Protesters: "What About The Black Community, Obama?"

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Protesters: "What About The Black Community, Obama?"

August 01, 2008 12:17 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports from St. Petersburg, Florida: In the context of the presidential race dialogue this week, there was a poignant moment during Obama's town hall in St Petersburg, Florida. Obama was challenged on his work for the African American community by a group of young African American protesters.

In the middle of unveiling his emergency economic stimulus plan, Senator Barack Obama was interrupted by three African American protestors in their early thirties.

Sitting strategically directly below the trademark "Change We Can Believe In" Obama signage, the protesters stood up and started yelling, unrolling a sign of their own: "What about the Black Community, Obama?" The website on their sign indicated the protesters were from International Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement, which fights for the democratic rights of the African people.

Obama rarely gets interrupted by protesters -– especially from the African American community –- and the Senator looked a little lost at first how to handle it, attempting to speak thought the booming voices behind him.

Stopping his remarks, Obama then chided the protesters, saying, "Excuse me young man, this is a town hall and you can ask your question later. . . . just be courteous and you’ll have a chance to make your statement, just relax."

An Obama staffer quickly swiped the sign out of the protesters hands -– as per the regulations by the Obama campaign, "no outside signs are allowed" into the their town halls. The rest of the crowd drowned out the protesters' voices by chanting, "yes we can." Two secret service agents moved to stand close to the protesters.

After his prepared remarks, Obama gave the second question to one of the protesters.

"In the face of the numerous attacks that are made against the African community or the black community by the same US government that you aspire to lead. . . why is it that you have not had the ability to not one time speak to the interests and even speak on the behalf of the oppressed and exploited African community or Black community in this country?" asked lead protester Diop Olugbala, citing sub prime mortgages for African Americans, the Sean Bell case, and the Jena 6.

"I think you are misinformed about when you say 'not one time,'" Obama responded, defending his record. "I've been talking about predatory lending for the last two years in the United States Senate and worked to pass legislation to prevent it when I wan in the state legislature. And I have repeatedly said that many of the predatory loans that were made in the mortgage system did target African American and Latino communities. I've said that repeatedly. Number two, Jena Six -- I was the first candidate to get out there and say this is wrong, that there's an injustice that's been done and we need to change it. That's number two. When Sean Bell got shot, I put out a statement immediately saying this is a problem."

Olugbala attempted to talk back while Obama was answering his question, but the microphone had been taken from the questioner and his voice was drowned out.

Obama concluded with a simple message for the protestors, "These are issues I've worked on for decades. Now, that doesn't mean I'm always going to satisfy the way you guys want these issues framed. I understand that. Which gives you the option of voting for somebody else. It gives you the option of running for office yourself."

Senator Obama continued his town hall, and was interrupted a second time by a white woman who was also part of the Uhuru group in the crowd. Obama asked the woman to not start the yelling again, and then proceeded to take a question from another woman on education.

In an interview after the town hall, Olugbala said he was not satisfied with Senator Obama’s answer and will not vote for him.

"I thought it was revealing," Olugbala told ABC News, "Because he said out of his own mouth that although he has said things about the black community he has not put forth a response that really is representing what the people ourselves are feeling."

August 1, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (167)

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hillary replace obama LOL

hillary is a failed candidate, yea lets replace the guy who won with the lady who drove herself into 30 million dollars in debt, then lets have her lead the country and try to fix our billions of dollars in debt

HAHAHAHAHA you hillary supporters are soooo stupid

and yea this group is funded by repugs

i swear you people are soo blind and just off your rockers

Posted by: bhrandon | Aug 1, 2008 1:07:34 PM

i love all you repubs coming here saying more eviedance obama is all talk

yea, well whats mccain done besides do something and then criticize obama for doing what he just did

oh my god he went to another country

oh my god i told him to visit iraq and he did and now im crying about it

wahhhhhhh

obama is just... a ... a... celebrity

lol

what?

Posted by: bhrandon | Aug 1, 2008 1:10:01 PM

McCain and Obama tied at 44% according to Gallup today. Way to go, President McCain!

Posted by: Jane Hussein Obama | Aug 1, 2008 1:10:13 PM

RepublicanAndProudOfIt, in the small town where I live in So. California, there's local market. The butcher at hat market is a white man who never fails to rail about blacks, indians, asians, middle easterners and women. He finds everything those groups do as threatening to his way of life. I once asked him why he was so disdainful of minority groups and he only answered , "if it ain't white, it ain't right", as if that explained everything.
He's a big McCain supporter, he fits right in with that crowd.

Posted by: JR | Aug 1, 2008 1:11:39 PM

and the Senator looked a little lost at first how to handle it, attempting to speak thought the booming voices behind him.

Thats because Obama can't do anything without Axelrod up his butt and a telepromter! Go Figure!

