutoring, cleaning up neighborhoods, teaching people how to read and much more. Everyone of them can use additional volunteers or some other kind of support.

Like Bill Cosby, who caused lots of controversy a few years ago with similar remarks, Obama has stressed the idea of “personal responsibility” involving the family, education and other choices that can shape a person’s life.

As a married father of two daughters, he offers a highly public example of a loving nuclear African-American family at a time when out-of-wedlock births and absent fathers still take a toll in our urban communities.

Of course, Obama, just like  Cosby, is not the first African-American to talk about personal responsibility and community service.

You can actually hear the same thing in many African-American churches on almost any Sunday.

But as president of the United States, he will set an example on the world’s largest stage.

His every move, and that of his family, will be documented each day by the world’s media.

So, Obama was right. The election was not about him. It was about us.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? By Luther Keith, Executive director, ARISE Detroitlkeith@arisedetroit.org