By ALVELYN SANDERS
President Barack Obama knows how to make an entrance.
Here is the scene: Community leaders from around the country are settling into the second half of a daylong visit to the White House to hear a series of briefings from the Office of Public Engagement (OPE) on June 24, 2011. After a purposefully, fanfare-less introduction of a special guest, in strides the 44th President of the United States – stage right. He heads straight to the podium bearing the presidential seal, and I – known as the perennial, laid-back woman around these parts – I, Alvelyn Sanders, almost screamed. Almost. It is a good thing I did not scream. Un-southern lady-like. After all, when the President of the United States surprises you, a fellow American (not a screaming fan), with an unscheduled visit to thank you and your colleagues for your hard work, you do not scream. You close your mouth, sit down, try to snap a few shots with a camera or cell phone, savor the gracious moment, and listen to what the man has to say, which is what I did – after I caught my breath.
The President of the United States wanted us to know that while it may seem like we are alone in the work that we do, we are not. Others, as evidenced by our gathering, are with us, and he, as the President of the United States, is with us, too. He needed our help still. Our communities needed us still. There is work to do still. His visit illustrated the mission of the OPE, appropriately created by the Obama administration, to make sure the public, regardless of individual party affiliation, knows about government policies and programs and how we can utilize those resources to make our communities better.
Even before the president catapulted the OPE briefing into the earth’s stratosphere, the series of sessions and presentations had already been immensely informative. We heard updates by key staffers like Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to the president; Macon Phillips, special assistant to the president and director of digital strategy, David Kamin, special assistant to the president for economic policy, and Greg Nelson, deputy director of OPE. We were reminded of many points of good news like that 3 million jobs were created by the Recovery Act, the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, and that the Small Business Administration Microloan Program provides loans to small businesses through eligible, private nonprofit community- and faith-based lenders. We addressed the challenges still on the table: improving the economy through the windows of infrastructure, transit and innovation. Plus, we heard
about Startup America, a growing initiative to help entrepreneurs create new jobs.
Yet, the White House staff didn’t just talk. They listened. Jon Carson, deputy assistant to the president and director of OPE, opened the floor to hear what we had to say about topics such as civil rights for native, tribal communities; continued support for veterans and spouses; and public education. Yes, the White House listens to government leaders like our own Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, a regular adviser. The White House listens to community leaders too. After all, as the president reminded us, being a community organizer is how he got his start.
So here is my task. I have to be that stone, that when skipped across the river from the shore, creates a ripple effect to the other side. Life is cyclical. I have to do what I asked volunteers to do for Mr. Obama’s presidential Campaign for Change in 2008, when I was a staffer: Be the stone that ripples the water for a better city, state, nation, and world – to get us all to the other side of the promise of America – a fulfilled promise, not just the promise itself.
Back at the White House briefing, Michael Blake, associate director of OPE, and my fellow Northwestern University alum, asked that if we had a photo of a loved-one with us – tangible or digital – to take a look at it as a reminder of why we were there. I looked at my phone. I wasn’t at the White House for my beloved dog.
Fortunately, I happened to have a photo of my mother and me. It made sense. My mother, Dr. Georgianne Thomas, has been on the frontlines ever since she was stunned to see the “Colored” and “White” signs at the train station when she arrived in Atlanta from Gary, Ind., to attend Spelman College. Now, here I was, on a Friday in June 2011, an heir of the
Civil Rights Movement, at the White House attending a briefing. I cannot drop the mantle.
President Barack Obama knows how to exit a room, too. As unceremoniously – business as usual, I make surprise visits to unexpected guests everyday – as he entered our gathering, he exited just the same. Leaving all of us wanting more. This is what I love about the president. He does not leave us wanting more of him, although that is what it seems. He leaves us wanting more – more for our country, our community, our children, our lives. In response, we do more because doing more is the only option.
Alvelyn Sanders, a native of Atlanta, is a writer and producer. Her forthcoming project is a documentary, “Foot Soldiers: Class of 1964.” She is an assistant minister at Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. She was staff member of the 2008 Obama Presidential Campaign, based at the State Headquarters in midtown Atlanta. She can be reached at alvelynsanders@gmail.com.