By Isseu Diouf Campbell
President Barack Obama was in New York City yesterday, April 11, 2014, to deliver remarks at the National Action Network’s 16th Annual Convention held at the Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan.
Introduced by Rev. Al Sharpton as the “action president,” Obama received a warm welcome from a full house of 1600 attendees including former mayor of New York David Dinkins, Martin Luther King III, and congressman Charles Rangel.
Obama mentioned, in his speech, achievements made during his six years in office, but focused on the right for every American to vote.
“Voting is a time when we all have an equal say- black or white, rich or poor, man or woman. It doesn’t matter,” he said.
Even though President Obama emphasized on the progress made since president Johnson signed the voting rights act, he deplored recent setbacks.
“The right to vote is threatened today in a way that is has not been since the Voting rights act became law nearly five decades ago. Across the country republicans have led efforts to pass laws making it harder, for people to vote.”
While he saw the republicans’ strategy on having fewer people to vote, as a sign of weakness, he encouraged those targeted and affected by those changes not to give up.
“We can’t treat these new barriers as an excuse not to participate… For all these laws that are being put in place, the biggest problem we have is people giving up their own power – voluntarily not participating,” he added.
“Go out there and vote. You can make a change. You do have the power.”