Posted by: Will | Aug 1, 2008 1:11:45 PM

republican and proud of it

im sorry your friend has crappy relatives, so we should do away with these programs because if you can do it, everyone can do it

lol i bet my left sack that you didnt do any of the things you mentioned

/plays violin

Posted by: bhrandon | Aug 1, 2008 1:12:03 PM

Both candidates are very chilish. This is the worst election as far as trash talk and using images of celebrities? What exactly are theses candidates going to do whoever gets into office? The whole concept is very scary! I am exercising my rights, I choose not to vote for either one!

Posted by: LBC | Aug 1, 2008 1:12:14 PM

Posted by: LBC | Aug 1, 2008 1:12:17 PM

jane im glad you are looking at a national tracking poll considering we have a national electio....oh wait...

idiot

Posted by: bhrandon | Aug 1, 2008 1:12:52 PM

its funny will that you should criticize obama for stopping and thinking about what hes saying

i guess its better to just blurt out anything like your lame duck candidate mcgoo

he needs a teleprompter this guy cant get a single fact straight even on his supposed strongest issue

pakistan/iraq boarder!

lol uh huh

Posted by: bhrandon | Aug 1, 2008 1:14:36 PM

Obama hasn't worked on anything for decades but himself and getting elected with the help of corrupt white folks and a radical church.

Posted by: s.b. | Aug 1, 2008 1:15:37 PM

Excellent comment from this protester! Obama is imploding and America, even African Americans, are seeing how fake he is and how he lies with his empty rhetoric and no substance platform. It's over, Obama, you are now LOSING! Even your own race is turning against you!

Posted by: Janice in Chicago | Aug 1, 2008 1:16:09 PM

If he's not voting for Obama whom will he vote for, McCain?

Let's see how much progress the AA community makes under a McCain administration.

Have you not learned from Katrina?

Posted by: Vanessa | Aug 1, 2008 12:35:00 PM

It doesnt matter, Vanessa...the point is to keep Obammy out of the White House and guess what, it's working!

Posted by: Janice in Chicago | Aug 1, 2008 1:17:33 PM

International Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement is being sponsored indirectly by the Republican party through sorrogates of high ranking African American Repuglicans.

Their objective is to revive this failed strategy to convince African Americans that Obama is not "black enough".

Rediculous.

BTW, why is Obama black. He is 50% Black, 50% White.

No wonder some in the Black Community still think he is "Whitie" to the delight of some racist RepubLosers. They are wasting their time. Those with this thinking do not amount to 1/10th of 1% of the AA vote.

Posted by: Steve_NJ | Aug 1, 2008 1:18:23 PM

LOL Janice, what makes you think Obama is losing. Oh, because you say so. Right, got it.

Posted by: ll | Aug 1, 2008 1:18:29 PM

David: At least he stops to think before he opens his mouth. Unlike some people we see.

Posted by: becky | Aug 1, 2008 1:04:12 PM

You are right, Becky, Obama stops and says..."uhhh...mmmm...uhhh...I agree with Mrs. Clinton!"

Obama=No Substance

Posted by: Janice in Chicago | Aug 1, 2008 1:19:21 PM

Today, Dr. Danny Jazarevic, who served as the Chief of Trauma, Critical Care and Vascular Surgery at Landstuhl, issued the following statement on Barack Obama's canceled visit to Ramstein and Landstuhl: “Last week, Senator Obama skipped a visit with wounded U.S. troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany because the Pentagon would not allow campaign staff or media to accompany him into the hospital. I served as director of trauma surgery at that hospital for nearly four years and saw the effect that a visit from a celebrity like Senator Obama could have on morale. During that time, I do not recall a single member of Congress canceling a visit with the troops despite being just a few hours away, but Senator Obama seems to have been more concerned with how the visit would affect him than how it would affect the soldiers recovering from wounds received in the service of their country." No photo shots, no visit.

Posted by: Mike | Aug 1, 2008 12:55:53 PM

Obama is a sad, pathetic, excuse to be running for President. Because it would not be a photo op for him, as the doctor indicated, Obama skipped the visit. Yeah, we want this idiot to be our President! Its over, Obama...buhh...byeeee!

Posted by: Jack | Aug 1, 2008 1:22:29 PM

s.b.: You are an idiot.

Jane: I remember this same email 8 years ago for BUSH! Ya, President McCain. Uhmmmm. I think you should be excited.

The only problems with polls right now is they mean nothing. And the only problem with those words "President McCain" is it will never happen.

You can take your nap now.

Posted by: becky | Aug 1, 2008 1:23:32 PM

Mike:

Your Doctor is most certainly a Republican troll, given his use of the proven false McCain claim that Obama didn't visit because the cameras were excluded.

And your status as a troll is clear from your use of the term "the" blacks... etc.

Obama 2008

Posted by: jackt51 | Aug 1, 2008 1:27:50 PM

Becky, you are an idiot! I've read your posts, over and over again, where you were excited that your boy, NoBama, was leading. Now, all of a sudden, you say polls don't matter! Get a life! Just like Obammy, it only matters if he is winning....

So, Becky, can you say..."Welcome, President McCain!"

Ur a troll!

Posted by: Jane Hussein Obama | Aug 1, 2008 1:28:41 PM

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