I received an email from First Lady Michelle Obama, (as I am sure did millions of others), soliciting my opinion about the Democratic National Committee Convention to be held in 2012. She indicated the desire of our President to make this convention the “People’s Convention.”
Rendering of USX Site Future Development
Proposed Site on The South Side of Chicago
Proposed Site on The South Side of Chicago
The following are the questions and my responses peppered with shameless plugs for the Obama Library.
How do you think the convention could be brought to your community?
I live in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, IL a few blocks from the South Shore Chicago Cultural Center where you and the President started your life as husband and wife.
There is so much gentrification going on in our neighborhood. This is a good thing. However, I fear that across this country many residents of inner city neighborhoods will be displaced, not fairly compensated for their property or ultimately priced out of the “New Urbanism” neighborhoods that are created within our inner cities.
Chicago has been hard hit by foreclosures and a 200,000 person population decline of predominately African Americans.
The USX site is located on the south east side of Chicago. We are hoping that this site will be seriously considered as a future site for President Obama's Library.
I believe that we can also use this site as a satellite to host and broadcast DNC convention events in Chicago. This would give the USX site great visibility throughout the nation. This visibility would also showcase the merits of our lake front location as a stellar option for President Obama's Library as well as a destination point and catalyst for economic growth on the south side.
Most important would be the power of hosting a satellite national convention on the south side of Chicago on the site of the former USX Steel Company where thousands were employed , afforded a living wage and a more prosperous life for the workers and the surrounding community. This site is reminiscent of the America we must become again, a producer nation not a consumer nation. This site is our glorious past and our promising future. This site has the opportunity to be all inclusive.
It is my understanding that President Obama started his career in public service as an organizer working with and for the steel workers at this very site.
This area is bordered by very diverse grass roots communities; African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian.
It would be great to have a permanent structure from the 46th Convention,"The People's Convention", as the site of the Obama Presidential Library.
How would you like to see service play a role in this convention?
Selection of the USX site, a USGBC site for Neighborhood Development, as well as a model for New Urbanism would honor to the past as well as herald the future in America. This would be a wonderful time to highlight green jobs, sustainable communities, and how everyone can prepare for and participate in the revitalization of America. Reminiscent of the beginnings of the Museum of Science and Industry, a Southside Green Technology Training Center and the Obama Library could remain and usher in a new era of innovation and prosperity. J What a great service and legacy.
The service that can be provided would be to reach out to all the 50 wards in Chicago and all the congressional districts to send representatives to our DNC convention satellite location on the southern lake shore of Chicago, Chicago Lakeside.
Provide a location for educating the community about green jobs complete with providers for training and retraining to prepare our residents to work in the development of the USX site and to manufacture and service the green technology products which will be used in the development.
Where do you typically watch the convention?
I watch at home on TV.
What would get your friends and neighbors more interested in the convention?
Genuine inclusion in the reshaping of America in their own backyard as well as unabridged access to the information and opportunities coming to their backyard with the USX Development and other projects nationwide providing “green Jobs”, would serve as a tremendous motivator for participation in the Peoples Convention. The opportunity to redirect the youth who are aimlessly populating the corners of our neighborhoods with no hope towards a bright future of productivity, prosperity and inclusion, coupled with the opportunity to be in the know would be a tremendous incentive. Knowledge is said to be power… power to the people.
This can truly be where preparation meets opportunity. The opportunities are coming to the south side of Chicago. Let’s make sure the residents of the south side and the entire city are adequately informed and prepared.
God Bless America.
To tell Michelle where you and your neighbors would go to be a part of the "Peoples Convention" follow the link below...
To tell Michelle where you and your neighbors would go to be a part of the "Peoples Convention" follow the link below...
http://my.barackobama.com/PeoplesConvention-inv
So if the convention comes to the south side will you be there instead of watching on TV! :)
ReplyDeleteThe convention is already slated for North Carolina. Our input can only address what "we" would like to see coming out of the convention or happending during the convention. They are not going to change the site.
ReplyDeleteI asked myself why North Carolina? Does anyone know?
We wanted to show we were playing in a very aggressive way going to the South," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine.
ReplyDeleteRead more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/02/02/2027540/charlotte-wins-2012-dem-convention.html#ixzz1EtkZh5k8
NC as site -- CRAB
ReplyDelete