(NNPA)—“If the teachers sit on their hands this fall, it would be a disaster for Obama and the Democrats,” said a scholar who follows educational politics last week. And it would be a gift to an opposition which has said no to a tax on big banks, apologized to big oil, and encouraged bigotry and fanaticism at its fringes. Teachers have a right to express disappointment in Obama—they spent millions helping to elect him in 2008.

The administration has angered teachers in a dispute over whether funds intended for them can be diverted into an educational program. This dispute may or may not be solved in a few weeks, but the teachers’ anger echoes other segments of the progressive coalition—angered that the change they hoped for hasn’t come to pass, angered that Obama seems to be just a regular politician.

More than 50 odd years ago, I was privileged to meet a Black man who at the first meeting demonstrated by words and action that he was a very special person. Over the years we had many conversations about all the factors that involved the well- being of the community and particularly the Black community. We never had a confrontational conversation and that is extremely rare for me, because as most of you know I can be opinionated. It is apparent to most readers that I am writing about Robert R. Lavelle.

He was a rarity—Christian and a successful businessman, first a multi-list Realtor, civil rights warrior, devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather and someone who truly loved his neighbors. You did not have live where he lived to be in that category.

by Elinor Tatum

On Aug. 28, there will be two rallies and marches in Washington. One, at the Lincoln Memorial, and another at Dunbar High School. But on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the march on Washington and the historic “I Have a Dream” speech, the people attending the rally at the Lincoln Memorial won’t be who you think. Gathering there will be none other than the right-wing hate-monger Glenn Beck and members of the Tea Party—hijacking the dream.

(NNPA)—There have only been six African-Americans in the United States Senate in history, and two—Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce—served Mississippi during Reconstruction as appointed senators.

In modern times, four African-Americans have served, and each has been the lone African-American senator serving Edward Brooke (1967-1979) of Massachusetts, Carol Mosley Braun of Illinois (1993-1999), Barack Obama (2005-2008) of Illinois, and Roland Burris (2009-2010) of Illinois. Braun, Obama and Burris all held the same seat, with Braun winning it during the “Year of the Woman” in 1992, Obama winning it in 2004 before winning the presidency in 2008, and Roland Burris currently holding it as an appointed senator who will not run for re-election.